Tunisian actress Inas Al Najjar dies aged 41

Tunisian actress Inas Al Najjar has died aged 41.

She passed away on Monday in a hospital in Egypt’s 6th of October City. She had fallen into a coma following a gallbladder rupture. Her health further deteriorated due to blood poisoning, which was caused by the rupture.

News of the ElHalangy star’s death has been confirmed by several Arabic news outlets, including Sky News Arabia.

Al Najjar was born on June, 28, 1983 in Sfax, a port city south-east of Tunis. She began her career by appearing in the 1999 music video for Ya Tara by Bahaa Sultan. The appearance caught the attention of Egyptian director Muhammad al-Najjar, who cast her in the 2003 film Mido Mashakel. The film also starred Ahmed Helmy, Sherine Abdel Wahab and Ramez Galal.

The film effectively gave Al Najjar a chance to shine in Egyptian cinema. She quickly became a familiar face in the region, appearing in films that included Behebak wa Ana kaman (2003); Ali Spicy (2005); Karkar (2007); Azbat Adam (2010); Ahasees (2010); Kalbi Dalili (2013); and Wahed Saidi (2014). She also appeared on Qahwat Bursat Masir (2019) and Nuss Yom (2021).

More recently, Al Najjar also starred in several television series. These include Mazad El Shar (2022) and El Halangy, which was being screened this Ramadan.

Fans and peers have taken to social media to mourn the actress. While there have been several messages of condolences as well as tributes to Al Najjar’s career, one of the most heartfelt messages came from Tunisian singer and actress Latifa.

“The last time I saw you was yesterday,” she wrote on Monday evening. “We had been living in hope. The doctors, too, were hopeful. But God's will happened. May God have mercy on you and grant your mother, your sister and all your family patience. To God we belong and to Him we shall return.”