Stars of Arab cinema, television and music have paid their respects to the late Dalal Abdel Aziz, after the Egyptian actress died on Saturday, aged 61, from complications related to Covid-19.
Her death was announced on Facebook by her son-in-law, TV journalist Ramy Radwan.
Tunisian actress Hend Sabri led the tributes, describing Abdel Aziz as possessing a skill and sense of mission all her own.
"Today, we lost an artist and a person of unique style who was not only a capable star but a duty bearer, as they say," Sabry wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
Producer Sadek Sabbah recalled working with Abdel Aziz in one of her final projects, this year’s Ramadan television series Meluk El Gadaana.
"You left with an unforgettable impression with your kindness, humanity, sweet spirit, professionalism and appreciation for all,” he said. “You are an example in art and morals."
Lebanese pop star Elissa said she took solace in Abdel Aziz reuniting with her late husband, the Egyptian actor Samir Ghanem, who also died from Covid-19 complications in May.
"This is very unjust and difficult," she said. "The consolation is that when Dalal Abdel Aziz came back, she met with the love of her life again."
Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi poignantly added: “Farewell to the love of the whole world."
Abdel Aziz contracted Covid-19 four months ago along with her late husband, one of Egypt’s most celebrated comedians.
“She could not let herself abandon her beloved, and she decided to follow him to heaven,” read Radwan’s social media announcement of her death, referring to the famously loving marriage the actress had with her late husband.
Radwan is married to the couple’s eldest daughter Donia Samir Ghanem, a popular actress and singer in her own right.
News of Abdel Aziz’s death was also confirmed by her other son-in-law, actor Hassan El Raddad, who called her “the kindest person he had ever met” as he lamented her passing on social media.
The actress’s death became the No 1 trending topic on Twitter in Egypt on Saturday, with many of her fans offering condolences to her family.
Born in 1960, the actress had a long and successful acting career.
Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it didn’t take long for Abdel Aziz to rise to the top of Egyptian entertainment's A-list, cementing her place as a dramatic tour de force who brought an inimitable stamp to every role.
Speaking to The National in May 2020, Abdel Aziz said: "Comedy is one of the most difficult of the performance arts.
"It is a world of its own and there are so many different ways to do it. What makes it harder is that when it is done, to deliver a targeted social message."
She married Ghanem in 1984 and the pair became one of Egyptian cinema’s most beloved celebrity couples.
Amr Saad, a co-star of Abdel Aziz's on a recent TV show, revealed in a televised interview on Thursday the actress had not been informed by her family or medical team that her husband had died.
The late actress is survived by two daughters, Donia and Emmy, both successful actresses.
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'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
How to wear a kandura
Dos
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Don’ts
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
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Engine: 3.0-litre V6
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Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Sri Lanka squad for tri-nation series
Angelo Mathews (c), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Shehan Madushanka, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan and Wanidu Hasaranga
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
