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Sarah Khalifa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sarah Khalifa
سارة خليفة
Born[a]
Cairo, Egypt
OccupationsEntrepreneur, businesswoman
Criminal status
Incarcerated
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2016; div. 2016)​
ConvictionGuilty on all counts
Criminal charge
Penalty
  • Death (drug trafficking)
  • 5 years in prison (sexual assault)

Sarah Khalifa (Arabic: سارة خليفة, romanized: Sāra Ḫalīfa)[a] is an Egyptian influencer, entrepreneur and former television presenter.[4]

On 5 September 2026, she was sentenced to death by a court in Cairo on charges related to drug trafficking and received an additional prison sentence for the sexual assault of a young man.

Career

[edit]

Khalifa was born in Cairo on 29 March 1994 and began her career in entertainment journalism working for the Arab Radio and Television Network (ART) for several years.[5][6] She also took part in programming aired on Al Sharqiya, an Iraqi television station.[5] In 2024, Khalifa co-hosted a streaming programme on YouTube along with singer Hamo Beka, featuring interviews with celebrities from Egyptian media and society.[5]

Khalifa rose to prominence when she hosted the crime and security show Mission Impossible on Mehwar TV.[b][8][9] The programme included interviews with police officers, security officials and crime suspects.[10]

By 2025, Khalifa relied heavily on her business career and other media-related activities.[5] She also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic in Cairo and an event planning company.[11] Khalifa has more than 2.5 million followers on Instagram, making her a renowned personality within Egyptian media and being considered a lifestyle influencer.[5][12][3][13][2]

Criminal prosecution

[edit]

Drug trafficking case

[edit]

Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025, accused of being part of a drug trafficking network that imported raw materials to produce synthetic drugs in the country.[14][15] She was also charged with a count related to the sexual assault of a young man. In the same operative, the Egyptian National Police arrested dozens of other individuals who were accused of taking part in these activities.[5][16] The prosecution presented evidence in the trial that included more than 750 kilograms of narcotics that were seized by police during the investigation.[15][17] Khalifa wept while giving testimony before the judges, asking for "mercy and humanity."[12]

During her trial in mid-2026, Khalifa denied the charges and said that she had never seen any drugs until she was photographed by their side after her arrest in April 2025.[18] In August 2026, the court found her and twenty others guilty of drug trafficking, referring a request of opinion to the country's Grand Mufti on whether a death sentence should be handed down.[6][14]

On 5 September 2026, upon receiving the Grand Mufti's advice, the court sentenced Khalifa and eleven other defendants to death by hanging, while nine others were sentenced to life in prison.[19][20][21][22] Among those sentenced to death was Khalifa's brother, Mohamed, who was convicted of involvement in the manufacturing of the materials.[23] Her lawyer stated that they would appeal the verdict to a higher court, and if the appeal is denied, they will file another motion to the Court of Cassation.[23]

Sexual assault case

[edit]

Khalifa was additionally sentenced to five years in prison for the kidnapping and sexual assault of a young man who worked as her driver.[11][24] When she was arrested for the drug trafficking case, investigators found footage in her cell phone showing the youth being stripped naked, assaulted and filmed inside Khalifa's home.[23]

Personal life

[edit]

Khalifa was married to footballer Kahraba in 2016, divorcing six months later.[25][26]

Notes

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Al-Ahram's reporter Ahmed Reda wrote a note saying that Khalifa's age is disputed, with sources differing in her age. Some give her date of birth as 29 March 1994, which would make her 32 years old at the time of the sentencing, while other outlets describe her as a 39-year-old, including The Jerusalem Post and Entertainment Weekly.[1][2][3]
  2. ↑ In Arabic: مهمة صعبة, romanized: Mohemma Saaba, literally "Difficult Mission" or "Hard Mission".[1][7]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "The curious case of Sarah Khalifa". Ahram Online. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 LEON, ELI (6 September 2026). "Egyptian broadcaster and influencer sentenced to death after gang conviction". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 Russell, Shani (7 September 2026). "Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa sentenced to death on drug charges". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  4. ↑ Sobhi, Karim (14 November 2016). "إحالة بلاغ المذيعة سارة خليفة ضد زوجها محمود كهربا للنيابة" [Broadcaster Sarah Khalifa's complaint against her husband, Mahmoud Kahraba, referred to the Public Prosecution]. Youm7. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The downfall of Sarah Khalifa - from TV host to death row". Egypt Independent. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 "An Egyptian court issues a ruling to execute presenter Sarah Khalifa by hanging". Tanja7 English. 5 September 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "مصر: حكم بالإعدام على المذيعة السابقة سارة خليفة وآخرين في قضية "المخدرات الكبرى"". فرانس 24 / France 24 (in Arabic). 6 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa sentenced to death in drugs case". National Herald. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "How a TV Crime Show Hostess Went From the Screen to a Death Sentence". Egyptian Streets. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  10. ↑ "Glam TV host sentenced to death by hanging over drug ring". PerthNow. 7 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Egyptian TV presenter among 12 sentenced to death for drug crime". The Guardian. AFP. 5 September 2026. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  12. 1 2 Eyad Kourdi; Issy Ronald (6 September 2026). "Egyptian TV presenter sentenced to death on drug charges". CNN. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  13. ↑ Tabikha, Kamal. "Sarah Khalifa to appeal against death sentence amid controversy over Egypt drug case". The National. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa sentenced to death in drug case". France 24. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Mission Impossible presenter among 12 sentenced to death in Egypt". ABC News. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "Egyptian TV presenter sentenced to death in drugs case". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "Egyptian TV host Sarah Khalifa among 12 sentenced to death in drugs case". The Independent. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "TV presenter Sarah Khalifa sentenced to death in Egypt drugs case". www.bbc.com. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  19. ↑ "TV presenter Sarah Khalifa among 12 sentenced to death in Egypt". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "Cairo court sentences TV presenter Sarah Khalifa, 11 others to death in drug trafficking case". EgyptToday. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  21. ↑ "Egyptian television presenter sentenced to death for drug trafficking". i24NEWS. 6 September 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  22. ↑ "Egypt sentences TV host Sarah Khalifa, 11 others to death in major drug case; seven defendants acquitted - Courts & Law - Egypt". Ahram Online. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 "Popular Egyptian TV presenter to appeal drug-related death sentence". euronews. 7 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  24. ↑ "Who is producer Sarah Khalifa accused of sexually assaulting young man and filming him". Al Bawaba. Archived from the original on 22 December 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  25. ↑ "Egyptian TV Host Among 13 Facing Possible execution In Major Drug Case". Yahoo News. 9 August 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  26. ↑ "After Sara Khalifa's Papers Were Sent to the Grand Mufti: Who Is She, and Does She Deserve What Is Happening?". El-Shai. 5 August 2026. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
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