Haifa Wehbe was born in Southern Lebanon in 1976. She became a model when she was very young and became Miss South Lebanon when she was sixteen. She also married very young and had a daughter named Zeinab. In 1995, Wehbe was runner-up at the Miss Lebanon beauty contest, but was disqualified for not telling the judges about her marriage.

 

Wehbe and her beauty became famous all around the Arab world and appeared on over 100 magazine covers in 1996. She continued modelling but she loved singing and decided to use her fame to become a singer. In 2002, she released her debut album, titled ‘Huwa az-Zaman’, which was a huge hit across the Middle East. Other successful albums followed in 2005 and 2008.

 

Wehbe has become one of the most famous Arab singers. She has been on CNN and in 2006 became the first Arab artist to perform with rapper 50 Cent. She is also a TV star and has appeared on countless shows. In June 2005, she launched her own jewellery brand, which is popular throughout the Middle East.

 

Wehbe is also known for speaking her mind on political issues. Her brother was killed in the 1982 Lebanon War. During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, she congratulated Hezbollah for its fight against Israel. She does raise eyebrows in more conservative Arab countries with her sexy image. In April 2008, Bahrain’s government banned her from performing in concert in Manama.