She used to grace TV screens across Egypt – now she’s been sentenced to death.
Sarah Khalifa’s journey spanned many years, beginning with media appearances and program hosting, progressing through production, event organization, and private projects.
But a catastrophic downfall led to her conviction in one of the largest drug manufacturing and trafficking cases Cairo’s courts had ever witnessed.
Cairo Criminal Court, convened at the Fifth Settlement Court Complex, concluded the “Grand Drug Case” on Saturday September 5.
The court sentenced Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging, fining each of them LE500,000, and confiscating the seized drugs, cars, equipment, gold jewelry, and mobile phones.
The verdict was unanimous after the defendant case files were referred to the Grand Mufti of Egypt for his religious opinion.
TV Presenter
Khalifa was born in Cairo on March 29, 1994, and began her career in the media by presenting programs on the “ART” channel, before moving to work on the Iraqi Al-Sharqiya channel for a long period.
Over time, she moved into production and event planning, launching her own company, “Sarah Production,” specializing in organizing parties.
She also participated in numerous events and artistic performances, expanding her presence on social media.
In 2024, she returned to the spotlight with the program “Sarah and Beka,” which she co-hosted with the popular singer Hamo Beka.
She also performed in Dubai and opened a beauty clinic in Agouza district, Giza, becoming a well-known figure on social media and among celebrities.
Downfall
In April 2025, Khalifa’s life took a shocking turn when security forces arrested her.
The New Cairo Public Prosecution began investigating her on charges related to possession of narcotics with intent to distribute.
At the start of the investigation, the prosecution ordered the summoning of witnesses and the review of surveillance camera footage from the vicinity of her residence to determine the movements of those frequenting the area, before expanding the investigation into the case.
Security services had been monitoring the group’s activities for approximately 40 days before obtaining an arrest warrant for the defendants on April 17, 2025.
The investigation revealed that Khalifa was leading the group, with the assistance of her brother and others, and that raw materials were being brought in from abroad before being smuggled into Egypt to manufacture and distribute narcotics.
The Trial
The case grew to become one of the largest drug cases in the nation, with the Public Prosecution referring 28 defendants to the Criminal Court.
The prosecution charged the defendants with forming an organized criminal group specializing in importing, manufacturing, packaging, trafficking, and distributing materials used in the production of synthetic narcotics, as well as possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Investigations revealed the seizure of more than 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and raw materials used in their production, along with weapons and ammunition.
The referral order was based on the testimonies of 20 witnesses and technical and digital evidence, including conversations, photos, and videos.
The trial of Khalifa and 27 other defendants began before the Cairo Criminal Court.
The case continued for months, with legal arguments from the defense focusing on the arrest and search procedures, the evidence presented, and the extent to which the elements of the crimes attributed to each defendant were met.
During the trial sessions, some defense lawyers maintained their clients’ innocence, arguing the invalidity of the arrest and detention procedures, the lack of connection between some of the defendants and the seized items, and the admissibility of the forensic evidence and investigations.
Referral to Grand Mufti
On August 4, The Cairo Criminal Court referred the case files of Sarah Khalifa and 12 other defendants to the Grand Mufti of Egypt for his religious opinion on the death penalty.
Death Sentence
The Cairo Criminal Court ultimately sentenced Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging.
The court also sentenced nine defendants to life imprisonment and a fine of LE 100,000 each, while acquitting seven others, bringing the total number of defendants in the case to 28.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
