Haifa Wehbe is a Lebanese model, actress, and singer who rose to fame in the Arab world as runner up
for Miss Lebanon and later through the release of her debut album Houwa El-Zaman.
Haifa Wehbe was born in Mahrouna, a small farming town in Southern Lebanon, to a Lebanese father and an Egyptian mother. She grew up listening to jazz and R&B.
She began to work as a model at a young age and won the title of Miss South Lebanon at the age of sixteen. Wehbe won an ancillary title at the Miss Lebanon competition, which she had to relinquish when it was discovered that she had already been married, disqualifying her.
By 1996, she had appeared on over a hundred magazine covers.
In 2006, Wehbe was listed on People Magazine's list of the 50 most beautiful people.
In 2002, Wehbe released her first album, titled Houwa El-Zaman, which became a commercial success, in part thanks to the popularity of her first single "Agoul Ahwak". Her second album Baddi Eesh) was released in 2005 and lived up to expectations due to the success of its lead single "Ya Hayat Albi". Released after the assassination of Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri, the title single of the album is about freedom, considered to be among the most basic of human rights.
Her follow-up single became her biggest hit to date, "Ana Haifa", which became her novelty song. In 2006 she released a follow up single "Bus al-Wawa, from her upcoming album Baby Haifa, to be released at the end of 2008 or early in 2009.
The song was later used in a Pepsi advertisement. The song was also voted Song of the Year in 2006 by Radio Scope and Sawt Al Musika. Wehbe was the first Arab artist appear on the Italian TV channel Rai Uno at Piazza Navona in Rome, performing in front of celebrities and fashion designers. Haifa Wehbe has also performed with artists from outside the Arab world.
On June 10, 2006, Haifa became the first artist in the Arab world to perform with rapper 50 Cent when she performed the opening act for his first concert in Lebanon, at BIEL in Beirut. On July 4, 2008, Wehbe released her long-awaited album [Habibi Ana] which contains 15 songs including the single "Mosh Adra Astana". Wehbe will release a children's album titled Baby Haifa with Rotana.
The release date for the album has yet to be announced. Wehbe has three sisters, Alia, Hanna, and Rola. Wehbe's brother died at the age of 24 during the 1982 Lebanon War.During Wehbe's marriage, she gave birth to a daughter named Zeinab Zaza.
In 2005, she announced her engagement to a Saudi businessman Tariq Al-Jaffali. After only a few weeks, she and her fiancé decided to split for personal reasons and family issues. On June 25, 2007, Wehbe survived a serious car accident while filming a music video for the song "Hasa Ma Bena" in Lebanon. In the video, a single engine airplane was to chase Wehbe as she drove a car. However, the airplane inadvertently hit the car, taking off the front windshield of the drop-top convertible she was driving. Despite the severity of the accident, Wehbe only suffered minor cuts and bruises.
Wehbe married Egyptian businessman Ahmad Abu Husheima on April 24, 2009 in Beirut. Among the guests at the wedding party were American glamour model Carmen Electra, singer Anastacia, Nawal Al Zoughbi, Najwa Karam, Ragheb Alama, Ahlam, and Sherine.
