Egypt’s celebrated hair stylist Al Saghir dies of COVID-19

Cairo: Egypt’s celebrated hair stylist Mohammed Al Saghir, one of the most famous in the Arab world, died due to complications from the novel coronavirus, his family has said.

Al Saghir, who made a name in hair styling over the past 40 years, caught the virus about a month ago. His age was not given.

During his long career, Al Saghir made friends with many leading members of the entertainment community in Egypt and the Arab world. He started his career at a beauty parlour run by his uncle in Cairo. In 1980, Al Saghir opened his own beauty business and earned fame as the special hair stylist of many actresses including Egyptian cinema ion Faten Hamama.

In 2015, he published his book “Days in My Life” in which he recounted his friendships with several members of the acting community.

Tributes poured in over Al Saghir’s death. Egyptian business tycoon Naguib Sawiris called him a "rare self-made personality". “Egypt has lost a rare self-made personality that built himself from zero, made a good name and a success story that is worth studying,” Sawiris tweeted.

Singing diva Samira Saeed described Al Saghir as one of the most important hair stylists in the Arab world. “He was since and international in his creative styles,” Saeed said on her Instagram account.

Al Saghir was the father-in-law of prominent Egyptian actor Ahmed Al Saqa. The late stylist was buried in a family cemetery in the Cairo quarter of Heliopolis on Friday.