Egyptian actress Sawsan Rabie dies after battling Covid-19: 'An unforgettable legacy'

Egyptian actress Sawsan Rabie has died aged 59 after being hospitalised with Covid-19.

The actress contracted the virus two weeks ago, the Egyptian media reported. Rabie's health deteriorated over the weekend and she was rushed to an intensive care unit in a Cairo hospital. She died on Saturday.

Azouz Adel, a member of Egypt’s Actors Syndicate, confirmed Rabie’s death in a Facebook post mourning the actress. Ismail Mokhtar, head of the Artistic Theatre House, also released a statement honouring Rabie, saying "the great actress left an unforgettable legacy of television, cinematic and theatrical works".

Born in 1962 in Cairo, Rabie began her acting career in a number of children's programmes. She quickly rose to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s after she took part in the theatre production Ennaha Haqqan Aela Mohtarama (It Really is a Respectable Family) alongside legendary comedy actors Fouad El Mohandes and Shouweikar.

In 1982, Rabie appeared alongside Egyptian star Adel Imam in the classic comedy drama Ala Bab El-Wazir (At the Minister's Door).

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Her breakout role in television came after graduating from the school of arts at Ain Shams University, when she took part in the 1988 Ramadan series Al Munasabat (Occasions), acting alongside the likes of Yehia El Fakharany and Ragaa Al Geddawy, who died last year due to symptoms caused by Covid-19.

Rabie's last work was the play Al Mutafael (The Optimist), an adaptation of the satirical novella Candide by French writer Voltaire.

The play is directed by Islam Imam and stars Eish Hayatak actor Sameh Hussein. Rabie was forced to pull out of the play after she contracted the coronavirus.