Who Is Sarah Khalifa? 5 Things to Know About the Egyptian TV Presenter and Her Death Penalty Sentence

Sarah Khalifa, a popular Egyptian TV presenter, was among 12 defendants sentenced to death in connection with a large-scale drug trafficking scheme.

On September 5, the state-linked Al-Ahram newspaper reported that Cairo's Criminal Court ordered their deaths by hanging for allegedly "forming an organized criminal group specializing in procuring raw materials used in manufacturing synthetic narcotics, with the intent to traffic them, and possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition."

Nine others received life sentences, seven were acquitted and two defendants remain at large.

Here's everything to know about Khalifa and the "Grand Drug Case."

According to multiple news outlets, Khalifa was born in Cairo on March 29, 1994. She later expanded her reach, pursuing a career as a TV presenter and entrepreneur.

Khalifa began her media career as a presenter on ART Channel, where she hosted From Cairo, before moving to the Iraqi Al-Sharkiya Channel, per Egypt Independent. She then became known for hosting Mission Impossible, a TV program that focused on crime-related topics and social issues.

She later established her production and event management company, Sarah Production, while continuing to appear on entertainment programs and collaborate with other artists.

In 2024, she teamed up with Egyptian festival singer Hamo Beka for the program Sarah and Beka.

As an entrepreneur, Khalifa ran an event-planning company and pursued ventures in the beauty industry, including opening a cosmetic and beauty clinic in the Agouza district of Giza.

Khalifa had a short-lived marriage to Egyptian footballer Kahraba in 2016. Per The National, their union lasted roughly six months and drew significant media attention due to Khalifa's public profile.

Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025 as part of the investigation.

According to Al-Ahram, the probe led to the seizure of more than 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and raw materials allegedly intended for their production. The case also reportedly included testimony from 20 witnesses.

Prosecutors further alleged that Khalifa belonged to the group in which members were assigned distinct roles in the importation, manufacture, storage and distribution of illegal drugs.

Khalifa has maintained her innocence throughout the case, denying the allegations against her.

"My parents raised me well. They are people who pray, and I don't need drug money," she said in one video from the trial.

She also told investigators she had "never smoked a cigarette" in her life, Al Jazeera reported.

After a Cairo court reached a verdict in the drug trafficking case, Khalifa's lawyer, Mohamed El Gendy, said she plans to appeal the conviction, citing what he described as procedural errors during the trial.

The attorney said, "[The verdict would be] as if it never existed and will be canceled at the appeal stage before reaching cassation."

Under Egyptian law, Khalifa can appeal the ruling and later take the case to the Court of Cassation.