Iconic Egyptian actor Maher Labib, best known for playing police officers and detectives in television and films, passed away after a battle with an illness which has not been disclosed. He was 72. The news of his demise was announced by fellow actor Mounir Makram, also a member of Egypt’s Syndicate of Artists, on Facebook, where he wrote, "Permanence is for God, Maher Labib, our dear teacher." Likewise, Egyptian singer Simone Philip Kamel, known prominently throughout the 1990s among fans for her soprano voice, extended her condolences over the news of Labib's death. 

Maher Labib's acting career started in the mid-1970s in minor roles on film and TV before making his first big appearance on the 1978 series, Ahlam Fata Altaer (Dreams of the Flying Boy). According to Egyptian news outlet Youm7, Labib garnered a reputation in the film and TV industry for taking up roles as an investigator appearing towards the end of the story to arrest and detain the antagonist. Among his notable performances over the course of his illustrious career, Labib starred alongside Egypt's acting greats like Adel Imam and Yusra in the 1986 film, Karakon Fe Al Sharea (Karakon on the Street). 

Hailed for his contributions to the field of acting at the Coptic theatre and drama, Maher Labib went on to star in films centred around the Coptic Orthodox faith among which included Anba Abraam and Anba Samuel the Confessor. Labib’s funeral was held at Cairo’s St George's Church on Monday. Many colleagues and fans took to social media to pay their tributes to the actor, with one user tweeting, "Goodbye to the great artist Maher Labib," while another wrote, "An artist whose sincere face I will never forget."