The dispute was triggered by Saad’s appearance in front of the Tunisian media, where he asked Al-Mansouri to remain silent in an inappropriate manner.
The crisis escalated, prompting Mostafa Kamel, the head of Egypt’s Musicians Syndicate, to ask Saad to clarify the sequence of events on social media.
In the video released in the early hours of Wednesday, Saad began by explaining that upon his arrival in Tunisia to perform at the Camping, Arts, and Sports Festival in Bizerte on 2 July, he was asked to give a press conference before the concert. However, Saad claimed that the organizer had repeatedly delayed finalizing the contract, which included a clear clause stating that no press conference would be held.
However, Al-Mansouri made arrangements for the conference without informing Saad.
Additionally, Saad mentioned some organizational hiccups without providing further details.
“I am not against the media. The preparations for the press conference require many steps and it should not be held at the back of the stage but in a conference hall,” he explained, adding that as an artist he needed to get prepared as well.
He shared a video of his entry backstage, where he warmly greeted the journalists and praised their country and its people. According to Saad, he was surprised by the big number of journalists awaiting him.
During the concert, Saad was surprised by dancers entering the stage, claiming that he “did not know them and that no rehearsals had been conducted.”
He supported his statement with video snippets showing his surprise and confusion.
After the concert, as Saad left in a car, Al-Mansouri expressed her disappointment in front of the media, saying that Saad had been highly paid yet refused to hold a press conference.
Saad stated that the journalists followed him to the hotel, while Al-Mansouri continued complaining to the media about the payment, stating “highly exaggerated figures” and “turned everyone against me,” as seen in another video snippet.
In the hotel lobby, Saad briefly addressed the journalists, stating that the press conference was not part of the agreement. However, Al-Mansouri interrupted him, claiming that it couldn’t be true.
Annoyed by the interruption, Saad repeatedly told Al-Mansouri to “shut up” before returning to the journalists. According to Saad, the organizer then insulted him, calling him “disrespectful” and claiming “you are not an artist, you are below the level.”
Saad said he filed a complaint. He also emphasized that he did not make any derogatory remarks about Tunisian women.
Egyptian Musicians Syndicate
Following the incident, Egypt’s Musicians Syndicate expressed disappointment with the Tunisian party for not informing them about the contract details beforehand and failing to obtain their official letter, which would allow them to hold the artist accountable for his actions during travel.
The syndicate urged all musicians to avoid making discriminatory statements that could harm the strong relations between Egypt and any sister Arab country.
Topping the charts
The 42-year-old pop and Shaabi singer Saad is widely known in the Arab world. Throughout his career, he has released numerous albums and singles, with many of his songs becoming theme songs for popular films and TV series.
His latest song, Ekhtayaraty (My Choices), was featured in the film Mr. Ex, released during Eid Al-Adha, quickly gaining popularity and over 1.5 million hits on platforms like Anghami and 5.5 million views on YouTube.
Saad is also known for collaborating with various Arab musicians, including mahraganat singers. He recently joined forces with 3enba and Double Zuksh for the song El-Melouk (The Kings), featured in the Marvel series Moon Knight, directed by Mohamed Diab.
Source: Ahram
