Chef Osama Al-Sayed

Popular Egyptian TV chef Osama Al-Sayed has died, aged 65.

According to Al-Arabiya, his sister said he passed away after suffering chest complications.

In a statement to ET bel Arabi, she revealed that her brother had recently contracted COVID-19, adding that he would be buried in the US.

She said: “Osama Al-Sayed and his family live in America, and his mother was also buried there, for this reason he will be buried in the United States.”

She asked his fans everywhere to pray for and remember him.

Al-Sayed’s passing on Tuesday was announced on his official Facebook page without any details about the cause of death.

In his last Facebook post on Sept.

21, the pioneering chef asked fans and followers to pray for him as his health deteriorated.

He said: “My loved ones, I hope that you will remember me on a day when I am in dire need of your prayers while I am in the hands of the Most Merciful.”

Al-Sayed gained wide popularity in the Arab world with shows he hosted on several TV stations including Dubai TV and MBC.

He also hosted such shows on the Egyptian private TV stations Dream and CBC. He was also a nutrition consultant and authored several books including Oriental Sweets, Bon Appetite and More Delicious with Osama.

Born and raised in Cairo, the youthful Al-Sayed’s interest in cooking was influenced by his mother’s home-cooked meals. What was initially a pastime, became a passion and a serious career choice. He enrolled at Cairo’s Hotel Technical Institute and following graduation apprenticed with the famous Nile Hilton

Hotel.