39-year-old accused of Tamim murder arrested

A 39-year-old Arab man accused of murdering Lebanese popstar Suzan Tamim has been arrested, police said on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference, police said the suspect was apprehended on July 31 after fleeing the UAE to another Arab country shortly after the murder.

Tamim, 31, was found stabbed to death in her Dubai apartment on July 28.

Police did not reveal the man's identity, nationality or where he fled to. They said he is still being held abroad.

Police said the killer tricked his way into her apartment by claiming he worked for an estate agent. He then slit the singer's throat and left the country in under 90 minutes, according to UAE daily The National.

Police said Tamim did not know the killer. Her father has said previously he suspects someone hired a hitman to kill her.

The murder of Tamim has sparked intense media coverage and speculation over who was responsible for the killing, with several conflicting reports over arrests made in the investigation.

UAE daily Khaleej Times reported in its Sunday edition that two Egyptian suspects are now the focus of the investigation into the murder, citing police sources.

According to sources, the suspects were in Dubai for just two days and left shortly after the singer was killed. The pair had come to Dubai on visit visas.

Dubai police have contacted their Egyptian counterparts and have requested they track down the suspects, the source added.

Tamim's body was last week laid to rest at a funeral in the central Beirut district of Aicha Bakkar, attended by friends and relatives including her father Abdul Sattar and brother Khalil.

The body was later interred in the city's largest Sunni cemetery.

Tamim shot to fame in 1996 after winning Lebanese talent show Studio Al Fan and enjoyed many hits during her early career.