Steve Kenis confirmed the death of one of the few Arab actors to make it big in Hollywood. "Omar Sharif died in Cairo of a heart attack sometime this afternoon," Kenis said when reached by telephone.
He also confirmed that Sharif, who played a wide range of dashing and dignified characters while building a reputation as an expert bridge player, had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Tributes to Sharif were quick to flow on social media.
Egyptian actor Khaled El Nabawy on his Twitter feed, @KhaledElNabawy, said: "RIP OMAR SHARIF,Good bye to a living legend,good bye to a source of inspiration for generations to come."
Sharif won international fame and an Oscar-nomination for best supporting actor for his role in "Lawrence of Arabia" with Peter O'Toole. He later became a huge star in his own right for his portrayal of the title character in the film based on Boris Pasternak's novel "Doctor Zhivago".