TV talent shows have unearthed some of the biggest singing stars in the Arab world.
From Ragheb Alama in Studio El Fan in the early 1980s to Sherine Abdel Wahab in the inaugural season of Star Academy Arab World in 2004, generations of Arabic musicians and celebrities have used these programmes as career launch pads.
However, not every breakout artist is guaranteed a glittering career. For some, the star power fades quickly. Others are content as gigging musicians in their home countries.
With Arabs Got Talent set to return after a five-year hiatus, here are nine former contestants who used talent shows to boost their careers.
1. Mohammed Assaf
The Palestinian singer had the Arab world in the palm of his hands when he won the second season of Arab Idol. After making the journey from Palestine to Lebanon to audition – and being temporarily detained at the Egyptian border on the way – the former wedding singer from Gaza wowed the crowd with his inspirational story and dynamic voice as he performed Palestinian folk tracks as ballads.
His Arab Idol victory not only made headlines but inspired a 2015 biopic, The Idol, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Although his profile has faded over the years, Assaf has been busy recording and touring internationally. His latest project is a tribute show to the Egyptian crooner Mohammed Abdul Wahab.
2. Dounia Batma
The Moroccan singer is relaunching her music career 13 years after finishing second in the inaugural season of Arab Idol in 2011. While the show's profile led to her releasing a number of well-received Arabic and Moroccan pop songs, like Rayora and Omy Daeatly, her career took a back seat after she married Egyptian pop star and actor Tamer Hosny and they started a family.
Batma returned to the limelight last year with a string of songs and music videos, including El Hennana and Kachkoul Chaabi.
3. Mourad Bouriki
While the Moroccan singer became a hero in his homeland for winning the first season of The Voice: Ahla Sawt in 2012, it did not lead to regional fame.
The singer and composer has been busy performing in festivals across the kingdom, including this year's Tarab Ambassadors concert series in Casablanca. In a recent interview with Moroccan newspaper Aujourd'hui Le Maroc, he confirmed he had eight new “100 per cent Moroccan songs” planned for release soon.
4. Salah The Entertainer
Now performing under the name Salah or Spider Salah, the Moroccan hip-hop dancer's career hasn't skipped a beat since he won the fourth season of Arabs Got Talent in 2014.
He appeared last month at the 2024 Paris Olympics as an ambassador for the breakdancing competition and last year was a guest mentor in the television show Street Dance of China.
5. Carmen Soliman
The Egyptian singer was the first Arab Idol winner in 2011, but that is now a footnote in a career that has included the release songs from energetic Arabic pop to ballads and epic orchestral numbers. In addition to the release of her new single, Hana Hana, Soliman was chosen to sing the key song for the Arabic dubbed version of the 2020 Netflix animated film Over the Moon.
Last year, her face was projected on a digital billboard in New York's Times Square as part of her ambassador role for Spotify's Equal Arabia initiative.
6. Sima Dance Company
After winning the 2014 season of Arabs Got Talent, the Syrian dance company relocated to Dubai and have been teaching contemporary dance in Al Serkal Avenue. In 2019, they were commissioned by NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Centre to launch the show Ansaf. Inspired by the work of Canadian philosopher Alan Deneault, the show explores the relationship between consumerism and populism.
7. Dumooa Tahseen
The Iraqi singer made waves after winning the 2018 season of The Voice: Ahla Sawt partly because of her flamboyant mentor, the Emirati singer Ahlam. While Tahseen doesn't hold the same star power as former winners, she has had a steady stream of concerts and releases, including this year's Sawalif Qabl and Hobbak Warta.
8. The Mayyas
Talent show winners with a global profile, the Lebanese dance crew followed up their 2019 victory in Arabs Got Talent by winning America's Got Talent in 2022. That caught the eye of Beyonce and she shared a stage with them at the launch of Atlantis The Royal. In August, the dance crew performed in public for the first time in Lebanon, paying tribute to the culture and heritage of Beirut.
9. Nassif Zeytoun
The 2010 winner of Star Academy is close to being viewed as a top-tier talent. This is down to the sheer consistency of his material, including hit songs Mesh Aam Tezbat Maae and Habibi W Bass, and tours of Europe and North America.
The music video for his latest single Ya Sidi Ensa, a collaboration with Moroccan singer Mortadha Ftiti, has accumulated more than 10 million YouTube since its release on August 21.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
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Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
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Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
