A key motif of popular Arabic music is its dealings with matters of the heart.
From the expansive and majestic compositions of Umm Kulthum to the modern pop sounds of Ahmed Al Saad, regional artists have consistently found fresh ways to talk about love.
Emirati singer Mehad Hamad once described love as “a house enshrined in light”. Egyptian singer Abu compared its effect to the beating of the drum. His compatriot, Abdul Halim Hafez said love can make you forget life itself and, Syrian Asmahan warned how it can bring – and rob life of – joy.
Here are 14 songs, in no particular order, that explore this timeless emotion.
1. Enta Omry by Umm Kulthum (1964)
Translated to “you are my life”, this is one of the Egyptian artist’s greatest love songs.
Originally recorded as a 40-minute composition featuring various movements, Umm Kulthum also created similar shorter versions.
More than the hummable instrumental passages, the heart of the song is the direct lyrics written by Ahmed Kamal, which explore the all-encompassing nature of love.
From the agony of longing to the description of a new romance as “the dawn of my life”, Umm Kulthum summons the heft of those emotions in one of her finest performances.
2. Ahwak by Abdel Halim Hafez (1953)
Recorded early in the career of the revered Egyptian singer, named The Black Nightingale, Ahwak (I Love You) is an ideal showcase of Hafez's sonorous vocals.
The lyrics by Hussein El Sayed, jettisoning the metaphors, aim directly at the heart.
“I love you and I wish that if I ever forget you, I also forget my soul with you,” the song begins. “And if it gets lost, it is acceptable if you have forgotten me.”
3. Ashek El Roh by Mohammed Abdel Wahab (1949)
We have Mohammed Abdel Wahab to thank for pioneering the orchestral sound linked with today's classical plus modern Arabic music.
Translated as “lover of the soul”, Ashek El Roh is defined by its conversational lyrics and rhythmic use of strings and mandolins.
The tension is matched by the subject matter, in which Abdel Wahab beseeches his partner to be emotionally available: “I'm a visitor to her world, like morning and night/And everything has happened while you're forgetting about me and I am next to you.”
4. Eina el-Layali by Asmahan (1932)
In this lovelorn ballad, Syrian singer Asmahan wonders “where did the good nights go?”
Accompanied by oud, she pours her heart out as she details a love that can inflame and heal.
5. Sallimleh Alayh by Fairouz (1999)
One of the Lebanese singer's most sentimental songs.
The song title means “say hi to him”, while the lyrics can be viewed as a tender ode to a seasoned relationship or the sadness stemming from unrequited love.
“Say hi to him,” the song begins. “Say hi to him and tell him it’s from me. Kiss his eyes and tell that I kiss his eyes – you, who understands him.”
6. Ahbini by Kadim Al Sahir (2004)
It's difficult to pick Kadim Al Sahir's best love song.
This is because the Iraqi singer and poet has examined the subject from virtually all angles, encompassing romance and obsession to heartbreak and companionship.
With Ahbini (Love Me), Al Sahir may have come up with his most vulnerable lyrics on the subject as he pleads to his partner to accept him as he is.
“Love me without complexities and lose yourself in the lines of my hand”, he sings in the chorus.
“Love me for a week, for days, for hours / For I am not one who cares about eternity.”
7. Marwan Khoury – Kol El Qassayed (2008)
While Khoury composed some of modern Arabic pop's most romantic tunes for the likes of Elissa and Carole Samaha, the Lebanese artist also kept some of his best material for himself.
In Kol El Qassayed (All the Poems) he details how love inspired him to write these memorable tunes.
“This is a song of a love that last for years / These are tears and my longing for you,” he croons over lilting strings.
“My heart adores you, without love who am I?”
8. El Hob El Kebir by Ragheb Alama (2004)
Known for his romantic balladry, El Hob El Kebir finds Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama recalling “the great love of his life”.
While fashioned as an upbeat pop track, the song's sentiments about a relationship that's strong and enduring have made it a Valentine’s Day and wedding favourite.
9. Shafaqat Bareq Lelah by Mehad Hamad (2018)
Loosely translated as “blistering lightning”, this track is a bewitching blend of traditional Emirati folk and blues.
Mehad Hamad's grizzled tones speak of being struck by Cupid's arrow and how love “is the medicine for the wounded” and “it is a house enshrined in light”.
10. 3 Daqat by Abu ft. Yousra (2017)
Not every romantic song needs to be a slow ballad, as this sprightly summer hit demonstrates.
A collaboration between Abu and fellow Egyptian actress Yousra, the smart lyrics compare love at first sight to the increasing rhythms of a song: “When I saw her, my heart beat three times/ The drum entered in my head playing with the things inside/ When the riq [a hand percussion instrument] entered in my heart, I fell in love What could I do? I began to sing.”
The song was an instant hit, receiving more than 125 million views on YouTube in the first three months of its release.
11. Tamally Maak by Amr Diab (2000)
The title means “always with you” and it's one of Egyptian pop artist's most affecting works.
Melding Mediterranean guitars with yearning strings, nostalgia pervades Tamally Maak as Diab remembers an unforgettable relationship.
“I am with you even if you are far away from me,” he says. “In my heart is your love.”
12. El Bint El Awiye by Wael Kfoury (2021)
This is one of Kfoury's biggest hits, as he skirts the lines between love, heartbreak and sarcasm.
Flashes of flamenco guitar abound as Kfoury jettisons his trademark yearning vocals for a more playful staccato delivery.
“If you ever leave me and stop loving me, I swear I will make my eyes go blind,” he sings.
“If you ever go away, my life will get ruined. What would I do to myself? I don’t know.”
Is this a dramatic declaration of love or tongue-in-cheek? Who cares when it all sounds so fun and breezy.
13. Aleky Eyoun by Ahmed Saad (2022)
Great Arabic love songs are not entirely confined to the past, as this beautiful number by Ahmed Saad proves.
An immediate hit upon release, the production is modern with gentle syncopated drums and smooth synths.
Translating to You Have Eyes, the song has Saad reflecting on love's ability to heal.
“You have a talk that removes all my sadness and makes me feel good,” he says.
“It reassures my heart and makes me in harmony.”
14. Hadal Ahbek by Issam Alnajjar (2021)
Released on YouTube, the song became a viral sensation and topped Spotify's Global Viral 50 – a chart measuring how songs are shared on the platform, as well as on blogs and social media.
Built on breezy folk arrangements similar to those by singers Ed Sheeran and Jason Mraz, the song exudes a gentle melancholy as it details a rocky relationship.
With a mixture of candour and conviction, Alnajjar's lyrics directly address his partner, as he promises he will remain by her side. “I will always be with you,” he sings. “Even if everyone is against you I'll keep loving you.”
The best part of all is the ingeniously simple chorus “Ra-pa-pa-pa-ra-pa-ra-pa”, which makes it hummable from Amman to Amsterdam.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
COPA DEL REY
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
China and the UAE agree comprehensive strategic partnership
China and the UAE forged even closer links between the two countries during the landmark state visit after finalising a ten-point agreement on a range of issues, from international affairs to the economy and trade and renewable energy.
1. Politics: The two countries agreed to support each other on issues of security and to work together on regional and international challenges. The nations also confirmed that the number of high-level state visits between China and the UAE will increase.
2. Economy: The UAE offers its full support to China's Belt and Road Initiative, which will combine a land 'economic belt" and a "maritime silk road" that will link China with the Arabian Gulf as well as Southeast, South and Central China, North Africa and, eventually, Europe.
3. Business and innovation: The two nations are committed to exploring new partnerships in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, energy, the aviation and transport industries and have vowed to build economic co-operation through the UAE-China Business Committee.
4. Education, science and technology: The Partnership Programme between Arab countries in Science and Technology will encourage young Emirati scientists to conduct research in China, while the nations will work together on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, renewable energy and space projects.
5. Renewable energy and water: The two countries will partner to develop renewable energy schemes and work to reduce climate change. The nations have also reiterated their support for the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency.
6. Oil and gas: The UAE and China will work in partnership in the crude oil trade and the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources.
7. Military and law enforcement and security fields: Joint training will take place between the Chinese and UAE armed forces, while the two nations will step up efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime.
8. Culture and humanitarian issues: Joint cultural projects will be developed and partnerships will be cultivated on the preservation of heritage, contemporary art and tourism.
9. Movement between countries: China and the UAE made clear their intent to encourage travel between the countries through a wide-ranging visa waiver agreement.
10. Implementing the strategic partnership: The Intergovernmental Co-operation Committee, established last year, will be used to ensure the objectives of the partnership are implemented.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%202%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Soudal%E2%80%93Quick-Step%20-%2018%E2%80%9911%E2%80%9D%3Cbr%3E2.%20EF%20Education%20%E2%80%93%20EasyPost%20-%201%22%3Cbr%3E3.%20Ineos%20Grenadiers%20-%203%22%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20classification%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1.%20Lucas%20Plapp%20(AUS)%20Ineos%20Grenadiers%3Cbr%3E2.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%E2%80%93Quick-Step%20-%20ST%3Cbr%3E3.%20Nikias%20Arndt%20(GER)%20Bahrain%20Victorious%20-%203%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
