![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BDC4Y6MUI4BBHK3QUNRL5IKEXQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=1df451259ad34ce99a4f39b2bce7421e5b19aca1d6deeb0d6d1e98675f9c5ea6&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese singer and composer Marwan Khoury. EPA
Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum performing in Paris in 1967. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LIG5KR647NE2WL7KEKM7HRYDRU.jpg?smart=true&auth=539ee32e57b67a2138be0527b97417e1c6e8618fcb4100fbb38e1ea4718b57af&width=400&height=225)
Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez during a live performance in 1959 in Lebanon. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DCURXDRCDJENNQIW4NRP7KRTEE.jpg?smart=true&auth=2afb6122e52532b57029efcb47ac1f6cbc5ab062a5659da033bb6c2d6d722714&width=400&height=225)
Mohammed Abdel Wahab is a pioneer of classical Arabic popular music. Photo: Al Ittihad
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PDMLIAYFGBFCBJIKMYBOMQN7KU.jpg?smart=true&auth=541f20ee811f795d8ab827090b0f8206c6c9b0732783b4a095939f57c48b614d&width=400&height=225)
Eina Layali by Arab soprano Asmahan remains a classic. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QWZQDYHBVU3GSSYT5KZFSL22UI.jpg?smart=true&auth=52b6961566d22bf847ddb50d5e1a126d4d4e2975d14ee48812139c351b06a14a&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese singer Fairouz sang many odes to love. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GZ5HT6FIZNF2HLZ4TMLKB6KZRY.jpg?smart=true&auth=1d7a7ab7fe1e833027f52529705dd1564a8c79269bf2565badca6407d1929a76&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese crooner Ragheb Alama is renowned for his love songs. Photo: Al Majaz Amphitheatre
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/WLKSX25FBRN5H3TPIWKR7IDWBM.jpg?smart=true&auth=9fed0a1d6035908798948516ff4a06158c01b8498b960396fe06333d75af0b17&width=400&height=225)
Emirati singer Mehad Hamad is known for his grizzled vocal tone. Delores Johnson / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DIG3KDJBSRAUHLYXVVTWUZHTUI.jpg?smart=true&auth=887c99ed5ddb2c740757b05da7d8e71eb3d7077be2c4f06cc8c7e3d805565d20&width=400&height=225)
Egyptian singer Abu scored a hit with 2017 love song 3 Daqat. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/Y6XQDDLDDN7PGNYHWD5R3KXRN4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f829f374d0cf1e85b0c5b9878bae4bb0cedcd55811396703ca92319b46ebaaa4&width=400&height=225)
Egyptian pop star Amr Diab performing at the Super Dome, in Jeddah, in 2021. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZEY2EQQKBZDOZVZC4QZN4WRAXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=0826818e0d4c695fec9a3a4a380fc9a2d9e53329cbf7bb157082797f1b16e59f&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese singer Wael Kfoury's love songs are often brooding and expansive. AFP
Iraqi singer Kadim al-Sahir. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZNQIW6POJN6P7GWCTTYQEEMP7Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=53b1695837dbf36c046d7c7bf09023b76e4a3aaad86cb4fe21d856490aaa5e41&width=400&height=225)
Jordanian singer Issam Alnajjar topped Spotify's Global Viral 50 charts and released a new remix of his viral song 'Hadal Ahbek' today. Courtesy Issam Alnajjar
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BDC4Y6MUI4BBHK3QUNRL5IKEXQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=1df451259ad34ce99a4f39b2bce7421e5b19aca1d6deeb0d6d1e98675f9c5ea6&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese singer and composer Marwan Khoury. EPA
Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum performing in Paris in 1967. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LIG5KR647NE2WL7KEKM7HRYDRU.jpg?smart=true&auth=539ee32e57b67a2138be0527b97417e1c6e8618fcb4100fbb38e1ea4718b57af&width=400&height=225)
Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez during a live performance in 1959 in Lebanon. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DCURXDRCDJENNQIW4NRP7KRTEE.jpg?smart=true&auth=2afb6122e52532b57029efcb47ac1f6cbc5ab062a5659da033bb6c2d6d722714&width=400&height=225)
Mohammed Abdel Wahab is a pioneer of classical Arabic popular music. Photo: Al Ittihad
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PDMLIAYFGBFCBJIKMYBOMQN7KU.jpg?smart=true&auth=541f20ee811f795d8ab827090b0f8206c6c9b0732783b4a095939f57c48b614d&width=400&height=225)
Eina Layali by Arab soprano Asmahan remains a classic. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QWZQDYHBVU3GSSYT5KZFSL22UI.jpg?smart=true&auth=52b6961566d22bf847ddb50d5e1a126d4d4e2975d14ee48812139c351b06a14a&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese singer Fairouz sang many odes to love. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GZ5HT6FIZNF2HLZ4TMLKB6KZRY.jpg?smart=true&auth=1d7a7ab7fe1e833027f52529705dd1564a8c79269bf2565badca6407d1929a76&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese crooner Ragheb Alama is renowned for his love songs. Photo: Al Majaz Amphitheatre
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/WLKSX25FBRN5H3TPIWKR7IDWBM.jpg?smart=true&auth=9fed0a1d6035908798948516ff4a06158c01b8498b960396fe06333d75af0b17&width=400&height=225)
Emirati singer Mehad Hamad is known for his grizzled vocal tone. Delores Johnson / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/DIG3KDJBSRAUHLYXVVTWUZHTUI.jpg?smart=true&auth=887c99ed5ddb2c740757b05da7d8e71eb3d7077be2c4f06cc8c7e3d805565d20&width=400&height=225)
Egyptian singer Abu scored a hit with 2017 love song 3 Daqat. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/Y6XQDDLDDN7PGNYHWD5R3KXRN4.jpg?smart=true&auth=f829f374d0cf1e85b0c5b9878bae4bb0cedcd55811396703ca92319b46ebaaa4&width=400&height=225)
Egyptian pop star Amr Diab performing at the Super Dome, in Jeddah, in 2021. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZEY2EQQKBZDOZVZC4QZN4WRAXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=0826818e0d4c695fec9a3a4a380fc9a2d9e53329cbf7bb157082797f1b16e59f&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese singer Wael Kfoury's love songs are often brooding and expansive. AFP
Iraqi singer Kadim al-Sahir. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZNQIW6POJN6P7GWCTTYQEEMP7Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=53b1695837dbf36c046d7c7bf09023b76e4a3aaad86cb4fe21d856490aaa5e41&width=400&height=225)
Jordanian singer Issam Alnajjar topped Spotify's Global Viral 50 charts and released a new remix of his viral song 'Hadal Ahbek' today. Courtesy Issam Alnajjar
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/BDC4Y6MUI4BBHK3QUNRL5IKEXQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=1df451259ad34ce99a4f39b2bce7421e5b19aca1d6deeb0d6d1e98675f9c5ea6&width=400&height=225)
Lebanese singer and composer Marwan Khoury. EPA
The best Arabic love songs for Valentine’s Day, from Umm Kulthum to Kadim Al Sahir
Stories of romance and heartbreak are some of history's oldest themes, and these 14 regional recordings stand the test of time
![Saeed Saeed](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2Fdfd6c0d0-f148-4163-b51c-fe3b293b0f9d.png?smart=true&auth=fbad4a9efbd3b8c272380498534cedd4e4b64afad5f5593a426d913b1da43080&width=70&height=70)
Saeed Saeed
14 February, 2024
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