Arabic popular music offers a song and melody for every occasion.
At times, these enduring tracks transcend their original seasons, resonating across different moments due to their universal messages and sentiments.
These odes to joy, love, and resilience continue to inspire us to embrace the New Year with optimism and a fresh start. Here are 15 songs, in no particular order, that deserve a spin on your New Year’s Eve playlist.
1. Kol Aam Wa Anti Habibati by Kadim Al Sahir
Even new year gets the normally taciturn crooner Kadim Al Sahir into the festive spirit. The Iraqi singer, known for string-laden emotive ballads, switches gears by adding brass and Latin percussion in this 2012 ode, meaning every year you are my beloved; to the New Year.
Then again, this is Al Sahir we're talking about, so the lyrics are not the usual breezy couplets. Opening with the refrain, “Every year you're my beloved, every year I'm your beloved,” the words use a tree and hands as metaphors for new life and building a better future.
2. Al Am Al Jadid by Fadl Shaker and Sherine
Veteran Lebanese singer Fadl Shaker teams up with then-burgeoning pop starlet Sherine for a track tailor-made to celebrate the new year. The 2004 song works by comfortably blending their disparate styles, with Sherine's zippy delivery and verve offsetting Shaker's stoic tenor, in a song asking us to look forward to the new year with hope and joy.
3. C'est La Vie by Khaled
From football stadiums to Burj Khalfia’s New Year’s Eve fireworks displays, C'est La Vie remains Algerian rai singer Khaled's finest hour. A dynamic mix of Algerian Arabic and French vocals, this anthemic 2012 track exudes joy and optimism, inviting us to momentarily set aside our worries and embrace the present.
4. Ras Sseni by Majida El Roumi
Lebanese soprano Majida El Roumi doesn't change her approach when it comes to New Year's Eve tracks, but who says the occasion doesn't benefit from a regal ballad in the playlist? Meaning “the new year,” 2015 track Ras El Sana is a plea for togetherness and celebration as El Roumi wishes “Every year may you be with us. Wherever we are, we gather. From everyone to everyone, may it return to all.”
5. Al Am Al Jadid by Hussain Al Jassmi and Mona Amarcha
Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi didn't save his best for last with his final release of 2015. While Al Am Al Jadid – not to be confused with the aforementioned Fadl Shaker and Sherine duet from years prior – will go down as a footnote in his hit-filled career, Al Jassmi's duet with Moroccan singer Mona Amarcha retains its charm. Backed by dance-pop production, it uses the New Year as an opportunity to reaffirm an enduring relationship.
6. Amarain by Amr Diab
Meaning “two moons”, 1999 hit Amarain is one of Amr Diab's many anthems heard during New Year’s Eve celebrations. A trademark example of his fusion of Levant and Mediterranean instrumentation and melodies, the Egyptian superstar's vocals are rich and tender as he pines for a transformative love or a new beginning.
7. Sayrena Ya Donia by Ahmed Saad
A summer anthem that effortlessly transitioned from a seasonal staple to a favourite for Eid and New Year’s celebrations, 2022 track Sayrena Ya Donia owes much of its charm to the optimistic sentiment carried by Egyptian singer Ahmed Saad's emotive vocals. Translated as “Make us happy, oh world,” the song is a heartfelt plea for love and resilience.
8. Shams El Eid by Elissa
Released in 2019 in the days leading up to New Year's Eve, Lebanese star Elissa's attempt at crafting an annual party staple may not have achieved the intended cultural resonance, but Shams El Eid (The Sun of Eid) remains a fine example of Arabic pop. Featuring whimsical strings and lively percussion, the track encourages listeners to approach the new year with confidence. “If life is filled with wounds, your tears won’t help you,” Elissa sings. “Let the wounded melody sing on your festive night. Don’t let the days slip away … live today, love today.”
9. Kol Sana Wenta Tayeb by Tamer Hosny
A phrase heard across the Arab world as the year turns, Kol Sana Wenta Tayeb translates loosely as “may you be well every year”, making it a natural fit for New Year’s Eve playlists.
Hosny uses the occasion in 2004 for a breezy ballad to address loved ones, framing the arrival of a new year as a chance to strengthen bonds. “My love, wishing you happiness every year,” he declares. “This year you’re here with me, and whatever comes next, we face together.”
10. Ra's Al Sana by Nour El Zain
Powered by Iraqi folk percussion and El Zain’s mellifluous croon, 2017’s Ras Al Sana (The New Year) says the occasion is more than just celebration, but a moment to renew a union and set aside grievances – if only temporarily.
“Tonight we laugh, we don’t cry,” he sings. “Let the worry go. Forget the world for one day and hold soul to soul.”
11. Hat Ahlamna Ya Baba Noel by Nelly, Moustafa Amar and Hassan Kami
Don’t let the Christmas imagery fool you.
While references to Santa Claus feature in the title and video, the song by the trio of Egyptian artists was reportedly first broadcast after Christmas on Egyptian television in 1992, and remained a staple for more than a decade.
Translating as “Bring us our dreams, O Baba Noel”, the playful tune is about the ritual of staying up together in late December, full of hopes for the year ahead. The lyrics are also tinged with sadness, reflecting on loved ones who have passed away or families separated by life circumstances.
“Years have passed with us apart, tears still in our eyes,” Nelly sings. “When will time return to how it was, so we can find each other again?”
12. Sana Rahet Sana Gaya by Mohamed Fouad
Translating as “a year has gone, a year is coming”, Sana Rahet Sana Gaya is sweet and fizzy in tone, but reflective at its core.
Egyptian singer Fouad advised listeners approaching 1999 to acknowledge the pains and setbacks of the passing year only briefly, as the following year awaited with all its promise.
“A year has passed from our days, it tasted our joy and our pain,” he sings. “Some wishes we held close never came true, some dreams stayed just songs. But a new year is coming because of that, a fresh year opening its arms to hope, calling us forward.”
13. Warana Eh by Nancy Ajram
It may have been envisaged as a summer jam when released in June, but the song’s enduring popularity and easy-going sentiment mean it is just as likely to surface during New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Ajram delivers her trademark breezy, feel-good Arabic pop, driven by light Latin percussion, celebrating the simple pleasures of time off and shared moments.
Its title hook, loosely meaning “what are we in a hurry for?”, works both as a statement and an attitude to carry into the year ahead, a reminder to live in the moment.
14. Aktar Wa Aktar by Sherine
The message of this Eid Al Fitr hit by the Egyptian singer carries naturally into the New Year.
Translating as “more and more”, the song is an effervescent pop ballad with lyrics that centre on the importance of honouring relationships and not taking them for granted.
It is anchored by the refrain, “When someone loves someone, what could stop them? Fate sent a gift, and in a moment they were brought together.”
15. Ha Wlidi by Jaylann
Expect this stomping track to feature prominently in New Year’s Eve celebrations across the Maghreb.
In Ha Wlidi, Moroccan singer Jaylanm scored a summer hit by fusing traditional percussion and melodies, in what remains a joyful tribute to her country.
Its message, which speaks to resilience and shared values, offers a useful guide for approaching life in a new year and beyond: “We’re holding the flag high. And if things stumble now, they’ll turn out fine.”
