Ramadan television has long relied on familiar voices to introduce its biggest dramas.
Each season, established singers record titrat, the opening and closing Arabic theme songs written specifically for the shows that dominate nightly schedules. These tunes often run for several minutes and are structured around the central conflict of the series. They are heard before every episode and quickly become part of the viewing routine.
This year, another constellation of Arabic pop stars, from Egypt and the Levant to Saudi Arabia, entered the studio to lend their voices to stories of family strain, betrayal, crime and national duty, becoming part of the Ramadan soundtrack in the process.
Here are nine artists behind some of this season’s most prominent titrat.
1. Angham
The Egyptian singer performs Mesh Habiby Bas for the Egyptian romantic drama Etnen Gherna, which follows a couple whose lives intersect at a moment of personal strain.
A restrained piano ballad, the romantic lyrics avoid the giddiness often associated with love, instead framing it as a steady, grounded partnership, suiting the register of the show as each episode finds the characters struggling to hold their relationship together despite constant setbacks.
2. Elissa
The Lebanese pop star records the title track for the Egyptian drama Ala Qad El Hob, which follows a businesswoman forced to confront past mistakes.
This kind of introspective subject is firmly within Elissa’s wheelhouse, and she delivers another expansive ballad centred on betrayal and personal reckoning.
3. Tamer Ashour
The Egyptian singer returns to the small screen with Koloko Khayneen for the psychological thriller Tawabe.
A darker turn than his usual rich balladry, Ashour handles the tumultuous track well, with the song’s title acting as the chorus refrain, an accusation directed at those who betray trust.
4. Mohamed Mounir
The veteran Egyptian artist lends his voice to the social drama Had Aqsa, which follows a woman drawn into financial crime after an unexpected windfall.
Mounir’s rich register and colloquial delivery suit the subject matter in a story that functions both as drama and a cautionary tale about cybercrime.
5. Bahaa Sultan
The Egyptian singer captures the sweetness and heartache of the drama Sawa Sawa, which follows a couple searching for stability despite financial and health struggles.
Meaning “together”, the ballad – which functions as a coda during the show – highlights the emotional burden carried by the characters, offering a counterpoint to the series’ more energised dramatic moments.
6. Ibrahim El Hakami
The Saudi singer records Ekhwat for the Egyptian family saga Awlad El Raaey, which traces the rise of three brothers and the strain that follows their success.
As is standard within the titrat genre, the hook emphasises the central theme of brotherhood and its responsibilities.
7. Mohamed Adaweya
The Egyptian singer delivers Sirk Kbeer for the boxing drama Ali Clay.
As expected of the setting, this is a charged ballad with gritty production, as the lyrics sketch life as confrontation. The title sets the atmosphere immediately. The rhythm drives forward, and the vocals lean into grit rather than polish.
For a production centred on endurance inside and outside the ring, the theme establishes a world defined by pressure.
8. Houda Bondok
The Egyptian performer sings Mazag for the Egyptian period crime drama Mana’a, set in the 1980s and focused on a family struggling to survive within a harsh economic landscape.
Meaning “instinct” or “mood”, Mazag explores the strengths and perils of impulse, and how small, impromptu decisions can alter the course of a life.
9. Yara Mohamed
The Egyptian singer performs the closing theme for Ali Clay, providing a reflective counterpoint to the show’s opening track by Adaweya.
Where the opening song confronts, Mohamed's Tarbeyet Hayya draws the themes inward, suggesting that character is built through overcoming challenges and that setbacks can become turning points.
