Since the onset of the Iran war, Gulf artists and collectives have released a series of patriotic songs.
Many speak in the language of loyalty and devotion. Some assert borders and sovereignty, while others serve as a statement of strength against enemies.
Across various styles and national contexts, they return to similar themes: reassurance, sacrifice, defiance, loyalty and solidarity. Here are 10 tracks that map that response.
1. Al Qawafi by Abdulrahman Al Junaid (UAE)
Based on a Nabati poem by President Sheikh Mohamed and translating as “the rhymes”, the anthem has Emirati singer Abdulrahman Al Junaid delivering a song rich in equestrian imagery that matches its themes of decisiveness, discipline and nobility, while affirming the UAE's place in the region: “In the Peninsula, our weight is a heavy weight. And stands in hardships have their own weight.”
2. Ya Biladi by Hussain Al Jassmi (UAE)
The Emirati singer has released several songs capturing the resilience of the nation, with Ya Biladi the clearest distillation of that approach.
Meaning “my country”, with lyrics attributed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the song begins with a plaintive piano before moving into sweeping strings as it discusses how bravery and generosity go hand in hand with Emirati history and identity.
“Courage and generosity are part of our nature,” Jassmi sings. “They are part of the inheritance of our first ancestors.”
3. Ya Halouk Ya Khaleej by Ahlam (UAE)
Meaning “how beautiful you are, Gulf”, this ode to the region is delivered by Emirati singer Ahlam with tenderness and defiance. The solidarity anthem opens by cataloguing the beauty, shared history and dignity of the Gulf, before name-checking various countries.
The song underlines unity through lines such as “we were raised on your soil”, and shared sacrifice and stoicism in the chorus: “How beautiful you are, O' Gulf. We are with you in ease and in hardship.”
4. Al Ard Ardi by Nabeel Shuail (Kuwait)
Known as the Nightingale of the Gulf, revered Kuwaiti singer Nabil Shuail concerns herself with territorial integrity and national pride in this song. Meaning “the land is my land”, the calm ballad restates Kuwaiti territorial sovereignty in the key refrain “the land is my land, the sea is my sea”, while also asserting the fraternal bonds within Gulf nations: “The Kuwaiti is a Gulf man, and the Gulf man is me.”
5. Al Kuwait May Al Ain by Abdullah Al Ruwaished (Kuwait)
Veteran Kuwaiti crooner Abdullah Al Ruwaished, known as the ambassador of Gulf songs, uses water as a metaphor for his homeland and the wider region’s resilience and ability to rejuvenate itself.
“You are the soul, you are always goodness for us,” Ruwaished sings. “You are like water that quenches my thirst, like the rain that floods me with joy from my sky.”
6. Ma Hazna Al Mawt by various Kuwaiti artists (Kuwait)
Gulf music has long used the operetta, an ensemble orchestral work, when delivering messages.
Composed by Kuwaiti poet Abdulrahman Al Dayeen and translating as “death doesn't shake us”, the epic work brings together three generations of Kuwaiti artists, including veteran actor Jassim Al Nabhan and singer Fatooma, in a song layering military-style percussion with messages of defiance and love for the homeland.
“This land remains, and with every danger it only grows stronger,” the lyrics state. “We may love many things, but we have loved nothing like Kuwait.”
7. Bara We Baeed by Majid Al Mohandis and Nawal (Saudi Arabia / Kuwait)
This is a time to overcome differences and band together, which is one of the messages of this track, in which Iraqi-Saudi artist Majid Al Mohandis teams up with Kuwaiti singer Nawal, expressing Gulf solidarity and kinship.
The lyrics deliver perhaps the most important line about the need to look ahead and forget past problems: “Even if viewpoints differ sometimes, in times of hardship, every slip is forgotten.”
The piece ends with a message of collective unity: “And their lands were built on honour. The heart is one, and the love is in the millions. Their covenant is a word of honour, and they have kept it, as long as affection remains.”
8. Salama Rouhij by Hala Al Turk and Mohammed Rabia (Bahrain)
Bahraini duo Hala Al Turk and Mohammed Rabia take an emotive approach, addressing their homeland directly and offering encouragement to a country under attack.
“Safety to your soul,” the song begins. “The dark night will pass, and your dawn will rise.” Another verse calls Bahrain “the pearl of the sea”, and promises that “after the smoke clears, you will shine brighter than the gold of our sands”.
9. Sebaa We Esoud by Rashed Al Majed (Saudi Arabia)
Rashed Al Majed uses his signature exquisite Khaleeji balladry for a combative song about deterrence.
Meaning “predators and lions”, the track uses imagery drawn from Gulf martial tradition, from horses to polished swords, to frame strength as both inherited and in ready supply.
“We are the people of horses and the polished sword,” the lyrics declare. “For the friend, an arm, and for the enemy, graves.”
10. Dir' Al Watan by Al Majmoua Al Qatariya (Qatar)
Meaning “shield of the nation”, the ensemble song uses syncopated Khaleeji percussion and casts citizens as the first line of defence, with its central line declaring: “We are the homeland’s shield, we are its wall on every side.”
From there, the lyrics widen into faith and military readiness while praising the country’s leadership.
