Standing just metres away from the stage at the Amr Diab concert at Expo 2020 Dubai on Saturday, it's hard not to admire the star. Diab has proven time and time again that he is the Arab world's king of pop, and this show was no exception. At 60, the Egyptian singer lives up to his nickname, Al Hadaba - Arabic for the hill, given to him for the height of his fame, and that's because Diab's energy is, without a doubt, contagious.
"Every time I see Amr Diab in concert, it's like I'm seeing him for the first time," my friend tells me.
This isn't our first time at a Amr Diab concert together. In early 2020, before Covid-19 put live shows on hold, we both saw him perform live at the Coca-Cola arena in Dubai - it was an amazing night.
Once again, Diab has given us a memorable night - this time at Expo, which made it all the more special. Celebrating Egypt's country day at the world's fair, the pop star kicked off (and closed) the night with his hit song Ya Ana Ya La from his album of the same name.
"Let me see your fitness skills," he told the audience as the crowds went crazy for the next track.
His rich repertoire of songs helped to get everyone (even those in the seated VIP section) up on their feet. It's like a big family wedding where everybody is having a good time.
Throughout his hour-and-a-half performance he sang some of his best songs including Amarain, Wayah and Habibi Ya Nour El Ein, the song that really launched him to international stardom in the late 1990s.
He also sang new music from his latest album titled Ayeshny, including Ahla W Nos.
The concert couldn't have been better to cap off a day of Egyptian celebrations. Now we know for sure, Amr Diab never disappoints.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
