Def Leppard will perform the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race day concert.
The veteran UK rock band will play at Etihad Park on November 20.
They are joined by UK rapper Dave, who will perform at the same venue on November 17.
This rounds off the bill of this year’s after-race concert series, which includes previously announced shows by EDM group Swedish House Mafia on November 18 and hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar the following night.
The concerts are exclusively for the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders and can be purchased from the Yas Marina Circuit website. General admission tickets holders can now upgrade to the Golden Circle for all four concerts from the Yas Marina Circuit website.
Def Leppard’s inclusion continues F1's theme of ending the event with a greatest hits set performed by a legacy artist.
The group, known for hits such as Love Bites and Photograph, join other established rock bands who have performed race day concerts over the years, including Aerosmith (2009), Guns N' Roses (2018) and The Who in 2014.
John Lickrish, chief executive of Flash Entertainment, says a back-to-back hits show is guaranteed.
“We always try to have a diverse line-up each year and we always like to finish with an artist that appeals to a diverse audience,” he tells The National.
“Def Leppard have an amazing catalogue of hits and it will be a great feel-good show. I think people will be surprised by how many big songs they have, and I think we will be hearing the whole venue singing along throughout the show.”
Formed in Sheffield in 1977, Def Leppard built a profile as leaders of a movement dubbed the "new wave of British heavy metal" and found success through a series of well-received early albums, including 1981's High 'n' Dry, whose single Bringin' on the Heartbreak became one of the first rock videos played on the then-fledgling music channel, MTV.
It was with the release of their fourth album Hysteria that Def Leppard became global stars.
Their energetic blend of rock muscle and euphoric hooks resulted in half a dozen hits, including Pour Some Sugar on Me and Animal, in addition to the album selling more than 25 million copies worldwide.
While Def Leppard continue to release albums consistently, including this year's Diamond Star Halos, the group is also still a hit on the road.
The band is coming to Abu Dhabi after the completion of their most successful US tour to date.
According to Billboard, their stadium shows with fellow rockers Motley Crue earned $173.5 million and sold 1.3 million tickets.
British rapper, Dave, real name David Omoregie, is one of the evocative voices of the UK's grime scene with vibrant lyrics referencing social issues and mental health. His debut album Psychodrama, which was released in 2019, was critically lauded and went on to win the prestigious Mercury Prize and Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards.
Last year's follow-up album We're All Alone in This Together topped the UK charts and his latest single Starlight was also a number one hit in the UK.
"He is an authentic artist whose songs resonate with his audience and has already made a huge impact in the business," Lickrish said.
Who else is performing this year?
Kendrick Lamar (November 19)
The multi-platinum-selling artist has achieved massive success since his 2012 debut album, good kid, mAAd city.
In the past decade, the rapper has won 14 Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album Damn.
His latest opus, the double album Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, was released in May.
In 2017, he was supposed to perform as part of the Abu Dhabi after-race series, but had to pull out for personal reasons and was replaced by fellow rapper J Cole.
Swedish House Mafia (November 18)
Considered a super group, the trio comprises solo EDM stars DJs Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello.
Formed in 2008 before initially disbanding in 2013, the group made an impact on both the dance and pop music worlds.
Hits such as 2011's Save the World and 2012's Don't You Worry Child not only ushered in a new mainstream sound of progressive house music, but through massive festival appearances such as 2019’s Lollapalooza and sold-out arena performances, Swedish House Mafia highlighted how dance music appeal could extend beyond clubs and genre-specific festivals.
Access to after-race concerts is exclusive to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders. Tickets are available online at www.yasmarinacircuit.com and through the Yas Marina Circuit Call Centre on 800 927 or +971 (0) 2 659 9800.
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
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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
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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