Mohammed Assaf delights fans at Oasis Mall in Dubai

Meet and greet session with the Palestinian pop star

Oasis Mall in Dubai turned into a fan zone on Thursday night with Mohammed Assaf making a special appearance.

The Palestinian pop star and heart throb arrived at the venue for a meet and greet session with hundreds of his fans.

The visit is part of his region-wide promotional campaign for his second album Ma Wahashnak.

Released in July, the album is an accomplished set of songs that sees the 28 year-old aiming for a greater international audience with guest appearances by Cubai reggaeton duo Gente De Zona and Algerian Rai satr Faudel.

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Mohammed Assaf met fans at Oasis Mall, Dubai on September 28, 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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Mohammed Assaf: 'This is the album that I want to introduce me to the world'

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Born in Libyan city Misrata, Assaf moved to the Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip at the age of 4. After building his reputation locally as a wedding singer for hire, Assaf undertook an epic, near-week-long car trip in November 2012 from Gaza to Beirut (including a two-day delay at the Egyptian border) to audition for Arab Idol.

When he eventually won the competition seven months later, the streets of Gaza erupted in celebration, with fireworks and thousands of supporters cheering his name.

The life-changing experience was immortalised in 2015 biopic The Idol, which was directed by esteemed Dutch-Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu Assad.