Pop producer RedOne has released another ode to Dubai.
The Swedish-Moroccan producer and singer, real name Nadir Khayat, teamed up with Bahraini singer Rashed Al Majed for the duet Ya Salam Ya Dubai.
Translated to “Oh my, My Dubai” and released as part of the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival, the up-tempo track blends Majed’s khaleeji rhythms with RedOne’s signature euphoric dance beats. Both artist trade bilingual verses celebrating the city’s dynamism and diversity.
Keen Gulf pop listeners may find some of the hooks familiar, as Ya Salam, Ya Dubai is essentially a remix of two of Al Majed's previous Dubai Shopping Festival official anthems Dubai Kawkab Aakhar and Dubai Danat Al Donia, released last year and in 1996, respectively.
The accompanying video, released on YouTube on New Year's Day, complements the song's uplifting vibe. Directed by Lebanese-American David Zennie, who was behind the video for the 2019 Special Olympic Games World Games Abu Dhabi theme song Right Where I Am Supposed to Be, the visuals feature numerous landmarks such as Miracle Garden, Bluewaters Island, Dubai Frame, the Historical District and the Dubai Creek Harbour
Interspersed amid these images are performance shots of Al Majed and RedOne, with the latter delivering his lines from a studio while RedOne is outside at Dubai Creek Harbour singing along with a dance crew.
A number of Arab personalities make cameo appearances in the video such as Emirati-Moroccan actress Mayssa Maghrebi, Saudi Arabian fashion designer Alanoud Badr and Virgin Radio presenter Kris Fade.
In a statement released by the Dubai Shopping Festival, Al Majed expressed satisfaction at the new work. “Collaborating with RedOne on this project has been exciting, as we bring to life two great tracks I presented to Dubai over the years,” he said.
When it comes to RedOne, the project follows another tribute song released for another Dubai event. In October last year he produced and duetted with Emirati singer Ahlam on Together, the official anthem for the latest season of the Dubai's entertainment and shopping destination Global Village.
In a previous interview with The National, he said the key to penning a winning anthem is for the song to harness the event's values and aspirations. "Sports or big events are all about emotions," he said. "And a theme song has to reflect that or help create those feelings."
