Celebrities who love the UAE too much - in pictures

Nothing spells a local connection better than when you have one of UAE’s telecom providers seeking your endorsement. Pakistani singer Atif Aslam, recurring concerts in the Emirates has made him one of us. The singer, who recently revealed his desire to play leading roles in Bollywood at the Dubai International Film Festival, has a solo or group concert lined up for Dubai and Abu Dhabi each year. He performed at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dubai, this year. Courtesy Hungama

Nancy Ajram’s stunning success has given her ample opportunities to slack off when it comes to her music career, but the Lebanese pop-princess is a road hound with regular concerts in the UAE. In January she performed as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival, before returning a month later to headline the Red Bull Air Race in Abu Dhabi. She is now set to return to Dubai to for a special New Year’s Eve show at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City. AFP

Gary Barlow may have performed his debut UAE show last October, but in his interview with The National, the Take That singer revealed that he holidayed in “Dubai nearly 20 times with my family.” His favourite place to chill is the plush One&Only Royal Mirage.

Few celebrities can claim more allegiance to the UAE than Paris Hilton, who famously filmed an entire TV show here, Paris Hilton’s Dubai BFF, back in 2009. Since then Paris has kept up regular appearances, mixing work and pleasure by landing gigs as a DJ (yes, you read that correctly). She was first spotted behind the decks at Dubai’s Cavalli Club in December 2013, and then again at Clé Dubai in October 2014. Catching up with The National on that visit, she even said she was thinking of buying a house out here. Who’s up for a celebrity neighbour?

When you think of jazz, James Blunt is probably not the first name to come to mind. Then again, if you have been living in the UAE the last five years you would think otherwise. The British singer has performed at the Dubai Jazz Festival twice already (2009 and 2012) and is set to headline it once again when the festival returns next February. Sarah Dea / The National

It’s not only pop stars making regular UAE stop-overs, classical music aficionados are getting used to the annual gigs by Omar Khairat. The famed Egyptian composer returned to Dubai this month to play his renowned pieces once again at the Dubai World Trade Center. Courtesy du live

It’s not surprising Bollywood superstar Shah Ru Khan was in the UAE up to five times last year - he has a home here. His first appearance was in April, when he performed in a private event in Abu Dhabi to launch the new season of the IPL. He returned in May to discuss the possible relaunching of his Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) Boulevard development in Ras Al Khaimah and in August to launch the very real Dubai housing development The Royal Estates. In October he launched his latest blockbuster film Happy New Year at Dubai’s Atlantis, the Palm before toasting the year in December with his family, also at the Palm. AFP

There are ageing celebrities who like to keep a low profile out of the limelight. And then there’s David Hasselhoff. His love affair with the UAE capital seemed to bloom in 2013, when he attended both the Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ostensibly to judge a short film competition) and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where the Baywatch star famously took time out to loiter on a lifeguard’s chair. He was back to judge Image Nation’s Short Film Competition in 2014 and we wouldn’t expect to get through 2015 without another appearance. But then who would argue with The Hoff? EPA/HERBERT P. OCZERET

Oh Tyrese. He stays for months at time. He sings, he films movies, he skydives, he goes on helicopter rides, he goes to the desert, he wears kandouras to clubs, he hangs out with royalty, he films long rambling monologues from his five-star hotel suites in the early mornings and posts them online. After a long stint earlier this year filming Furious 7, he returned to host an F1 event. It’s not that we don’t love him and he is most welcome but Tyrese, don’t you have a home to go to? Reuters

Perhaps the biggest man in music right now, Pharrell did a fine job of avoiding the UAE, only performing once with his band NERD right up until his headline show at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last month. However he deserves a place on this list for the businesslike way he has made up for lost time, announcing a return gig a day after his UAE debut, at the inaugural #DXBNYE. AP

Surely, it's time for a Bollywood-import Bond? From a purely physical point of view, Hrithik Roshan has the height, the build, the hair and the cheekbones to be a spy that takes names and steals hearts. His voice is a beautiful bass and his eyes a limpid pool of all things desirable. On-screen, he’s proven himself as versatile across genres such as action, romance and comedy; he’s well-spoken, instantly likeable and yet there’s something roguish, even sardonic about him. Plus, it’s high time we got a Bond who can dance. Photo / AFP

If you are a UAE tenant paying your rent quarterly, then it’s best to set your financial deadlines by the number of times Akon travels to the country. Akon’s appearance in Dubai’s VIP room in December was his fourth appearance in the UAE in the space of 12 months. One of which wasn’t even a show; he arrived to the opening of Cle Dubai in October to have a nice meal and hang out with the Kardashians. Pawan Singh / The National

She is the UAE’s go to Arab artist to provide a touch of glamour to an event or festival. Lebanese music diva Najwa Karam’s performances are not mere shows, but an event. She rang in the new year in 2012 in glittering show in Emirates Palace. She was the guest of honor in the World of Fashion festival in Dubai in November. She now returns to the emirate next February to headline the 2015 Dubai Shopping Festival. AFP

You could almost set your calendar by DJ Jazzy Jeff’s like-clockwork UAE gig schedule. We’ve lost count. He was at Barasti alone twice in 10 months, for Pete’s sake (NYE 2013 and Halloween 2014). In between he managed to slot in an April 2014 gig at Cirque Le Soir – a year after playing the same gig at the same venue. There were appearances before that, too. And he rocks it every time. Leigh Vogel / Getty Images / AFP

Mr Bombastic Shaggy is a regular party starter in the UAE. The Jamaican has spread his love around the Emirates, performing three times over the last two year in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai clubs. The singer told The National two years ago that he is planning to produce a traveling music festival called Shaggyfest with a UAE stopover on the cards.

Following his appearance at White Dubai in December, we’ve lost count of the number of gigs Brit grime star Tinie Tempah has made in the UAE. The Pass Out singer headlined Redfest DXB in February – less than two years after playing the same Media City venue – and has popped up with club appearances at VIP Room and Movida in the interim. Sarah Dea / The National

When it comes to celebrity reporting, “flying visit” is an omnipresent buzzword – a polite way of describing an A-lister who jets in for a high profile launch/paid appearance/gig, and splits early the next morning, often without putting their head near a hotel pillow. But Will Smith? He really digs the place. In early 2014, the Hollywood superstar holed up in Dubai for more than a month. And he wasn’t shy, either – jumping on the mic alongside sparring partner Jazzy Jeff, skydiving with sons Trey and Jaden, celebrating a wedding anniversary with wife Jada Pinkett, partying with Tyrese Gibson and Maxwell and launching a mall with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. AFP

The Welcome Back team seem to be have been taking the film’s title literally over the course of 2014. They’ve been shooting in Dubai on no less than five occasions over the course of the year, most recently laying claim to the title of first Indian film to shoot at the Burj Khalifa earlier this week. The film’s release date has now been put back to next May, so they could even fit in a few more visits before then. Pawan Singh / The National

Joey Essex and the rest of the TOWIE crew. The show is not called The Only Way is Dubai. They are here so much we are surprised they stay in Essex long enough to get enough footage for the reality show. They can regularly be found hosting club nights and Essex actually proposed to girlfriend Sam Faiers at a Dubai hotel last year. Getty Images

Melbourne celebrity chef George Calombaris, of MasterChef Australia fame, loves the UAE and seems to pop up at every foodie event in the country. But he’s not just here for the sun and sand. Every time he’s in town, he seems to find a venue to serve up his signature food. In the past, he’s organized a brunch at Seafire Steakhouse and Bar, a dinner at Ossiano in Atlantis The Palm and, during last year’s Gourmet Abu Dhabi, Calombaris hosted a one-night only dinner at the Sofitel Abu Dhabi. He also presented a unique cookery class to a group of 24 fans at the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara in the capital. Courtesy George Calombaris

In recent months the emirates has hosted sisters Kim, Khloé and Kendall in quick succession. First, in October, Khloé cropped up at the launch of new eatery Clé Dubai. Then in November Kim showed her how it’s done, with a micro-managed headline-grabbing visit that included popping up at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’s closing night party at VIP Room, launching a new fragrance at Dubai’s Parfum Monde and hosting a paid-for fan dinner at Toko Dubai. Then younger sister Kendell Jenner followed in her elders’s footsteps by heading over to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the emirates alongside pal Selena Gomez. Can you get too much Kardashian? That wasn’t an open question. WireImage

Liam Neeson flew into Dubai this week for the high-profile UAE premiere of his film Taken 3, and he took pains to say he’d be delighted to be invited to the Dubai International Film Festival. Neeson is the latest in a long line of celebrities who fall in the love with the place. Some so much so they return again and again. We’re actually running out of headline options to announce David Guetta is back again. As for Furious 7 star Tyrese Gibson, well, it’s breaking news for us when he leaves. Here is a list of celebrities who have been here so many times we think they deserve an honorary resident’s visa.