Rod Stewart to perform his first Abu Dhabi concert

He will be performing his biggest hits, which date back to the 1970s, at the du Arena on Yas Island.

Singer Rod Stewart is coming to Abu Dhabi in March. Danny Johnston / AP Photo

British pop icon Rod Stewart will perform in Abu Dhabi for the first time this year.

The crooner’s concert, at Du Arena on March 2, so far marks the capital’s first and only big gig slated for Yas Island in 2017.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale from Monday at noon, before general release on Wednesday, also at noon.

The evergreen performer is enjoying a fresh spurt of publicity after being knighted at Buckingham Palace in October, recognising his “services to music” – which include selling more than 100 million albums worldwide.

Stewart said he was looking forward to bringing The Hits 2017 Tour to Abu Dhabi, promising to deliver a “fun, energetic, show”. He last visited the emirates to perform on a double bill alongside Spandau Ballet, at Dubai’s Sevens Stadium, in 2010.

“I’ll be playing your favourite hits, with a few surprises too,” he added in a statement.

“I give you fair warning – fasten your seat belts. I’m pulling out all the stops.”

Known for his raspy singing style, the 72-year-old singer first found fame in the late-1960s as lead singer for both The Jeff Beck Group, and later the Faces, both alongside future Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood.

In 1971 Stewart solidified his name as a solo artist with the rock staple Maggie May, originally released as the B-side alongside Reason to Believe.

He scored a second UK number one with 1975 ballad Sailing, before striking gold with two 1977 covers which also hit the top spot, I Don't Want to Talk About it and The First Cut is the Deepest. Following in the slipstream of disco's fleeting trend, a year later he scored a fifth with the machismo-sporting Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?

Stewart claimed a sixth and final top spot with 1983's Baby Jane, but continued to trouble the charts into the late-1990s.

In 2002, Stewart's career was reborn with It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook, the first in a series of five covers LP which saw Stewart's trademark rasp tackle landmark American standards with largely successful results. Themed festive, rock and soul covers albums also followed, before Stewart belatedly returned to original material with 2013's bestseller Time – his first number one LP since 1976 – which laid the path leading to 2015 follow-up Another Country, his 29th and last studio which clocked Platinum sales and received respectful reviews.

Early bird tickets start at Dh250. Du customers have the chance to get their tickets early, with an exclusive pre-sale beginning at noon on Monday.

A Flash pre-sale will begin a day later at noon on Tuesday, open to anyone who registers online at info.thinkflash.ae/rod-stewart-the-hits-tour-2017.

Tickets go on general sale to the public at noon on Wednesday, online from www.ticketmaster.ae or in person from Virgin Megastores across the UAE.