You can almost time your watch to Amr Diab. For more than a decade, the Egyptian pop star has probably been the most consistent recording artist and performer in the Middle East.
He averages three concerts a year in the UAE, including outdoor gigs during the seasonal months as well as arena dates in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. His latest stop was at packed Eid Al Adha concert at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena on Wednesday.
Familiarity could have bred ambivalence from the audience. Then again, Amr Diab gigs are not standard Arabic pop fare. For one thing, he actually moves around the stage.
It may seem bizarre that this is notable, but most major Arabic pop stars – with a few exceptions like the marauding Najwa Karam and the hyperactive Mohammed Ramadan – are rooted behind the microphone during concerts, presumably to concentrate on delivering their ornate lyrics in key.
Diab, on the other hand, is a liberated presence on stage. He dances, claps and even breaks out into the occasional jumping jack fitness routine when performing his hefty catalogue of effervescent pop hits that has soundtracked Arab summers for more than 30 years.
A reason for that distinction is that Diab’s influences differ from many of his peers. While they took their cues from classical Arabic and tarab music from Egypt and the Levant, Diab looked towards the Mediterranean and drew upon its rich sounds, from flamenco and salsa to Andalusian folk.
His wider palette is reflected in the make-up of his backing bands. Fellow chart leaders and future Coca-Cola Arena performers George Wassouf and Sherine Abdel Wahab often take a more orchestral route by augmenting their band with a string section, but Diab’s group are more nimble and neatly reflect his inspirations.
One side conjures the Mediterranean flavour, with its trio of flamenco guitar players and a violinist. The other is a Levant folk ensemble featuring piano, accordion and percussion.
How they seamlessly come together is the true magic of Diab concerts. Bahebo marries a wistful accordion line with thumping rhythms of the darbuka for a sun-kissed track equally at home in Beirut or Barcelona radio playlists.
Ya Agmal Eyoun begins with the kind of flamenco guitar flourish reminiscent of The Gipsy Kings before Diab chimes in with his husky tenor vocals have not lost any resonance.
El Leila, one of Diab’s better EDM-inspired offerings also struck the right note and suitably warmed up the crowd for a closing half-hour of back-to-back hits.
The high point was undeniably an epic 15-minute fusion of three of his most memorable tracks, Wayah, Tamally Maak and Nour El Ain.
Not only was this section worth the price of admission alone, but a near perfect distillation of Diab’s adventurous approach and joyous stage presence.
The fact that many of these elements are missing in the greater Arabic pop landscape is not only a cause for concern but makes Diab’s frequent UAE concerts feel like a revelation, time and time again.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
