This year’s Coachella festival in California is shaping up to be another momentous edition for the Mena music scene, with three Arab artists performing during the two-weekend event, the second of which is on April 18 to 20.
While many eyes and ears will be fixed on sets by global heavyweights such as Green Day, Lady Gaga and Post Malone, a glance further down the bill reveals a vibrant Arab presence set to showcase their sound to their largest international audiences yet. They join a steadily growing contingent of performers – hailing from Palestine to Bahrain to Saudi Arabia – who have graced Coachella stages in recent years, reflecting a regional music scene as deep as it is diverse.
Here are the Arab artists performing this year, as well as those who have already made their mark.
2025: Mohamed Ramadan
As one of the Arab world’s biggest pop stars, it’s only fitting for Mohamed Ramadan to perform at one of the world’s most influential music festivals – even if his name appears near the bottom of the main stage bill. Still, his appearance at Coachella during the opening weekend marked a career milestone for the Egyptian artist, who has transitioned from leading man in blockbuster films and TV shows to fully-fledged pop star.
Ramadan performed at the Gobi Tent – one of the many stages at Coachella – and delivered a high-energy set featuring regional favourites Number One and Mafia. A highlight of the performance was Ramadan raising the Egyptian flag on stage – a gesture that cemented the enduring presence of Arab artists at the festival.
2025: Nooriyah
After getting 40,000 people jumping at Riyadh’s 2022 Soundstorm festival, performing at Coachella doesn’t seem like much of a stretch for the Saudi–Bahraini DJ. That confidence is reinforced by her rising profile on London’s club circuit – including a standout Boiler Room set in 2023 – where she blends electronic beats with Arabic percussion and melodies.
2025: Ahmed Spins
One of North Africa’s most promising EDM talents, Ahmed brings a well-rounded skill set to the decks, as an accomplished player on the piano, guitar and drums. His 2022 EP Anchor Point, with its vibrant mix of deep house and Afro house, has racked up more than 10 million streams on Spotify, with superstar DJ Tiesto featuring the title track on an episode of his Club Life radio show. Spins will perform a back-to-back set with UK dance music pioneer Pete Tong.
2024: Saint Levant
Ahead of the release of his affecting album Deira, the Palestinian singer gave the record its best promotion with an acclaimed Coachella set featuring viral tracks I Guess, Very Few Friends and Nails. The show set the stage for an expansive US and European tour later that year, before he returned with this year’s new EP Love Letters.
2023: Elyanna
It was as much a statement performance as it was a coronation. The Palestinian–Chilean singer, now performing in stadiums as part of Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour, became the first artist to deliver a full set in Arabic at Coachella. Accompanied by her brother Feras on piano, Elyanna – joined by dancers – powered through a set featuring her single Ganeni along with highlights from her two EPs, Elyanna and Elyanna II. She closed the triumphant performance by waving a Palestinian keffiyeh.
2022: DJ Sama' Abdulhadi
The Coachella set followed the remarkable rise of the DJ widely credited with introducing techno music to Palestine and spotlighting its vibrant independent music scene to the world. Performing in the Yuma Tent across both weekends, Abdulhadi delivered a well-received set of deep house and hypnotic beats that moved a Guardian critic to call her one of the highlights of the event.
2022: Bedouin
The Jordanian–Egyptian–American duo showed why they’ve become festival favourites, from Jordan’s Petra to Burning Man, with an atmospheric set characterised by rich organic house, ethereal melodies and tribal rhythms. It’s a sound further refined with the release of their 2023 debut album Temple of Dreams.
2018: French Montana
The Moroccan rapper's career was arguably at its peak after the global success of the previous year’s hit Unforgettable. Montana recreated the song’s energy by inviting guest artist Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd to perform it live on stage, while also energising the crowd with other fan favourites, including Pop That.
2018: Wafia
As a guest of R&B duo Louis The Child, the Iraqi–Syrian singer – full name Wafia Al Rikabi – made the most of the brief opportunity by performing their collaborative track Better Not, paving the way for the eventual release of her 2020 album Good Things.
2017: Dudu Tassa & the Kuwaitis
Those at the festival's Gobi Tent would have heard plenty of Arabic tunes courtesy of this Israeli-Arab group. Led by Tassa, the grandson of Kuwaiti musician Daoud Al-Kuwaity and hailing from a Mizrahi Jewish family from Iraq and Kuwait, the band’s set featured their signature rock versions of Iraqi and Kuwaiti folk songs. Tassa said they received a warm reception at Coachella. “The thing that we had in our minds before we came is how the American audience would take to Arab music, and Arab players with Jewish players,” he said in an interview with Billboard. “We were surprised because they loved us.”
2017: DJ Khaled
Since the Palestinian–American’s recordings and club sets are defined by guest star appearances, it made sense to replicate that celebratory, communal atmosphere at Coachella. With Rick Ross, Migos, 2 Chainz, A$AP Ferg, French Montana and Wale joining him on stage, DJ Khaled delivered many of his biggest crowd-pleasers – including his anthems All I Do Is Win and I’m the One, alongside hits such as B.M.F. and Bad and Boujee.
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Manchester City, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Uefa Champions League last 16 draw
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
Basel v Manchester City
Sevilla v Manchester United
Porto v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
