The songs that made summer: 70 years of Arabic pop's hottest hits
From Umm Kulthum's towering Alf Leila Wa Leila to Haifa Wehbe's giddy El Wawa, the diversity and richness of Arabic pop music have allowed summer anthems to emerge, with artists hailing from Morocco to the UAE.
In alphabetical order and spanning more than 70 years, here are 25 Arabic songs either released during the summer or that have become seasonal favourites.
1. Ahwak by Abdel Halim Hafez (1953)
Released in the summer of 1953 as part of the classic Egyptian film Baeat El Khubz (The Bread Seller), the song was recorded early in the career of the revered singer, who was nicknamed The Black Nightingale. Ahwak (I Love You) is an ideal showcase of Hafez's sonorous vocals. The lyrics by Hussein El Sayed aim directly at the heart. 'I love you and I wish that if I ever forget you, I also forget my soul with you,' the song begins. 'And if it gets lost, it is acceptable if you have forgotten me.'
2. Alf Leila Wa Leila by Umm Kulthum (1969)
This arguably remains a pinnacle of the classical Arabic music form called tarab. For all its nocturnal themed lyrics, Alf Leila Wa Leila (One Thousand and One Nights) went on to become a popular mainstay of languid morning coffee sessions in Levant cafes. Kulthum's powerful vocals are dynamic as she details the vagaries of love. Indeed, Alf Leila Wa Leila's lyric is full of quotable lines pertaining to matters of the heart; the most popular being the starry-eyed declaration: 'What is life, but a night like tonight.'
3. Batwanes Beek by Warda (1986)
Released at the onset of summer, this gem – meaning 'I enjoy your company' – should be heard for the sweeping orchestral introduction alone. The rich voice of Algerian singer Warda is why Batwan Beek, a song about the joy of companionship, is hailed as one of tarab music's greatest tracks.
4. Lolaki by Ali Hemeid a (1988)
One of the defining summer hits of the 1980s by Egyptian singer Ali Hemeida, Lolaki (a colloquial term meaning 'for you') is a sun-kissed pop affair with a memorable chorus now synonymous with sunny days at the beach.
5. Shiloha Sheila by Miami Band (1997)
Kuwaiti group Miami Band, a Gulf favourite, released this effervescent track full of propulsive Khaleeji percussion as well as catchy call and response vocals.
6. Amarain by Amr Diab (1999)
Meaning 'two moons', Amarain is one of Amr Diab's many summer anthems and another example of his fusion of Levant and Mediterranean instrumentation and melodies. The Egyptian superstar's vocals are rich and tender as he pines for a love that is rare and transformative.
7. Ah Ya Leil by Sherine (2002)
Sherine Abdel-Wahab's chirpiness is her enduring trademark and it is all over this effervescent hit. Powered by pulsating percussions, the Egyptian singer delivers one of her best vocal performances in this ode to unrequited love. The title is translated to Oh The Nights, as Sherine yearns for those summer evenings with her beau and pleads for him 'to end his absence, I don't want anyone but him with him with me'.
8. Ah Wa Noss by Nancy Ajram (2004)
A summer staple with its propulsive darbuka percussion and groove-laden synthesisers. Ajram delivers her most confident vocals to date. The song title is a Lebanese colloquial term meaning 'oh and a half' that details the excitement of a new romance.
9. El Hob El Kebir by Ragheb Alama (2004)
Known for his romantic ballads, El Hob El Kebir (The Big Love) finds Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama recalling 'the great love of his life'. Released in the summer and fashioned as an upbeat pop track, the song's sentiments about a relationship that's strong and enduring has made it a Valentine's Day and wedding favourite.
10. El Wawa by Haifa Wehb e (2006)
This Arab pop gem is saved from being a mere novelty track because of Haifa Wehbe's charming performance. Mixing Arabic percussion with vibrant synthesisers and festive horns, El Wawa is an earworm with lyrics using the playful Arabic term for a small bruise as a metaphor for the first pangs of love.
11. Ya Nabi Salam Alayka' by Maher Zain (2011)
It's a track that took the burgeoning nasheed music industry global. Where previously – with the exception of works by the UK's Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) and South Africa's Zain Bhikha – Islamic spiritual music was viewed as niche, Maher Zain made it mainstream with this crossover summer track.
Beautifully produced with lyrics praising the Prophet Mohammed, the song managed to successfully marry traditional instrumentation with Zain's pop vocals. The track is now a Ramadan staple, played during the Holy Month across the globe, with the tireless Zain recording versions in English, Arabic and Turkish.
12. C'est La Vie by Cheb Khaled (2012)
C'est La Vie showed that Algerian rai singer Cheb Khaled's dramatic vocals could also work in the clubs. Sung in Algerian Arabic and French, the anthemic track is joyous and life-affirming. Not only did it top the charts in countries such as France and the Czech Republic, it went on to become a favourite in football stadiums across Europe and got a salsa makeover in 2013, when Marc Anthony covered the track.
13. Boushret Kheir by Hussain Al Jassmi (2014)
The Emirati pop star may have released the track as a fun public announcement, but Boushret Kheir went on to become the biggest hit of his career and an annual summer favourite. Released before the Egyptian election in 2014, this fun and giddy track was composed as a rallying cry for Egyptians to vote. Backed by a video that went viral and was shot in eight different provinces, the song's appeal spread across the region with versions sang in the Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian dialects.
14. Lm3allem by Saad Lamjarred (2016)
Everything about Lm3allem is brilliant. It is built upon a first-rate stuttering beat and a stalking, icy synth riff that sounds exciting and futuristic. Lamjarred's assertive, deep and joyful vocals are also a far cry from the mindless dramatics of his peers. Complemented by a slick video that resembles images from a Hassan Hajjaj artwork, the track has amassed more than one billion views on YouTube.
15. Daqat by Abu featuring Yousra (2017)
Egyptian singer Abu captures the wistfulness of a summer romance with lyrics comparing love at first sight to the intemperate rhythm of a drum. 'When I saw her, my heart beat three times / The drum entered in my head playing with the things inside / When the riq [a hand percussion instrument] entered in my heart, I fell in love / What could I do? I began to sing.' An instant summer hit, 3 Daqat received more than 125 million views on YouTube in the first three months of its release.
16. Decapotable by Zouhair Bahaoui (2018)
Moroccan melodies meet Latin reggaeton rhythms in this irrepressible hit. Decapotable took over the summer in 2018 and made relatively little-known singer Bahaoui a star in his native Morocco and the Arab world. Meaning 'convertible' in French, which is also a metaphor for adventure, Decapotable is an exuberant feel-good track perfect for summer beach parties.
17. Maloun Abou L Echeq by Najwa Karam (2019)
One of Najwa Karam's best songs and translated to 'cursed by love', this is a thumping Lebanese folk-pop track. Karam's voice is husky and powerful and the striking video has her performing with a troupe of dabke dancers in the middle of a Beirut street.
18. Ma Nedikch A L'Vacancia by Aymane Serhani (2020)
French-Moroccan artist Aymane Serhani brought the vibrant sounds of rai music to life, soundtracking the North African summer with his brilliant modern twist. While maintaining the genre's folk melodies and accordion, the song benefits from electronic beats, electric guitars and Serhani's silky vocals. Meaning 'I won't take you on holiday', Ma Nedikch A L'Vacancia is a fun showcase of modern rai music.
19. Sidi Mansour by Saber Rebai (2020)
Saber Rebai's take of the Tunisian folk music staple announced him to the Arab world. This is thanks to the track's modern production which maintained Sidi Mansour 's timeless melodies and traditional instrumentation, such as the oud and kanoon, while adding subtle electronic beats and synthesisers.
20. Corona Virus by Mohamed Ramadan (2020)
The summer of 2020 was one of the bleakest in recent memory, with much of the world under strict social restrictions due to the spread of Covid19. Even so, the irrepressible Mohamed Ramadan brought his trademark wit and flair to Corona Virus, a catchy ode to the pandemic. As much a public safety message as it is a showcase of Egypt's mahraganat genre, the song is packed with zany rhymes urging listeners to stay responsible.
'Take care of yourself, my friend. Say, 'I am looking after my family and home,'' Ramadan raps. 'Coronavirus is officially here, it is my enemy. I will keep it away from me before it enters my body.' While the track now feels like a time capsule, it also proves Ramadan's instinct for capturing the moment rarely fails.
21. El Bint El Awiye by Wael Kfoury (2021)
Known for his overwrought ballads, Kfoury dialled down the trademark drama for the sun-kissed Mediterranean feel of El Bint El Awiye. Meaning 'the strong girl', flashes of flamenco guitar abound as Kfoury jettisons his yearning vocals for a more playful staccato delivery in a song that explores the upside of heartbreak.
22. Min Awel Dekika by Elissa and Saad Lamjarred (2022)
Elissa's duet with controversial Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's a lush, string-laden ballad making use of both singer's strengths. The response was immediate with the song trending regionally and amassing more than 300 million streams on YouTube.
23. Sayrena Ya Donia by Ahmed Saad (2022)
Egyptian singer Ahmed Saad finally got the respect he deserves when this emotive pop track went on to become a regional hit and a summer favourite. Translated as 'make us happy, oh world', the song is an affectionate plea for resilience and a fine showcase of his intensely soulful vocals.
24. Mahboul Ana by Lazaro (2024)
One of the highest-charting Arabic songs on YouTube's Top 100 Music Videos Chart, surpassing entries by Coldplay and Bad Bunny, this breezy track by Moroccan singer Lazaro was arguably the song of the summer of 2024 in Northern Africa. With nearly 200 million streams on YouTube, the bittersweet number about unrequited love marries anguished lyrics with percolating keyboards and regional percussion. The music video, in which Lazaro and his mates are seen simply enjoying themselves in Marrakesh, only adds to the overall charm of Mahboul.
25. Khatiye by Bessan Ismail & Fouad Jned (2025)
A collaboration between Syrian singers Bessan Ismail and Fouad Jned, Khatiye is already on track to be one of the year's biggest hits – racking up more than 70 million views in its first week. And it's not hard to see why. A euphoric pop song with a welcome dose of drama, it plays with familiar themes of heartbreak and resilience.
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