Khaliji music (also spelled Khaleeji; ar, الموسيقى الخليجية meaning Gulf music) is the music of

Eastern Arabia Eastern Arabia, historically known as al-Baḥrayn ( ar, البحرين) until the 18th century, is a region stretched from Basra to Khasab along the Persian Gulf coast and included parts of modern-day Bahrain, Kuwait, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Unite ...

, the Gulf Arabian states and it is popular across the

Arab world The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...

. It is traditionally characterized by heavy use of the rebab,

oud , image=File:oud2.jpg , image_capt=Syrian oud made by Abdo Nahat in 1921 , background= , classification= * String instruments *Necked bowl lutes , hornbostel_sachs=321.321-6 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded with a plectrum , ...

and other string instruments such as the

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

, the occasional use of

habbān The habbān (or hibbān) is a type of bagpipe used in the coastal regions of the Persian Gulf (especially Kuwait). The term ''ḥabbān'' (''هبان'') is one of several Arabic terms for the bagpipes. The term is drawn from ''Hanbān'' (هنبا ...

, and the inclusion of percussion instruments such as the

mirwas The ''mirwās'' or ''marwas'' ( ar, مرواس), plural ''marāwīs'' ( ar, مراويس) is a small double-sided, high-pithced hand drum originally from the Middle East. It is a popular instrument in the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, used i ...

, tabl, and duff drums. Khaliji music first started as a bedouin tradition with poetry sung by a tribe's shaa'ir, which means poet, usually accompanied by a rebab, the lyrics dealt with tales of honor, love, camel riders, and glory warriors. Kuwaitis were the first commercial recording artists and composers in the Persian Gulf region,

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

and

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

pioneered the Khaliji genre into its modern form in the second half of the 20th century and soon became the focal point of the industry, but in recent years the

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

has had an arguabely bigger impact with musical artists such as

Hussain Al Jassmi Hussain Al Jassmi ( ar, حسين الجسمي ; born August 25, 1979) is an Emirati pianist, composer, musician and singer who is well known in the Arab world. Al Jassmi was born in Khorfakkan in August 1979 to Emirati parents. He released his fi ...

, Ahlam, and

Mehad Hamad Mehad Hamad Mehad ( ar, ميحد حمد), is an Emirati artist and singer. Career Hamad mainly interprets traditional Emirati songs, often accomplished by an oud. He is well known in the United Arab Emirates for his songs about the desert and h ...

dominating the charts, and their songs represent different music genres, in which many of them are Khaliji. The Khaliji scene is primarily populated by Emirati, Kuwaiti, Bahraini, and Saudi artists today. Along with its main Arabian style, Khaliji music can also sometimes incorporate few elements of East African along with the

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

n genre such as

Samri Samri ( ar, سامري) is a folkloric music and dance originated in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of ...

, Liwa, Moradah,and Sawt reflecting the region's ethnic history. In recent years, a new Independent scene has started to emerge in the Gulf states that aims to challenge the sociocultural norms of modern Khaleeji society through a sound that's distinct from traditional Khaliji music, the scene has been coined as "Alternative Khaliji" by Kuwaiti-American musician +Aziz.

Khaliji singers

Eastern Arabia Gulf States

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

* Salman Hameed * Abdullah Taki * Adel Mahmoud * Ahmed Aljumairy * Alekhwa Band * Ali Bahar * Hala Al Turk *

Hind A hind is a female deer, especially a red deer. Places * Hind (Sasanian province, 262-484) * Hind and al-Hind, a Persian and Arabic name for the Indian subcontinent * Hind (crater), a lunar impact crater * 1897 Hind, an asteroid Military ...

* Hussain Faisal * Khaled El Sheikh * Salman Ziman * Herban (singer)

Kuwait

* Abas Albadri * Abdallah Al Rowaished * Abdulatif Alkuwaity * Abdulkareem Abdulkader * Abdulla Alfudhalah * Abdulaziz Althuwaihi * Abdulmohsen Almuhanna * Abdulqader Hadhoud * Abdulrahman Alhuraibi * Ahmed Alhuraibi * Aisha Al-Martta * Aliyah Hussain * Awaad Salem * Awadh Doukhi * +Aziz * Basem Alradhan * Bashar Alshatti * Bashar Sultan * Daffy * Fatat Sultan * Fatooma * Fawaz Almarzouq * Faisal Al-Rashed * Ghareed Alshati * Guitara Band * Hamad Almanea * Houmod Nasser * Hussain Jasem * Khaled bin Hussain * Layla Abdulaziz * Mahmoud Alkuwaity * Miami Band * Maram * Mohammed Albloushi * Mohammed Almisbah * Moustafa Ahmad * Motref Almotref * Nabil Shuail * Nawal El Kuwaitia * Oudah Almuhanna * Queen G * Rabab * Rabiha Marzouq * Rahaf Guitara * Saleh Alhuraibi * Saleh and Dawood Alkuwaity * Sana Alkharaz * Shadi Alkhaleej * Shamayel * Shams * Sulaiman Algassar * Sulaiman Almulla * Tareq Alkhurayef * Yahya Ahmad * Youssef Al Omani * Yousef Almotref

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...

* Salim Rashid Suri * Salah Al Zadjali

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

* Saud Jassem * Fahad Al Kubaisi * Saad Al Fahad

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

* Tariq Abdulmajid * Thamer Al-Turki * Turki (singer) * Saud Bin Abdullah * Fahad Al Aibanni * Rashad El Faris * Ohud (singer) * Muhammed Al-Bakery * Ali Samara * Fahad Bin Faslan * Abdulaziz Louis * Anas Kareem * Mutlak Al-Dukheel * Muhammed Al Busaili * Ghazay Bin Sahab * Muhammed Sawag * Ibrahim Al-Dukheel * Majed Al Raslani * Hussein Al-Ali * Faris Mahdi * Dalia Mubarak * Bader Al-Leimon * Basheer Shanaan * Abu Baker Salem * Ali Al-Saad * Al-Ounoud * Alaa Saad * Abadi Al-Johar * Ali Bin Muhammed * Sahab (singer) * Yasser Habib * Saad Al-Fahad * Rami Abdullah * Nahwa (singer) * Muhammed Zailai * Noura (singer) * Jaber Al-Kasser * Khaled Turki * Jawad Al-Ali * Hussein Al Omar * Basheer Hamad Shanan * Essam Areef * Abdulaziz Al-Mansour * Abdulaziz Eliass * Abdullah Rashad * Abdullah Al-Iddriss * Ali Abdul-Satar * Ayed Youssef * Um Talal * Abadi Al-Johar *

Abass Ibrahim Abass Ibrahim ( ar, عباس إبراهيم; born 10 August 1988) is a Saudi pop singer. He has released three albums on EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. I ...

Abdul Majeed Abdullah Abdul Majeed Abdullah (Arabic: عبدالمجيد عبدالله; born 3 August 1962) is a Saudi singer, composer, and actor. One of the most well-known performers of popular music in Middle East, he started his musical career after being discov ...

* Aseel Abu Bakr *

Aseel Omran Aseel Omran ( ar, أسيل عمران) is a Saudi Arabian singer who rose to fame when she entered the reality show ''Gulf Stars'' and ''Heya wa Huwa''. She has signed onto Rotana, the Arab world's largest record label. Aseel Omran was born o ...

* Ayed (Khaliji Musician) * Dalia Mubarak *

Etab Tarouf Abdulkhair Adam Muhammad al-Talal Hawsawi ( ar, طروف عبد الخير آدم محمد الطلال هوساوي), known professionally as Etab, ( ar, عتاب, translit= ; December 30, 1947 – August 19, 2007) was a Saudi Arabian sin ...

Ibtisam Lutfi Ibtisam Lutfi ( ar, ابتسام لطفي, born 1950) is a blind Saudi singer. She was born Khayriyyah Qurban ( ar, خيرية قربان) in Ta'if in Saudi Arabia, and is one of the first female singers of that country. She began her career sin ...

* Ismail Mubarak *

Khalid Abdulrahman Khalid Abdulrahman ( ar, خالد عبدالرحمن; born April 22, 1965) is a Saudi singer, actor, musician, poet, and songwriter. He first published poetry under the pseudonym (مخاوي الليل) which roughly translates to 'Night Compa ...

Mohammed Abdu Mohammed Abdu ( ar, محمد عبده ; born June 12, 1949) is a Saudi singer who is renowned across the Middle East and Arab world. He has been described as "''Artist of the Arabs''." Early years Mohammed Abdu was born on June 12, 1949 in ...

* Qusai (musician) * Rabeh Sager * Ramy Abdullah *

Rashed Al-Majed Rashed Al-Majed ( ar, راشد الماجد; born 27 July 1969) is a Saudi singer, actor, musician, and record producer. He has been active since 1984. Rashed Al-Majed is one of the most famous singers in the Middle East and has released almo ...

* Sahab (Singer) *

Talal Maddah Talal Maddah (5 August 1940 – 11 August 2000; ar, طلال مدَّاح) was a Saudi Arabian musician and composer. He was named Maddah after his mother's family. His fans called him "The Earth's Voice" ( ar, صوت الارض), and he was al ...

* Talal Salama * Ali Abdul Karim * Abdel Hadi Hussein * Abdullah Salman * Bahaa Sultan * Dhawi * Farfashah * Hani Al Ahdal * Ibrahim El Tamimi * Naif El Badar * Muhammed Yousef Jassem * Rimas * Raghad * Rena * Saleh Saad * Salah Ahmad Khalifah * Aseel Abu Baker

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...

* Turki Al-Shaabi * Muhammed Murshad * Muhammed Al-Saeed * Mohammed Saeed Harib * Hamid El Jissmi * Al-Shab Said * Muhammed Al-Hamili * Reem (singer) * Faiz Said * Badoor (singer) * Abdullah Al-Salman * Ahmad Al Mala * Ahmad Ibrahim * Alaa Al-Shahri * Al-Makabeel (singer) * Abdullah Bilkher * Waleed Ibrahim * Ahlam * Ahmad Al-Mala * Ahmad Ibrahim * Eida Al Menhali *

Hussain Al Jasmi Hussain Al Jassmi ( ar, حسين الجسمي ; born August 25, 1979) is an Emirati pianist, composer, musician and singer who is well known in the Arab world. Al Jassmi was born in Khorfakkan in August 1979 to Emirati parents. He released his fir ...

* Reem Al Mahmoudi * Samar (singer) * Shamma Hamdan * Fatoon * Hamsa

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

* Saif Nabeel * Namir (singer) * Waleed Al-Shami * Hussam Kamel * Adel Al-Mukhtar *

Majid al-Muhandis Majid Abd al-Amir Adir al-Attabi ( ar, ماجد عبد الأمير عذير العتابي; born October 25, 1971), better known as Majid Al Mohandis ( ar, ماجد المهندس), is an Iraqi singer and composer. His success in the Arab wo ...

* Osama Al Hamdani * Rahma Riad * Saif Nabeel * Waleed Al Shami * Kazem Al Saher * Osama Al Hamdani * Muhanned Muhsen * Reda Abdullah * Hatem Al Iraqi

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

Abu Bakr Salem Belfkih Abu Bakr Salem Balfaqih ( ar, أبو بكر سالم بلفقية) (17 March 1939 – 10 December 2017) was a Yemeni-Saudi singer, poet, and composer of Hadhrami people, Hadhrami origins. He is also nicknamed 'Abu Aseel, The Father of Khaliji (m ...

Arwa (singer) Arwa ( ar, أروى; born Iman Salem Ba'amiran ( ar, إيمان سالم باعميران); July 8, 1979) is a Yemeni-Egyptian singer and television host. At the age of ten, her family moved to Cairo where she later received her education at Ca ...

Balqees Ahmed Fathi Balqees Ahmed Fathi ( ar, بلقيس أحمد فتحي; born October 20, 1988), widely known by the mononym Balqees (), is an Emirati singer and actress hailing from Yemen. She came from an artistic family as her father Ahmed Fathi was a well-k ...

* Fouad Abdulwahed * Ahmed Fathi * Suha Al-Masri

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khaliji (Music) Arab culture Bahraini music Kuwaiti music Emirati music Qatari music Omani music Iraqi music Saudi Arabian music