For Decades, Abdul Majeed Abdullah Has Defined Arab Music
Written by djfrosty on December 23, 2024
With a career spanning over four decades, Abdul Majeed Abdullah has become a cornerstone of Arabic music, and his influence shows no signs of fading. Revered as “The Prince of Tarab,” Abdullah continues to captivate audiences with his unparalleled artistry, bridging generations and defining the sound of Khaleeji music while shaping the broader Arabic music landscape.
For Abdullah, 2024 was yet another landmark year, as the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, honored the iconic artist with multiple awards. At this groundbreaking event — a milestone for the region that took place at King Fahad Cultural Center on Dec. 11 — he received artist of the year in the Khaleeji dialect genre and top male artist in the Khaleeji dialect, alongside a prestigious lifetime achievement award, which recognized his profound and lasting impact on the Arab music world and on Khaleeji music in particular.
The ceremony celebrated the rich diversity of Arabic music, showcasing a wide array of subgenres, including the winners from Billboard Arabia’s various dialect charts: Khaleeji, Egyptian, Moroccan and Levantine. The awards also highlighted distinctive local cultural genres such as Mahraganat, a progressive and energetic contemporary iteration of Egyptian shaabi (popular folk) music, and Shelat, an evolving genre that has transformed from a poetic tribal chant to drive a new wave of Khaleeji music. In addition, the event spotlighted the dynamic rise of Arabic hip-hop and Arabic indie sounds, where global musical influences merge seamlessly with Arabic lyricism, creating a vibrant fusion of styles that reflects the evolving regional landscape. Sherine Abdel Wahab, recognized as a Global Force honoree at Billboard’s Women in Music event in March, was named artist of the year at the Billboard Arabia Music Awards.
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Since the launch of the Billboard Arabia charts in December 2023, Abdullah has consistently appeared on both the Billboard Arabia Hot 100 and Billboard Arabia Artist 100 charts. His track “Ya Ibn Al Awadam” from the 2021 album Aam Mouazy marked his debut on the charts, where it remained for nine weeks. Later in the year, he returned to the charts with songs from his latest album, including “Haki Wajid” and “Ya Meniti,” and with his pre-album single, “Lak Saqni Al Rab.” Throughout 2024, his presence on the Artist 100 chart was particularly remarkable: He only missed one week on the list, underscoring his enduring popularity and influence, and cementing him as the artist for Billboard Arabia to spotlight for this year’s Global No. 1s series.
With the launch of Billboard Arabia’s subgenre charts in August, which featured various musical genres and dialects, Abdullah quickly emerged as the dominant force in the Khaleeji category. He made an impressive debut, securing 11 songs on the Top 50 Khaleeji dialect chart in its first week. His record peaked at 12 songs in a single week, and throughout the year, the number of his songs on the list never dropped below seven — remarkable consistency and dominance that earned him the artist of the year - Khaleeji dialect award in 2024.
It’s noteworthy that Abdullah’s songs featured on Billboard Arabia’s Top 50 Khaleeji chart span four different decades. His track “Sahit Jamra,” from the 1990s, made an appearance, as well as “Insan Akthar” from the early 2000s. Additionally, his song “Ruh Al-Ruh” from the 2010s, along with multiple tracks from his album A Parallel World and his latest release, reflect his continued relevance and influence in the current decade. Meanwhile, Abdullah’s recognition with the inaugural lifetime achievement award honored his extraordinary career and lasting impact on the Khaleeji and Arabic music landscape. Over the past four decades, he has remained influential, continuously releasing music and performing to sold-out audiences. His most recent album, Abdul Majeed Abdullah 2024, further cemented his legacy, achieving widespread popularity and showcasing his ability to innovate within his genre. The honor celebrated Abdullah not only for his artistic excellence but also for his profound and enduring influence on the cultural consciousness of the Arab world.