With a career spanning over four decades, Abdul Majeed Abdullah has become a cornerstone of Arabic music and his influence shows no signs of waning. 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 wider Arab musical landscape.
For Abdullah, 2024 was another landmark year as the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia honored the iconic artist with multiple awards. At this groundbreaking event – a landmark event for the region which took place at the King Fahad Cultural Center on December 11 – he received Khaleeji Artist of the Year and Top Male Artist in Khaleeji, along with a prestigious lifetime achievement award. which recognized his profound and lasting influence on the Arab musical world and Khaleeji music in particular.
The ceremony celebrated the rich diversity of Arabic music, showcasing a wide range of subgenres, including winners from Billboard Arabiavarious dialect maps of: 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 lead a new wave of Khaleeji music. In addition, the event highlighted 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 local landscape. Sherine Abdel Wahab, recognized as an honored global force in Bulletin boardWomen in Music event in March, was named Artist of the Year at the Billboard Arabia Music Awards.
Since its inception Billboard Arabia chart in December 2023, Abdullah consistently performed on both the Billboard Arabia Hot 100 and Billboard Arabia Artist 100 charts. His track “Ya Ibn Al Awadam” from the album 2021 Aam Mouazy marked its 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 the pre-album single “Lak Saqni Al Rab”. Throughout 2024, his presence on the Artist 100 chart was particularly notable: he missed only one week on the list, underscoring his enduring popularity and influence and establishing him as an artist for Billboard Arabiain the spotlight for this year's Global No. series. 1s.
With its startBillboard ArabiaIn his sub-genre charts in August, which featured various musical genres and dialects, Abdullah quickly emerged as the dominant force in the Khaleeji category. It made an impressive debut, securing 11 songs in the top 50 dialect Khaleeji chart in its first week. His record peaked at 12 songs in one week, and throughout the year, his number of songs on the chart never fell below seven — remarkable consistency and dominance that earned him Artiste of the Year – the Khaleeji Dialect Award in 2024.
It is noteworthy that Abdullah's songs appearedBillboard ArabiaKhaleeji's Top 50 chart covers 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 several tracks from his albumA parallel worldand his latest release, reflect his continued relevance and influence in the current decade. Meanwhile, recognizing Abdullah with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award honored his outstanding career and lasting impact on Khaleeji and the Arab music scene. Over the past four decades, he has remained influential, constantly releasing music and performing to sold-out audiences. His latest album,Abdul Majeed Abdullah 2024further cemented his legacy, achieving widespread popularity and demonstrating his ability to innovate in his genre. The honor celebrated Abdullah not only for his artistic excellence but also for his profound and lasting influence on the cultural consciousness of the Arab world.
