Singer Mehad Hamad dominates the contemporary United Arab Emirates pop scene—an impressive degree of cross-generational appeal for somebody who first started releasing singles in the early ‘80s. Local Emirati rhythms and traditional folk songs make up a large part of Hamad's repertoire, and his songs are often accompanied by a rich blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation. Yet while he dips an occasional toe in newer pan-Arabic pop production, and sounds at ease grooving along to khaliji jams, his specialty remains celebratory patriotic pop, often accompanied by his own oud.