Collaborating with the best songwriters and composers in the Middle East on her 1995 debut Ahebak Moot helped propel Ahlam to pan-Arab fame. A powerhouse of a vocalist known as the Queen of Emirati music, this flamboyant diva is adept at melding Arabic pop and traditional Gulf Khaleeji music—a folk style featuring oud, pipes and tabla drums—into sleek smash hits. The UAE-born singer also enjoyed a second career as a TV personality alongside releasing a slew of award-winning LPs, establishing her celebrity and status as one of the best-selling and admired artists in Arabic music history.