The UAE has hosted so many celebrity artistes in the past few years that an act a day seems more feasible than it sounds
Concerts by the likes of Shakira, Aerosmith and the stars of October's Desert Rhythm Festival prove the UAE can now pull in the world's top-ranked artistes.
From humble beginnings, the country now has a strong claim to being the No 1 Western entertainment destination in the Middle East. And for those who prefer Indian or Arab performers, there are equally rich pickings.
In fact, Dubai is now internationally recognised for its vibrant music scene, which includes the annual Jazz Festival and the Desert Rock Festival.
In the past decade, the UAE has also attracted an astonishing number of megastars. These include sell-out concerts by Luciano Pavarotti, Enrique Iglesias and Roger Waters to name a few.
And with Justin Timberlake bringing his FutureSex/LoveShow to Abu Dhabi this week, it surely can't be long before we get to hear from the Rolling Stones, U2 and Madonna.
But it's not just about attracting the biggest international stars. There's plenty of opportunity for smaller acts to come and play.
Flashback pop for British expatriates has included the Human League, who brought their electro-pop, while fellow 1980s band Level 42 performed their hits at the Dubai Country Club.
'80s icons Tony Hadley, Peter Cox and Richard Drummie of Go West, and Martin Fry of ABC, also brought '80s nostalgia to Dubai earlier this year.
Pink's panache
American chart sensation P!nk, known for her wild style and edgy lyrics, performed at the Dubai Media City on September 5.
The 27-year-old belted out hit after hit and delighted an 8,000-strong audience with tracks such as Don't Let Me Get Me, Just Like a Pill and a medley of songs by her idol Janis Joplin.
P!nk, whose real name is Alecia Moore, has sold more than 20 million albums since she exploded onto the pop scene in 2000 with her album Can't Take Me Home. Her most recent long player, I'm Not Dead, which was out in 2006, was a major success worldwide, catapulting P!nk back into the limelight and the charts.
Shaking up with Shakira
With 30 million albums sold worldwide and more than 7 million copies of her album Oral Fixation snapped up, Shakira is nothing if not popular.
The global pop sensation performed live in Dubai in March this year as part of her Oral Fixation Tour. Around 25,000 fans shook their hips to hits including Whenever-Wherever, La Tortura, Underneath Your Clothes, Don't Bother and Hips Don't Lie at the Dubai Autodrome.
The Lebanese-Columbian singer said before the concert: "I have heard a lot about Dubai and performing in the Middle East for the first time is something special. The Dubai show is one of the biggest shows on my 2007 Oral Fixation Tour."
The two-time Grammy Award and eight-time Latin Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, musician and record producer, has become a major figure in the worldwide pop music scene and her Dubai concert was a resounding success.
Water(s) in the desert
For Pink Floyd fans, the Roger Waters concert was not just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the man behind Pink Floyd, but also a chance to relive their teenage years.
Fans in Dubai were not disappointed when Waters performed at Dubai Media City last February. His appeal attracted an audience ranging from 16 to 60, and many were not even born when the group was formed.
Waters, who started a successful solo career in 1984, is known as the sonic architect of Pink Floyd and was the creative genius behind the lyrics and much of the music of albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
Aerosmith rocks Dubai
It was a moment to remember when rock 'n' roll band Aerosmith performed in Dubai last May. Front man Steven Tyler wowed the crowd at a sell-out show at the Exiles Rugby ground in the band's first gig in the Middle East.
Aerosmith members Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer performed some of their most famous songs at the concert. Aerosmith has been performing for the past 23 years and have sold 140 millions albums worldwide.
Chicago… in Abu Dhabi
One of Broadway's biggest musicals, Chicago, was staged at the Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, in May and November.
The "razzle dazzle" musical tells the story of fame-hungry Roxie Hart who dreams of a life on the vaudeville stage, continually hoping she'll get her lucky break, be shot to 1920s stardom, and flee her boring husband, Amos.
Diab in Dubai
Amr Diab returned to the UAE in January after a two-year hiatus. The Egyptian superstar was greeted by 7,000 fans at the Dubai Media City amphitheatre.
The concert generated international interest with fans from around the world flying in to Dubai for the occasion from as far as the French Reunion Islands, Italy, the US, Australia and Europe.
Celebrated for his mesmerising voice, Diab did not disappoint and performed his greatest hits including Kammel Kalamak and W'malu.
Desert Rhythm Festival
The most recent Desert Rhythm Festival brought a diverse line-up of artistes to the stage in October including soul sensation Joss Stone, US rapper Kanye West, glam rocker Mika, reggae man Ziggy Marley and the ever-popular Madness.
Festival-goers at Dubai Media City enjoyed more than 10 hours of live entertainment over the two-day event. The Festival was about accepting different cultures and the event was planned to mix different music styles, food and entertainment to help unite cultures in harmony.
Desert Rock Festival
The Desert Rock Festival is the biggest event of its kind in the Middle East and has experienced unprecedented success since it started four years ago.
What began as an afternoon and evening shindig has become a two-day full-on festival attended by more than 30,000 music lovers. Rock heavyweights such as Metallica, Iron Maiden and Robert Pant have played here.
