7 top international artists who performed in the Arab world

Prince performed in Abu Dhabi in 2010 as part of the Yas Island Formula One performance alongside other artists including Kanye West and Linkin Park. 

"Too many hits, not enough time," the late artist said to the crowd at the time, according to Gulf News. 

Prince passed away in April 2016, and his performance in the UAE will forever be remembered. 

"His maiden trip to the UAE as part of the 2010 F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi not only marked his Middle Eastern debut, but also helped establish the country as a bona fide gigging destination with large and appreciative fans," Saeed Saeed wrote in a piece for The National. 

"For many veteran UAE concertgoers, Prince’s performance at both du Arena (then dubbed Yas Arena) and his now legendary surprise show at SkyBar remained the yardstick for all future gigs." 

In 2007, Shakira took the stage at the Pyramids of Giza in 2007 as part of her "Oral Fixation" tour. 

Due to the insane amount of traffic into Haram at the time, many people arrived to the concert after the Colombian singer of Lebanese descent had finished her brief set. 

But, according to Daily News Egypt, Shakira did not disappoint the crowd, greeting them with a "Hello Egypt masa' el kheir. Tonight I'm all yours!" 

On October 7, 1996, Michael Jackson performed for the first time ever in the Arab world in front of 60,000 fans in Tunisia - as part of his World Tour: "History II."

"This concert will be of special significance for me because it will be my first in Africa and the Arab World. The people and nations of both regions have always held a special place in my heart and I always wanted to perform for them," Jackson said at the time, according to PR Newswire.

"Proceeds from my concert will go to a national charity helping the needy and that's an extra source of satisfaction for me."

Jackson died in 2009, but his legacy lives on.

Sinatra took the stage at the Pyramids of Giza in 1979 - his first appearance in Egypt during his 40-year career. 

The influential singer sang various selections for 45 minutes including "Bewitched" and "My Way," according to The Washington Post. 

A newspaper article in the Chicago Tribune archives gives us serious nostalgia. 

Headlined "Sinatra to give a benefit concert in Egypt," the article highlights Sinatra's reasons for visiting the country.

Sinatra was actually invited by then-First Lady Jehan Anwar Al Sadat to perform a benefit concert for the Faith and Hope Rehabilitation Center. 

The concert raised more than $1 million for hospital charities supervised by Sadat. 

Ricky Martin's One Night Only tour was in support of his 2005 album Life ... and it ended with a few stops in the Middle East - the first being in Lebanon. 

The Puerto Rican singer took the stage in May 2006 as part of the Beiteddine Festival to quite a diverse crowd - from 16-year-old girls to 40-year-old men. 

"I come to this beautiful land and I realize this land is full of winners, without a doubt," Martin said at the time, according to The Daily Star.

Bon Jovi performed at du Arena in Abu Dhabi in 2015, reuniting with his fans in the country.  

"We’ve toured around the world since 2008 and are excited to reunite with our UAE fans again," said Bon Jovi at the time, according to The National.

The American rock band first took the stage in the UAE in 2008, when they performed at Emirates Palace to a sold-out crowd. 

The American singer took the stage during the 15th Mawazine World Rhythms International Music Festival in Rabat, Morocco in 2016.

Aguilera performed at the festival along other international artists including Rihanna, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez, to a crowd of 250,000.