Hiba Tawaji and Ibrahim Maalouf: À La Française at Dubai Opera

Two of the region's most celebrated artists unite for a one night only concert at Dubai Opera, blending French heritage with global musical vision.

The stage at Dubai Opera becomes a meeting place of musical sensibilities when Hiba Tawaji and Ibrahim Maalouf arrive for À La Française, a concert that exists at the intersection of heritage and innovation. This singular evening on 27 November brings together two artists whose careers have redefined the boundaries of contemporary music in the Arab world and beyond, each carrying their own history of collaboration with some of the world’s most distinguished names in music.

The concert draws its inspiration from French musical tradition, a choice that speaks to the cosmopolitan sophistication both artists bring to their work. Yet this is no mere homage to classical European forms. Rather, Tawaji and Maalouf reimagine the vocabulary of French chanson, classical refinement and the spirit of the Parisian tradition through their own distinctive artistic lenses, creating something that belongs entirely to the present moment.

The evening promises a musical dialogue of considerable depth and beauty, built around Tawaji’s emotive vocal presence and Maalouf’s compositional and production genius. This is music that moves across genres with ease, drawing from jazz, classical influences, chanson and the diverse sounds of global musical culture. The result is an artistic conversation rather than a formal recital, allowing both performers to respond to one another and explore the rich territory between their separate practices.

Who is Ibrahim Maalouf

Ibrahim Maalouf occupies a singular position in contemporary instrumental music. As composer and producer, he has built a career that refuses easy categorisation, moving fluidly between genres and collaborating with artists as diverse as Sting and A$AP Rocky. His work sits comfortably in multiple worlds at once: the classical traditions in which he was trained, the improvisational vocabulary of jazz, the polished production values of contemporary music, and the experimental spirit that drives much current composition. He is among the world’s most celebrated and popular instrumental artists, a recognition earned through decades of creative risk taking and an ability to speak across cultural and musical borders.

The artistry of Hiba Tawaji

Hiba Tawaji brings to this concert the vocal sophistication and emotional intelligence for which she has become renowned. Her career reflects a similar cosmopolitan sensibility to Maalouf’s, built on collaborations with composers and performers of international stature including Andrea Bocelli, Lara Fabian and Florent Pagny. Her voice carries both technical refinement and genuine expressiveness, qualities that have made her equally at home in multiple musical languages. Her versatility and willingness to inhabit different musical worlds make her an ideal partner for an evening that celebrates artistic boundary crossing and the mutual enrichment that comes when different traditions and sensibilities meet on stage.

The venue: Dubai Opera

Dubai Opera stands as one of the region’s most distinguished cultural institutions, a performance space designed to host the world’s finest artists and productions. Its architecture and acoustics reflect a commitment to quality that extends to every aspect of the venue. The opera house has become the natural home for performances of this calibre, offering both the technical sophistication and the refined atmosphere that such an evening demands.

When and where

The concert takes place on Friday 27 November 2026 at Dubai Opera. This is a one night only performance, making it a singular opportunity to experience these two artists in dialogue.

Tickets and admission

Tickets are available online in four categories. Silver tickets are priced at AED355. Gold tickets cost AED455. Platinum tickets are AED555, and VIP tickets are AED755.

Why this evening matters

À La Française represents a moment of genuine artistic significance for Dubai’s cultural calendar. It brings together two of the Arab world’s most influential contemporary artists for a collaboration that speaks to the region’s growing confidence as a centre for serious musical innovation. This is not entertainment in the conventional sense, but rather an evening of genuine artistic exploration, the kind of cultural event that deepens a city’s cultural standing and offers its audiences something genuinely rare. The concert embodies a vision of music that is neither nostalgic nor avant garde for its own sake, but rather engaged in a living dialogue with tradition, seeking to extend and reimagine the vocabulary of musical expression. For those who appreciate artistry in its fullest sense, it represents an evening not to be missed.

On Simply Luxury: Dubai Opera