Ahmed Bukhatir (Arabic: أحمد بوخاطر; born 16 October 1975) is an Emirati Nasheed singer. He is the only Nasheed singer from the UAE to ever top a Virgin music chart.
Ahmed Bukhatir was born in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.[1] He was the fifth child of ten born into his family. His father is Abdul Rahman Bukhatir,[2] who became a successful businessman during the economic boom that occurred in the UAE during the 1970s and 80s.[3] As a child Bukhatir spent several years at an Islamic center in Sharjah learning the rules of Quranic recitation called Tajwid.[1] Bukhatir began singing professionally at the age of 20, and released his first album in 2000 entitled Entasaf Al-Layl.[3] Throughout his recording career he has continued to sing without musical instruments according to the Islamic Sharia law.[1] His live performances have attracted sizeable audiences, such as at a Global Peace and Unity (GPU) event in the United Kingdom in 2006 that gained an audience of 35,000 attendees to see the various speakers and performers.[4] He has participated in many charity events including the Muslim Aid 25th Anniversary Event in London, United Kingdom, in 2010.[5][5][6] Along with Islamic nasheeds, Ahmed also performs nasheeds which place emphasis on community issues in multiple societies both within and outside the world of Islam.[7] Today Bukhatir is considered to be among the ten most prominent singers of Nasheed in the world.
Ahmed Bukhatir has released many albums covering many topics that include Islam and community issues. He has recorded songs in English, Arabic, and French.[14]
Year Title Sales Results |
2000 Entasaf Al-Layl Bestseller in UAE[3]
2001 Al Quds Tunadeena Bestseller in UAE[3]
2003 Fartaqi More than 100,000 copies sold in UAE and Europe[3]
2004 Samtan More than 150,000 copies sold in UAE and Europe[3]
2005 Da'ani More than 150,000 copies sold in UAE and Europe[3]
2007 Hasanat More than 250,000 copies sold in UAE and Europe[3]
2010 Moments with Allah (results not reported)
2013 Prophet of Peace (results not reported)
Performances & concerts[edit]
Ahmed first performed at a major concert in 2002, attended by members of the Royal Families of UAE.[15] He performed at the "Holy Qura'an" competition attended by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, the imam of the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.[16][17] In addition to many regional performances, Ahmed has toured in various other nations including India, South Africa, Australia and, most notably, at the Global Peace and Unity event which was held in London, United Kingdom, in 2006.[4] He has performed several other notable concerts in London, including a concert at Excel Hall in London in front of over 25,000 people and several concerts at the Natural History Museum in London.[1][18] On 3 July 2010, Ahmed performed at the 3rd Annual “Journey of Faith” Conference which was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This was the first time Ahmed had performed across the Atlantic.[19] Ahmed has also attended many other fundraising events as a performer. For example, on 4 April 2012 he performed before H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan at a benefit for the Sightsavers Middle East foundation.[20]
Bukhatir's first concerts on US soil took place in April 2012, when he appeared at events sponsored by the Al-Furqaan Foundation's Furqaan Academy that were held in Dallas, Houston, and Chicago.[21] In May he then performed at conference events cohosted by the Islamic Circle of North America and Muslim American Society staged in Hartford, Connecticut.[22]
Ahmed has performed at the Annual Conference 2012 of JUSTICE at the Forum Switzerland on December 2012. Ahmed sang some of his most popular nasheeds live to his fans in Switzerland for the first time.[23]
In May 2013, Bukhatir participated in Syria charity Dinner tour in the United Kingdom to help those in need, which was organized by Human Appeal International. The UK dinner tour started in Blackburn then Leicester and ended in Birmingham. Bukhatir performed all of his famous nasheeds then signed CDs and autographs for the fans.
