DUBAI: Algerian icon Cheb Khaled is set to hit the stage at AlUla’s Maraya Concert Hall next month. The artist, who is known for hits like “C’est La Vie” and “Abdelkader,” will serenade Saudi fans with some of his biggest tunes on Dec. 17. The singer, who is considered one of the pioneers of Rai, an Algerian music genre distinguishable by its use of synthesizers that rose to popularity in the 1920s in the port city of Oran, will be performing in AlUla for the first time ever when he hits the stage in December; though it’s not his first concert in Saudi Arabia. In 2017, Khaled performed in Jeddah alongside American rapper Nelly. The artist reveals that he is “preparing quite a few surprises to make it an unforgettable night in AlUla” for fans. “I’ve always wanted to visit AlUla and I am hoping to visit its monumental sites while I am there,” he shared. The concert Is part of AlUla Moments’s musical nights at Maraya series, which will also see Armenian singer Lena Chamamyan perform on Dec. 10. It will be the singer’s first time performing in the Kingdom. “I am proud to perform my first-time concert in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the city of ancient civilizations’ crossroads in AlUla, and of course at Maraya, a unique venue of kind architecturally and musical programming,” said the singer. Lebanese soprano Hiba Tawaji’s Oct. 29 concert in the Maraya Concert Hall signaled the return of musical events in the Saudi heritage site following the global COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, the last artists to perform at the Maraya Music Hall were US singer Lionel Richie and a Persian Nights trio of regional performers in March 2020.