Ali Abdul Sattar

Ali Abdulsattar Ibrahim Albeshri is a Qatari artist and singer and a leading voice in Qatari music. By a decision of His Highness the Father Amir in the 1990s, he devoted himself to the arts and to representing Qatar at cultural and artistic festivals. He formerly supervised cinema at Qatar Television and founded Habayeb FM and Ali Abdulsattar Audio and Video Studios.

He was born in Msheireb and grew up in Old Al Ghanim near Khalid bin Al-Walid Primary School and today’s Gold Souq. A religious upbringing shaped him, while his elder brother, a graduate of Medina, opposed artistic activity. At school he belonged to a generation that benefited from the state’s expanding support for education, including clothing, food, stationery and small allowances.

A childhood friendship with the late Emirati singer Jaber Jassem, with whom he competed in Qur’an recitation, formed part of his early musical memory. When the family moved to New Al Ghanim, he found himself among broadcasters, artists and intellectuals including Abdulaziz Mohammed, Dr Hassan Rasheed, Mohammed Rasheed and the visual artist Issa Al Ghanim. Their discussions and neighbourhood football matches nurtured a generation determined to contribute to the country.

He attended Khalid bin Al-Walid Primary School and the Religious Preparatory and Secondary Institute. A scholarship then took him to Cairo, where he earned a degree in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies from Dar Al-Ulum at Cairo University in 1977. After completing a master’s degree in educational media in New York in 1982, he spent five years at Qatar Television, supervising cinema and heading the section responsible for directors, camera crews, editing, cinema and documentaries.

Family pressure delayed his full entry into music. His first recorded Qatari songs, made in the summer after secondary school and before his departure for Cairo, included “Umm Al-Abaya” and a song by Hussein Al-Oud with lyrics by Abdullah Al-Mohannadi and music by Hassan Al-Ali. Scouts’ evening concerts at Ras Bu Abboud brought him to the attention of the music supervisor, who recognised the promise in his voice.

Abdulaziz Nasser became both mentor and model, teaching him musical principles and encouraging him to combine singing with culture and education. At eighteen, he entrusted him with the patriotic song “Yom Badouri Al-Raha”, a work about motherhood that touched him deeply because of his close bond with his mother.

In Cairo, Abdulaziz Nasser introduced him to the conductor Shaaban Abu Al-Saad and to Sawt Al-Arab Studios, where leading Arab singers had recorded. Working with sound engineer Zakaria Amer and a full orchestra taught him the discipline of studio performance, while his mentor also instructed him in the professional, ethical and practical foundations of music.

When the song was broadcast, he returned to Doha to an enthusiastic reception. His mother embraced him in tears, and even his father—who had threatened to withdraw his scholarship if he continued singing—expressed pride, though he continued to advise him against the profession until the end of his life.

A decision by His Highness the Father Amir in the 1990s released him to devote himself to the arts and represent Qatar at cultural and artistic events. That support allowed him to concentrate on his work and helped his voice reach audiences across the Arab world.

He appeared at festivals from Morocco to Yemen, as well as in Iraq and Jordan, and spent ten years taking part in European festivals and seasonal Arab tourism concerts in Egypt. His performances included concerts for Arab communities in London, the Jerash Festival, a 2000 appearance at Paris-Bercy before an audience of around twenty thousand, and festivals in Abha and Jeddah. The Abha concert, carried by four television channels, greatly expanded his audience in Saudi Arabia.

He measures success first through family. Winning the pride of parents who had initially opposed his artistic path mattered deeply, as did building a close and supportive home. His two sons and four daughters pursued higher education at leading universities and took on significant responsibilities in different sectors.

Art and enterprise developed in parallel. He secured a licence for Habayeb FM, a Qatari station with an Arab character that broadcasts songs from around the world, gives Qatari talent access to live programmes and transmits sound and video through social platforms and its own application. Its reach extended beyond Qatar to audiences across the Arab region and abroad.

Dissatisfied with the local studio facilities then available, he established his Audio and Video Studios with contemporary technology for his own production company and for fellow artists, reducing the need to travel abroad for recording and production.

His path was not free of opposition. Family resistance, aggressive attacks from competitors, restrictive production contracts, limited financial support and the infrequent broadcast of Qatari songs on local media all made it harder to reach audiences. He nevertheless continued independently and built a recognised name in Qatar and across the Arab world.