Mubarak's decision follows a number of similar cases involving artists who have left the music industry or stepped back from certain types of artistic work.
While some retirement decisions were driven by a desire to become closer to religion and wear the hijab, others resulted from psychological pressures, a sense of not belonging in the artistic community, or a desire to seek a quieter life away from fame and the spotlight.
In the latest such case, Dalia Mubarak surprised her audience by officially announcing her retirement from music. She confirmed that her upcoming project with young talents Karma and Lama Qais from The Voice Kids would be her final artistic work before she permanently leaves the scene.
'Music took away my soul, health and humanity'
Mubarak revealed her decision through a series of messages posted to the Stories feature on her official Instagram account, stressing that the decision was not made suddenly but came after years of work and the pressures and experiences that accompanied them, leaving her feeling unable to continue in the same way.
She explained that the music industry had drained much of her energy, saying that music had "taken away her soul, health, and humanity," and that she had reached a point where she could no longer give more.
The Saudi artist also addressed her audience, who had accompanied her since the beginning of her career, expressing her sadness over taking this step and emphasizing that her fans represented an important part of her artistic journey.
Despite announcing her retirement, Dalia decided to bring her career to a close with a project alongside young talents Karma and Lama Qais, marking the end of her singing career after years of prominence in the Gulf and Arab music scenes.
Mubarak’s decision is the latest in a series of cases in which Arab artists have stepped away from the spotlight, each for different personal, religious, or professional reasons.
When religious conviction outweighed the lure of fame
One of the most prominent cases still remembered by Arab audiences is Jordanian-Palestinian singer Adham Nabulsi’s decision to retire from singing in 2021, despite the considerable success he had achieved within just a few years and the millions of views his songs had garnered.
Nabulsi announced his decision on social media, explaining that the main reason for his retirement was his conviction that the artistic path he had been pursuing "did not please God," and that he wanted to pursue a life more closely aligned with his religious and personal convictions.
The decision came at a time when Nabulsi enjoyed widespread popularity, making his retirement a major surprise to his audience, particularly as his career was on an upward trajectory.
Nabulsi’s experience became one of the most prominent cases of a young singer retiring in recent years, especially because he chose to leave the industry at the height of his popularity.
The hijab
In 2017, Lebanese pop star Amal Hijazi announced that she was stepping away from the type of music she had been performing, alongside her decision to wear the hijab.
She said the move came after a long period of inner conflict between her love of music and her desire to become closer to religion.
Hijazi explained at the time that she had spent years thinking about the decision and experiencing an internal struggle between music and her beliefs before ultimately deciding to step away from singing.
She did not present her decision as a rejection of music or musicians, stressing instead that she was speaking about her own personal experience and choice.
She then continued to underscore that she felt happy and at peace with her choice.
Hijazi did not completely close the door on the arts, suggesting that she might appear in a different capacity in the future, potentially through religious-themed work or music different from the style for which she had become known.
However, in 2025, Hijazi shared a new photo on social media without her hijab, signalling a change of heart.
Stepping away from fame and its temptations
In 2022, when the 35-year-old Egyptian singer Zeezee Adel announced her retirement from singing, she stressed that the decision followed lengthy consideration rather than being made suddenly.
Adel revealed that she wanted to distance herself from fame, the spotlight, and the temptations that came with them.
She emphasised that her decision was rooted in personal and religious convictions and that she did not want to engage in debates over whether music was permissible or forbidden. Rather, she said, she was speaking about herself and what suited her beliefs and choices at that stage of her life.
In later statements, Adel clarified that her retirement was not prompted by a professional crisis or artistic failure, but by a change in how she viewed her life and priorities.
When stepping away means looking inward
Lebanese artist Yuri Mrkadi’s experience differed from some of the retirement cases linked to religious or personal circumstances.
Mrkadi rose to massive pan-Arab fame in 2001 with his hit single Arabiyyon Ana, and for many years remained one of the beloved Arab performers with concerts across the region.
Rather than abandoning music altogether, he stepped away from performing and public appearances after feeling that he no longer saw himself in the work he was producing.
Mrkadi explained that his work in advertising, which is his main profession, along with his growing responsibilities, had contributed to his absence from concerts.
More importantly, he said he had felt for some time that he had lost his voice and identity in the songs he was making, prompting him to retreat from public performances and focus on his work in the studio.
During his absence from the music scene, Mrkadi recorded 12 songs in his studio, including seven in the Egyptian dialect. He said the body of work reflected him and expressed his thoughts and experiences in life.
Mrkadi’s experience shows that distancing oneself from the music scene does not necessarily mean abandoning music itself.
For some artists, stepping away from public performance can instead offer space to reassess their work and reconnect with their artistic identity.
Short link: