An oud player for a wedding in Dubai usually plays two sets of 30 minutes: one while your families sit in the majlis or enjoy the cocktail hour, and one during dinner. The oud fits both an Arabic majlis, where families sit separately and want traditional music, and a western style reception, where an oud duo plays during canapés before the band or DJ takes over. Send your date and venue, and we send the wedding musicians who are free, with videos and a price.
Price: oud and qanun players start from AED 2,000. The final price depends on the season, availability and how you customise the performance. See oud player prices for weddings.
Why couples book an oud player
Weddings are the biggest reason people in Dubai book an oud player. The oud gives the first part of the night a sense of place and family: warm, live, Arabic and calm. Older guests hear songs they know. Younger guests hear the same songs played live, a few metres away, instead of from a speaker. Then the evening moves on to the band or the DJ, and nobody has to choose between tradition and a party.
A simple running order
- Arrival and majlis. First set. Guests are greeted with live oud as they take their seats.
- Cocktail hour. The oud continues, or a duo plays near the bar and the photo area.
- Dinner. Second set while the courses are served.
- The dance floor. The band or DJ starts. The oud player has finished.
If your wedding has separate ladies' and men's halls, ask about booking a musician for each hall, or a female oud player for the ladies' hall.
Choose the line-up for your wedding
Solo oud for a majlis or a smaller dinner of up to about 60 to 80 guests.
Oud and singer if you want tarab classics by Fairuz, Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez, or modern Khaleeji hits.
Oud and qanun for the full classical sound. See the oud and qanun duo.
Takht ensemble for a large, formal wedding dinner. See the Arabic takht ensemble.
Female oud players for the ladies' hall
Female oud players are available for ladies' majlis evenings and women-only wedding segments. There are fewer of them than male players, so request one 7 to 10 days ahead, and earlier in the peak wedding months and around Ramadan.
Your songs
Most oud players work from a large repertoire of classical and Khaleeji songs. For a specific song, such as the one for your entrance, send it with any genres to avoid at least a week before the wedding, so the musician can prepare.
Venue checks
Every venue has its own rules on sound levels, load-in times and outside sound equipment. Check them with your venue coordinator before you lock the date. The musician needs a chair and a small side table or stand. In a ballroom with hundreds of guests, plan a sound system or a larger line-up, otherwise the oud is lost after the first tables.
Book your wedding oud player
Send the date, the venue, the guest count and the moments you want live music on WhatsApp or through the quote form. The planning guide covers sound, dress and timing in more detail. For a wedding in the capital, see Abu Dhabi.
