How Egyptian Superstar Amr Diab's Iconic Track 'Tamally Maak' Became Malaysia's Welcome Anthem for President Sisi

Egyptian pop superstar Amr Diab and his famous song “Tamally Maak” (Always With You) trended on social media after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim selected the track as the background music for photos posted on his official Instagram account.

The photos captured his reception of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi upon the latter’s arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Friday, marking the start of his visit to Malaysia. The choice of song—originally released on an Amr Diab album in 2000 and still popular with audiences 26 years later—was well-received, while the buzz drew renewed attention to the song’s history and its widespread appeal beyond the Arab world.

The album “Tamally Maak” was released in 2000, a period that witnessed shifts in the style of Egyptian music—spanning everything from musical arrangements to the collaborative dynamics between singers, lyricists, and composers. The album helped popularize a new genre of Egyptian pop by blending Eastern melodies with Western musical arrangements. The album cover bore the credit “Artistic Vision by Amr Diab and Tarek Madkour,” highlighting the creative partnership that helped shape Diab’s musical identity—one defined by the fusion of Western rhythms and Eastern melodies.

The album featured a number of lyricists and composers who went on to become renowned figures in the Egyptian music industry, including Amir Teima, Rabie al-Sioufi, and Ahmed Ali Moussa, alongside Ayman Bahgat Kamar, Mohamed Refaei, and Bahaa al-Din Mohamed. The album also included compositions by Amr Mostafa, Sherif Tag, Walid Saad, and Essam Karika, with Amr Diab himself contributing to the songwriting.

“Tamally Maak” was the first song Amr Diab recorded for the titular album. It was composed by Sherif Tag, with lyrics by the late poet Ahmed Ali Moussa—marking his debut as a songwriter. Ahmed Ali Moussa was just 18 years old when he mailed the lyrics to Amr Diab’s home, including his name and phone number. The word “Tamally” (meaning “always” or “constantly”) caught Amr Diab’s attention due to its distinctly Egyptian character and rhythmic quality. The song’s arrangement blended Latin pop and flamenco, utilizing guitars, electronic rhythms, and live instrumentation.

The reach of the song “Tamally Maak” extended far beyond the Arab world; numerous artists have covered it in various languages, including Bulgarian, Hindi, Turkish, Spanish, Albanian, Greek, and Armenian. Bulgarian singer Ivana performed it in Bulgarian in 2002, followed by Amir Jameel in Hindi in 2004 and Erkan Hakan in Turkish in 2006. In 2007, a Spanish version by Antonio Carmona appeared, alongside versions by Gazi in Albanian, Lefteris Pantazis in Greek, and Olga in Armenian.