Layla Ghaleb Directs Mohamed Mounir’s FIFA Arab Cup Music Video

Mohamed Mounir’s latest song ‘Makani’ has just been released as the official anthem of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, with a music video by renowned 29-year-old choreographer and emerging director Layla Ghaleb. "It was such an honour to work with Mohamed Mounir," Ghaleb tells CairoScene. "We shot one day with him in Cairo, and it was a beautiful day. Everyone on the team was incredibly honoured to talk and work with him." Shot primarily across Doha’s most vivid cultural locations, with an additional sequence filmed in Cairo, the video celebrates the shared identity of the Arab world and is infused with Ghaleb’s signature choreography.  "The concept behind the video revolves around Mounir remembering a younger version of himself travelling to Doha in 2011 to perform a concert," Ghaleb shares. "Initially, the idea was to show Mounir arriving in Doha in his young form, but I wanted to play around with the concept and make it more abstract, like a mirage." Steeped in nostalgia and cultural memory, Ghaleb used AI technology and a body double to reimagine a younger Mounir in Doha through his own eyes.  "When we were shooting in Doha, I really loved using the amphitheatre," Ghaleb says. "The architecture there is amazing. They’re my favourite shots in the video." A theme of unity runs throughout the song and music video. "The music video combines my Arab heritage into something of international calibre that the whole region will see, and I’m extremely thankful to God that I was able to put everything into it and produce a complete vision," Ghaleb adds. This music video marks Layla Ghaleb’s fourth project as a director, having recently directed a music video for Mohamed Ramadan earlier this year. As a choreographer, she has led major regional and international stages, including the FIFA World Cup Final Half-time Show and Official Music Video, AFC Asian Cup Opening Ceremony and Official Music Video, CAF, NBA Africa, the Dior Tears Fashion Show, and large-scale performances for top artists across the Middle East. The 2025 Arab Cup will take place in Doha between December 1st and 18,th and will see 23 Arab countries competing for the trophy.