UAE | General

Breach of contract costs Syrian singer Dh500,000

Asala Nasri, one of Syria's leading singers, must pay an Emirati businessman in the music industry Dh500,000 compensation for breach of contract.

  • By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
  • Published: 00:30 May 2, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: EPA
  • The singer has thousands of fans across the Arab world.She is known for her mastery of most Arabic dialects.

Dubai: Asala Nasri, one of Syria's leading singers, must pay an Emirati businessman in the music industry Dh500,000 compensation for breach of contract.

The Dubai Civil Court ordered Asala, a pan-Arab singer and has thousands of fans across the Arab world, to pay Dh500,000 in compensation to the Emirati, A.M., who also works in art production.

Asala's legal representative signed a ten-year renewable business contract with A.M.

The parties agreed that A.M. would manage Asala's music activity and produce 20 albums for her to perform and he would pay her $5,000 (about Dh18,350) for each album. A.M. was to shoot two music clips per album, according to the contract which the parties notarised before the notary public in a Dubai court.

A.M.'s lawyer Abdul Moniem Bin Suwaidan told Gulf News he would appeal the initial verdict and seek higher compensation.

Bin Suwaidan said in his civil lawsuit: "The contract said Asala should obtain A.M.'s written permission if she wanted to perform with another party and she had to pay him 50 per cent of the profit. The agreement contained a penal clause which obliged either party who breached the contract to pay $5 million (about Dh18.35 million) to the other party."

The claimant was suing her for Dh18.35 million. The court also annulled the contract between A.M. and Asala.

Bin Suwaidan said the defendant performed in several shows and signed two contracts with two music production companies which agreed to produce three albums.

"She agreed with those companies that she wouldn't deal with other parties until the albums are produced. She signed the agreements for a revenue of $1.2 million over three years. Asala breached the contract which she signed with A.M. We sent her a legal notice to warn her, but she didn't respond," said Bin Suwaidan who mentioned in his lawsuit the defendant should compensate his client with Dh18.3 million.

Asala dismissed the accusation and argued that her husband signed the contracts with A.M.

Crackdown

Passports seized in Dish TV crackdown

Dubai airport

Swords, knives, fake guns seized in Dubai

India-Pakistan

New visa rules thrill cross-border couples

Community Reports

More from Community Reports

Gallery

A pick of the best pictures taken by readers

Video

In the lanes of Deira Spice Souq