Iyad Rimawi

Iyad Rimawi (; born 22 January 1973), is a Syrian music composer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known for his soundtracks for several TV series such as Moawia, Nadam and Godfather.

Early life and career

Rimawi was born and raised in Damascus, Syria and graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Damascus University. He began playing guitar at the age of 12 and at the age of 14, he began composing his own music. While studying, he has formed more than one band which played folk, pop, rock and oriental genres.

Kulna Sawa Band (1995 - 2009) In 1995, Rimawi co-founded the pioneering Syrian band “Kulna Sawa” with five other members. A Damascus-based band that signed a recording agreement in 2000 with EMI music, Kulna Sawa has toured and performed many concerts in Damascus, Aleppo, Amman, Beirut, Dubai, Kuwait, Morocco and in 20 US states during the Culture for Peace project, where the band won a Peace Prize in 2005 from the United Nations. Iyad wrote most of the songs and he was the main producer for the band albums Kulna Sawa Radio Station 2009, Musaique 2004, Shi Jdeed “New Stuff” 1999 and "Safinet Noh “Noah's arc” 1998.

Rimawi Studio (2001 - Present) In 2001, Rimawi founded his recording Studio where he composes and produces Soundtrack for numerous Syrian and Arabian TV series. In 2012, Rimawi signed with Sony Music Middle East as the first Arab artist to sign a recording contract with Sony Music. In 2018, he released his third solo album, Damascus Now, the album was produced in a time of hardship and war in Syria which has been reflected in his music.

In 2021, he also released Sailing Nowhere (EP), followed by Rouge Soundtrack in 2022, a project reflecting his growing interest in cinematic and narrative-driven compositions.

Tours & Concerts Iyad began touring outside of Syria in 2004 with his band Kulna Sawa, visiting Prince George's County, Maryland as part of a cultural friendship tour. In 2017, Rimawi toured three major Syrian cities, Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia. In 2018, he became the first Arab musician to perform at Dubai World Trade Centre Arena, the largest indoor venue in the Middle East. The concert was titled as “Love Letters from Damascus 2018”. He then came back to Dubai with "Love Letters from Damascus 2021" which was for two days and performed at the Dubai Opera. In 2022, Rimawi premiered his composition The Syrian Rhapsody at Expo 2020 Dubai further strengthening his standing as one of the region’s leading orchestral performers.

Rimawi’s international reach expanded in 2024, when he headlined One Night in Berlin Philharmonie performing at Germany’s most prestigious concert hall, home of the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. and One Night in Utrecht at TivoliVredenburg in the Netherlands. In 2025, he performed at Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah one of the Gulf’s most iconic open-air cultural venues, and later returned to Dubai’s Zabeel Theatre for the concert Back to Live. In the same year, Rimawi was invited to perform at The Golden Pen Award ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an event honouring creative excellence across the Arab world. He also brought his special One Night in London performance to the Barbican Theatre in September 2025

In 2026, Rimawi performed at Princess Nourah University’s Red Theater in Riyadh , followed by concerts at Dubai’s Zabeel Theatre on 6 February and Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation on 7 February.

Rimawi’s music continues to be defined by its seamless fusion of traditional oriental melodies with Western classical orchestration. Through his compositions and live performances, he has remained a prominent figure in contemporary Arabic music, blending heritage with modernity to reach a global audience.

Discography Kulna Sawa Band 1998 – Safinet Noh (Noah's Arc) 1999 – Shi Jdeed (New Stuff) 2004 – Musaique 2009 – Kulna sawa Radio Station

Soundtrack 2003 – Saif Bin Thee Yazan – directed by Maamoun Al Bunni 2006 – Maraya – directed by Hisham Sharbatji 2007 – Jrn Alshaweesh – directed by Hisham Sharbatji 2009 – Men Wanted – directed by Samer Barqawi, Hatem Ali 2010 – After The Fall – directed by Samer Barqawi 2011 – Al Ghofran (Forgiveness) – directed by Hatem Ali 2012 – Hawameer al sahraa – directed by Samer Barqawi 2013 – Death Game – directed by Al Laith Hajo and Samer Barqawi 2013 – Revealing silence – directed by Basem Shabo 2014 – Lau (If Only) – directed by Samer Barqawi 2014 – Debbo Alshanatee (Pack The Bags) – directed by Laith Hajo 2014 – Alam homra (Rouge) – directed by Hatem Ali 2015 – Godfather (Orient Club) – directed by Hatem Ali 2015 – Cello – directed by Samer Barqawi 2015 – 24 Carat – directed by Al Laith Hajo 2016 – Samra – directed by Rasha Sharbatji 2016 – Ya Ret – directed by Philip Asmar 2016 – Nadam (Regret) – directed by Al Laith Hajo 2017 – Orkidia – directed by Hatem Ali 2017 – Shaowk (Missing) – directed by Rasha Sharbatji 2018 – Shababik (Windows) – directed by Samer Barqawi 2018 – Farmers Revolution – directed by Philip Asmar 2019 – Ma Fiyi –directed by Rasha Sharbatji 2019 – Masafet Aman – directed by Al Laith Hajo 2019 – Haramlek – directed by Tamer Ishak 2019 – Souq Aldemaa - directed by Al Laith Hajo 2020 – Awlad Adam – directed by Al Laith Hajo 2020 – Min Al Akher – directed by Charles Chlela 2020 – Souq Al Harir – directed by Moumen Almalla 2021 – Kharze Zarka – directed by Julian Maalouf 2022 – Aleayn Bialeayn – directed by Randa Alam 2022 – Beirut 303 – directed by Elie Semaan 2023 - Al Kha'en – directed by Mike Bartlett 2025 - Moawia - directed by Ahmed Medhat

Albums 2011 – Forgiveness Soundtrack 2012 – Tales from Damascus 2015 – Godfather Soundtrack 2016 – Silence in Syria 2018 – Damascus Now 2021 – Sailing Nowhere EP 2022 – Rouge Soundtrack 2023 – The Syrian Rhapsody (Live) 2024 – Live At Hijaz Station 2025 – Souq Al-Harir Soundtrack

Live Concerts 2015 – Damascus Opera House Concert, Damascus, Syria 2018 – Love Letters from Damascus. Dubai, UAE 2021 – Love Letters from Damascus. Dubai Opera, UAE 2022 – The Syrian Rhapsody. Expo 2020 Dubai 2022 – One Night at Dubai Opera. Dubai, UAE 2024 – One Night in Berlin Philharmonie. Berlin, Germany 2024 – One Night in Utrecht at TivoliVredenburg. Utrecht, Netherlands 2025 – Live at Al Majaz Amphitheatre. Sharjah UAE 2025 – Back To Live at Zabeel Theatre. Dubai, UAE 2025 – The Golden Pen Award. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 2025 – One Night in London Barbican. London, UK 2026 – Love Letters from Damascus at Princess Nourah University. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 2026 – Live at Zabeel Theatre. Dubai, UAE 2026 – Live at Cultural Foundation Theatre. Abu Dhabi, UAE