Biography

Salim Assaf was born on December 22, 1979, in Al Shouf, Lebanon. Holding a master’s degree in Music for Film & TV from Berklee College of Music in Boston, an MBA from Liverpool University, as well as a Diploma in Oud performance from the Lebanese National Conservatory, Assaf has been set to take part in the music industry from the start.

Assaf began his musical career in 2004, on a very strong note, by writing the lyrics to the song “Ghali Alayi” and composing the subsequent “Keef Badi Eysh” for Lebanese megastar Carole Samaha.

Later on, Lebanese & Arab singers such as Majida Al Roumi, Elissa, Nancy Ajram, Najwa Karam, Wael Kfoury, Yara, Saber Rebai, Ramy Ayach, Sirine Abdelnour, Maya Diab, Diana Haddad, Ghassan Saliba, Ayman Zbib, Fares Karam and many others performed songs signed by Salim, which all became popular hits in the Arab World.

Rawaida Attiah’s “Sho Sahel El Haki” went on to garner Salim the Best Comprehensive Song Murex D’or Award in 2010 and marked a fresh reinvention for the Syrian artist, who also lent her voice on two more of Salim’s songs. After 2 years (2012), Salim received the same prize for the Pop Star Ramy Ayach’s single “Majnoun”.

Recently, Salim won the Best Arab Song of the Year at the Murex D’or Awards 2022, for Wael Kfoury’s ‘El Bint El Awiye’, making it the 3rd Murex D’or he won over the years. That’s of course in addition to many renowned prizes and appreciation certificates from all over the Arab World.

Aside from having a successful song-writing career, Salim launched his Debut album in October 2016, which included the two singles “Mallayt” and “Mesh Khayef”. Both singles were shot as a music video and released in July 2017, in collaboration with the American-Lebanese director Ruby Malek.

Moreover, Assaf is the CEO and founder of Music Designers, a production company that caters to weddings, commercials, film, personal and corporate events, as well as writing, recording and producing music for TV ads, talent shows, albums, remixes, radio jingles, websites and much more.

He is considered to be one of the most renowned music producers for such purposes, and has thus collaborated with giant international companies like TOYOTA, ZEIN, PEPSI & SONY.