There is an unknown reason why all of us who lived abroad get too emotional listening to certain songs, even if they have nothing to do with the country or traveling. But if they’re clearly about living abroad, have your tissue box handy and dial the number of those you miss the most back home.

1. El Ghorba – Ismail El Belbesy


I’m pretty sure this song hits our thoughts every time we face a hardship abroad and have no one by our side to pat our shoulder and make us feel better. And as soon as we listen to it, we remember 7azal2oum singing while washing his underwear “lebas abyad manshour 3al markeb”

2. Hela Hop – Wust el Balad


There is just one line in this song that’s capable of breaking our hearts: “ya ebn baladi el ghorba sa3ba, el balad di torabha aghla, moraha mel shahd a7la, 3azabha metsharab harisa, hela hop w hela lesa.” Grab the tissue and wipe your tears now!

3. 7elwa ya Baladi – Dalida


Even if you don’t want to come back to Egypt, you just find yourself singing along this song and getting all emotional.

4. Ghir Enta – Souad Massi


Even though this song has nothing to do with living abroad, there is a sense of coziness to it. Every time you listen to it when you go back to your home country, you remember the time you spent abroad.

5. Younis – Mounir


Just the first part of this song is capable of bringing back all the feelings of the moment you left your country to a new one, without “zad wla maya”.

6. Khalik Fakerni – Amr Diab


Didn’t you ever feel that people might get used to you not being there with them because of how long you’ve been away? Well, this song is dedicated to them!

7. Shed el 7ezam – Hamza Namira


Need motivation in your life abroad, reassurance that you are only there to make a living and come back better off than when you left? This is a go to song!

8. Osad 3einy – Amr Diab


When everyone starts accusing you of not coming back, just start singing “w men tani akid rag3een…”.

9. Mashrebtesh men nelha – Sherine


The one song that for some reason makes you appreciate Egypt so much, that makes leaving it over and over again as hard as it was the first time you did.

10. Masha3er – Sherine


WARNING ALERT! Don’t listen to this song if someone you love is staying abroad; it will break your heart towards the end!

11. Ya mersal el Maraseel – Fairouz


Long distance relationship? Ask Fairouz about it!

12. A7san Nas – Dalida


The song that makes you miss all the governorates even though you might not have visited most of them!

13. Ya Raye7 wein msafer – Rashid Taha


When your friend is leaving without you and you just wanna tag along! “Khodny m3ak wasalni”.

14. And ANYTHING that has to do with OMAR KHAIRAT!

Because when you hear his music you feel that “Masr btetkalem!”

Whether you wanted to leave the country so bad or left it because you had to, these songs will most likely touch your soul deep down. Some songs like Souad Massi’s for instance are just chill songs that people tend to listen to when they’re away, and then there are other songs that bluntly scream MISS YOUR COUNTRY! And only then we really feel how long it has been since we’ve gone away, even if it’s for just a couple of days.