Fadel Shaker (also spelled Fadl Shaker) is a former Lebanese pop singer who rose to fame across the Arab world with his romantic songs before abandoning music and later becoming involved in one of Lebanon's most controversial political and legal cases.
Born on April 1, 1969, in Sidon, Lebanon, Shaker began his music career in the 1990s and became one of the Arab world's best-known singers with hit songs such as "Ya Ghayeb" and "Aash Mn Shafak." His popularity earned him a large fan base throughout the Middle East.
In 2012, Shaker announced that he was retiring from music, saying he wanted to dedicate himself to religion. He later became closely associated with the hardline Sunni cleric Ahmed al-Assir, whose followers clashed with the Lebanese army in the city of Sidon in 2013. Following the violence, Shaker went into hiding for about 12 years in the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp.
In 2020, a Lebanese military court sentenced Shaker in absentia to 22 years in prison for supporting Assir's armed group. However, after he surrendered to Lebanese authorities in October 2025, the sentence was suspended, allowing him to receive a new trial under Lebanese law.
In July 2026, a Lebanese military court granted Shaker bail while investigations into charges related to armed group membership, money laundering, and the 2013 Abra clashes continue. He was released after paying 500 million Lebanese pounds (about $5,500) in bail. Shaker continues to deny taking part in the fighting that killed several Lebanese soldiers, although he acknowledges that he had ties to Ahmed al-Assir.