Yesterday, it was announced <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/doo-wop-lauryn-hill-to-perform-at-dubai-jazz-fest-in-february-1.932825" target="_blank">that Lauryn Hill would headline night one</a> of the Dubai Jazz Fest next year, and we now know that R&B legend Lionel Richie will be the star performer on the second night. Richie will perform at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre on Thursday, February 27, and we expect the crowd to dance along to his mega hits such as <em>Dancing on the Ceiling </em>and <em>All Night Long</em>. He's clearly making a trip of his time in the GCC, too: the announcement of Richie's Dubai gig comes <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/rod-stewart-lionel-richie-and-enrique-iglesias-are-heading-to-saudi-arabia-1.915006">after it was revealed he would also sing in Saudi Arabia between Thursday, February 20 and Saturday, February 22 for the Winter At Tantora festival</a> in the historic Al Ula area. The singer, 70, is also a celebrated songwriter, known for being able to craft hit after hit. Apart from his solo earworms, he wrote The Commodores' greatest tracks, including <em>Easy</em> and <em>Three Times a Lady</em>, as well as co-writing charity hit <em>We Are The World</em> with Michael Jackson. From 1978 to 1986, nine different Richie compositions occupied the No 1 chart position, spending a total of 34 weeks in the top spot. We can expect to see a true professional when Richie takes to the stage next year. He made his Middle East debut in Dubai in 2014, greeting the crowd with “Yalla habibi” and then launching into a two-hour concert full of back-to-back hits. He performed in Abu Dhabi in 2016. In <em>The National</em>'s review of the Formula One after-race concert, we said: "Richie's greatest trick is making it seem so very effort-free."