From the obvious to the ‘OMG I had no idea’, we round up the world’s biggest stars of Arab descent.
Shakira
While better known for her Colombian roots, the Hips Don’t Lie singer is actually half Lebanese –her grandparents on her father’s side were Lebanese immigrants who settled in New York.
ALSO READ: Shakira paid a visit to her grandmother’s village in Lebanon
Gigi and Bella Hadid
The supermodel sisters are proud half-Palestinians. Their mother, Yolanda, was born in the Netherlands, while their father Mohammed is Jordanian-American, and of Palestinian descent.
Amal Clooney
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney – formerly Amal Alamuddin – was born in Beirut, but her family moved to England during the Lebanese Civil War when she was just two.
ALSO READ: Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney: ‘I am a refugee’
Salma Hayek
Salma credits her sultry looks to her gorgeous heritage – she’s part Lebanese, part Mexican and Spanish. Her dad is from Baabdat, Lebanon, a city that Salma visited in 2015 to promote her movie The Prophet.
Zoe Saldana
While she was born in New Jersey to a Dominican dad and a Puerto Rican mum, the Guardians of the Galaxy actress previously revealed she is also part Lebanese, and proud of her Middle Eastern roots.
Shannon Elizabeth
Best known for comedy films like Scary Movie and American Pie, the Houston-born actress’ father is of Syrian/Lebanese descent, while her mother has German, English and Irish ancestry.
Huda Kattan
The Huda Beauty founder is the daughter of Iraqi immigrants. While born in Oklahoma and raised in Tennessee, the entrepreneur is now permanently based in Dubai.
ALSO READ: Huda Kattan named among America’s richest self-made women
Paula Abdul
American Idol star Paula Abdul is of Syrian descent. Her father was born in Aleppo and raised in Brazil, before later moving to the US.
DJ Khaled
The Young, Dumb & Broke singer was born in New Orleans to Palestinian parents to immigrated to the US in their 20s. Side note: His son, Asahd, is the cutest baby we’ve ever seen (Asahd’s mum, Nicole Tuck, is also of Palestinian descent).
Teri Hatcher
Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher has a half-Syrian mother, in addition to her English, Welsh, Irish and Czech roots.
Jenna Dewan
The Step Up actress, who recently separated from husband Channing Tatum, has a half-Polish, half-Lebanese father, while her mother is half-English and half-German.
Wentworth Miller
Prison Break star Wentworth Miller was born in the UK to American parents, but his mother also has Syrian and Lebanese ancestry.
Rami Malek
Rami Malek is Egyptian-American, born in LA to a family of Egyptian immigrants. The actor will portray Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, who was of Parsi descent, in the upcoming biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
Mika
Grace Kelly singer Mika was born in Beirut to a Lebanese mother and American father. The family fled to Paris during the Lebanese Civil War, before settling in England.
Images: Getty
