PICTURES: Artist Abu Bakr Salem buried in Riyadh

Funeral prayers were held on Monday afternoon for Abu Bakr Salem, a prominent Saudi Arabian singer, at the al-Jawharah al-Babtain mosque in Riyadh. Abu Bakr Salem passed away on Sunday.

The late singer was buried in the Banban cemetery north of Riyadh in the presence of his son, Aseel Abu Bakr. According to videos and pictures circulated on social media, the funeral was attended by several celebrities including Abdullah al-Ruwayshid and Rabeh Saqr.

Salem passed away after a long struggle with sickness. His son revealed earlier that his father was fighting heart diseases and kidney failure, and that he had undergone an open heart surgery in Germany.

Salem, 78, elevated the Saudi Arabian music industry, producing hundreds of classic songs. The most commonly known is his national song “Ya Belady Wasely” (My Country Keep Going) which was the last song he performed during Saudi Arabia’s national day last September.

Salem, also known as “The Tower of Riyadh”, is considered one of the pioneers of classical music in the Kingdom and the Gulf, and a leader throughout centuries of composition and song.

He learned the beauty of traditional art and literature, and became a true monumental artist who led generations of upcoming artists.