Special K (SY)

Bio

Special K (Mohammed Kamal, aka Papa Kamal) is a Syrian DJ and producer based in Dubai, known for fusing oriental melodies with organic house, downtempo, progressive, and melodic techno. Born and raised in Lattakia, he helped spark underground electronic gatherings in Syria from 2003 before relocating to Dubai in 2011, where he co-founded the Desert Dream Community and became a key figure behind desert festival culture across the Middle East—including Desert Dream, Elements, Kaynouna, Eunoia, and Sandance. His sets cross house and techno with Middle Eastern instrumentation and long-form groove; he has played landmark stages including Expo 2020 Dubai and continues touring internationally. On Spotify his 2026 catalog is especially active—Dune / Nebula, We Are the Sand Pirates, Grandma Dance, and the fresh single Dhaka—while Beatport releases like Zurna and Tambura anchor his oriental-deep lane. He also streams and collaborates widely (including with Omar Alkilani) and runs projects under the Papa Kamal banner.

Credits

• Hijaz Convoy·
• Special K (SY)·
• Omar Alkilani·
• Beard2Beard·
• The Sand Pirates·
• Saraabb·
• Laaar·
• Majnoon·
• DARNO·
• Sound Of Dunes·
• Bonama·
• Alper Yigit·
• Evan Mars

Coordinates

Handle

special-k-sy