Colombian pop singer Shakira said she would one day like to sing pop songs, if not an entire album, in Arabic.

The native Spanish speaker, who also has global hits in English, was speaking at a news conference in Morocco, where she was headlining the Mawazine World Rhythms music festival.

Born in Colombia of Syrian origin, Shakira said she grew up listening to the Arab world's premier divas of the 20th century.

Shakira often uses eastern dance, also known as belly dancing, in her acts, and her hit Spanish language single "Ojas Asi" relies heavily on a Middle Eastern melody.

Her eastern origins and musical influences have made her popular throughout the Middle East.