Actor and R&B singer Tyrese Gibson is back in the country he loves on "a whole other level”.

The star of The Fast and the Furious film series was at Yas Mall in the capital on Thursday night promoting the global release of his sixth, and what he says is his final, solo album, Black Rose, also the artist's first chart-topping album.

"The UAE fans and the UAE are very important and special to me,” said the 36-year-old.

Gibson said the UAE had played a big role in helping him get over the death of his friend and Fast and Furious co-star Paul Walker, who died in a car accident in California in 2013.

"I was sad, miserable and depressed thinking about him, but when I came here for my 35th birthday, I found my smile again,” he said. The Hollywood star said he intended to open a film studio in the UAE under the name Voltron Studios to attract more A-list films and TV shows to the country.

He said this would be an important tool in changing people's perception of the Middle East by allowing more people to come to experience it for themselves.

"All of my friends, rappers like Drake and Will Smith, and Vin Diesel, have seen how much fun and how much energy is out here in the UAE,” said the Grammy-nominated singer.

Hundreds of screaming fans greeted Gibson outside Virgin Megastore at Yas Mall, where he signed autographs and took pictures with the public.

First in line to meet the superstar was Bridget Whisenand, 38, who had waited more than four hours with her two daughters to meet the artist she has been following since the early 1990s.

"It's not just his music and acting. He spends a lot of time engaging with his fans on social media. He is a happy and positive guy,” said the US citizen, who has lived in Abu Dhabi for more than five years.

Gibson is also in Abu Dhabi promoting the DVD release of Furious 7, which was partially shot last year in Abu Dhabi.
Source: The National