The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has introduced four new music charts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and North Africa, less than a year after launching its first ever regional MENA chart. These new charts aim to provide official rankings of the top streaming tracks in countries across the MENA region. The charts incorporate music streaming data from major digital service providers in the region, such as Anghami, Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, and YouTube. Compiled by BMAT, the charts will be released on a weekly basis and will be accessible on the Official MENA Chart website.
The introduction of these four new charts follows the success of the inaugural official regional chart for MENA in November 2022, which covered 13 markets and over 300 million people. The expansion of the charts reflects the sustained growth of the recorded music industry in the region, with revenues experiencing a 23.8% surge in 2022, according to the IFPI’s Global Music Report 2023. The IFPI believes that each country in the MENA region has its own unique music heritage, and these charts celebrate and showcase the diversity of talent in the region.
The current official charts for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and North Africa reveal the top hits in each market, including songs like Nawal’s “Mekhasmak” in Egypt, Majid Almohandis’ “Janant Galbi” in Saudi Arabia, “Chaleya” by Shilpa Rao, Kumaar, Arijit Singh, Anirudh Ravichander in UAE, and “Noss Ellil” in North Africa. The IFPI’s expansion into MENA and its agreement with the UAE Ministry of Economy further demonstrate the organization’s commitment to supporting the growth of the recorded music business in the region. MENA, which had the highest share for streaming of any region globally at 95.5%, remains a thriving market in the music industry.
