Akshat Harbola, Spotify’s Managing Director for MENA and South Asia.
“Looking back at Wrapped 2023, it’s fascinating to see how music fans across MENA are engaging with audio. These listening habits reflect our region’s musical fluidity; we’re connected to global trends, yet we strongly champion our local heritage.
“In Egypt, what really stood out this year was how new artists made it to Wrapped’s shortlist. In Saudi Arabia, we’re witnessing the resurgence of throwback songs like Adele’s ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ alongside the ongoing popularity of Khaleeji music.
“In Morocco, local hip-hop continues to be cherished, and in the UAE, the expat community’s diverse tastes are truly reflected in the UAE’s Wrapped lists, featuring everything from K-Pop to Indian music to global hits.”
Top 10 Artists in MENA:
1. Essam Sasa
2. Wegz
3. Amr Diab
4. Ahmed Saad
5. Cairokee
6. ElGrande Toto
7. Marwan Pablo
8. Draganov
9. Husayn
10. kouz1
Top 10 Arabic Tracks in MENA:
1. “Alo Aleky” by Mohammed Saeed
2. “El Bakht” by Wegz
3. “Mesa Meni Leko” by Essam Sasa
4. “Beraha Ya Sheikha” by Bahaa Sultan
5. “Aleb Fel Dafater” by Muslim – مُسلِم
6. “Yemken Kheir” by Ramy Sabry
7. “Be2amaret Meen” by Farid
8. “Mekhasmak” by Nawal
9. “ElYoum Elhelw Da” by Ahmed Saad
10. “Basrah w Atooh” by Cairokee
The standout revelation of the year is the rise of the Egyptian Mahraganat artist Essam Sasa, who claimed the title of the most-streamed artist in the Middle East and North Africa.
Following closely is Wegz, with Amr Diab, Ahmed Saad, and the iconic Cairokee band making up the rest of the top five. ElGrandeToto, a leading Moroccan rapper, also secured a well-deserved place in the top five.
Moreover, Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo, making a triumphant return this year, claimed the seventh spot, followed by Draganov, Husayn, and kouz1, rounding out the top ten.
Remarkably, 60 per cent of the artists on the list represent the Hip-Hop genre, underscoring its continued dominance in the Arab music scene.
In Saudi Arabia, the legendary Abdul Majeed Abdullah reigns supreme as the most-streamed Arabic artist, reaffirming the endless love for Khaleeji music. He’s followed by Rashed Al-Majed, Khaled Abdul Rahman, and Ayed, all celebrated names in their own right.
This year, more listeners were streaming women artists in Saudi. Taylor Swift is the most-streamed artist in Saudi Arabia, with Lana Del Rey coming in third.
On the most-streamed Arab artists in the Saudi list, Assala Nasri and Sherine come in 5th and 10th, while Balqees’s “Da Elly 7sal” comes in third in the most-streamed Arabic songs category, and “Alfin Bab” by Oumaima Taleb comes in 8th.
Since 2018, Spotify launched MENA, the growth in streams of female artists in Saudi Arabia has risen
by 9,150 per cent.
