Here are the most popular videos on YouTube in the region during 2023.
When it comes to creators, gaming is hugely popular with three of the top five creators focusing on gaming content. AboFlah was YouTube’s top content creator for the third year in a row, with over 35 million subscribers and over 5 billion views.
1 Banderita’s story (10 million views) – One of MENA’s top gaming creators BanderitaX (13.8 million subscribers) shares his raw experience with depression and recovery.
2 Al Dama (12 million views) – Algerian social drama Al Dama, gained widespread attention in Ramadan 2023.
3 Firecracker Youth (13 million views) Saudi comedy Firecracker Youth (Shabab Al Bomb)’s eleventh season continued to capture the heart of the region.
4 Mr. Beast take on the Olympics (147 million views) has the plot twist we never knew we needed, with a Libyan contestant winning the prize.
5 Egyptian Comedian Bassem Youssef’s viral interview with Piers Morgan about the crisis in Israel and Gaza (21 million views).
6 Another ode to MENA’s entertainment scene, Egyptian comedy Abo Shanab had over 25 million views.
7 There’s no doubt football is huge in MENA. When sports creator Mohamed Adnan invited Neymar and Paris Saint Germain players to eat Kabsa, people were all in (13 million views).
8 YouTuber Ghaith Marwan’s fans were keen to share his special moments as he shared his wedding on YouTube (8 million views).
9 What happens if you spend a day living out of a pool? Hamdy and Wafaa’s vlog shares this experience (16 million views).
10 Ron’s unique storytelling caught people’s attention in this love story focusing on the importance of mutual understanding and respect in relationships (8.1 million views).
