It’s a big day for Billboard Arabia, a partnership between media giant SRMG and Billboard, with the launch of both a new website and the platform’s first two global charts tracking popular music from the Middle East/North Africa (MENA).
Billboard Arabia made its official debut in June, eyeing to be the premiere global destination for artists with Arab roots. Since then, the platform has built up a sizable audience across social media, and with its website (check it out here), now has a home for evergreen content and timely news on latest releases, plus video, reviews and interviews with top artists, as well as exclusive coverage of regional and global events.
The website will notably spotlight the region’s musical legends and emerging stars with digital cover stories, celebrating the diversity of the Arab music landscape.
Central to the Billboard Arabia site — and any other platform bearing the Billboard name — are the authoritative charts that will live there. Launching this week are two global flagship charts: the Billboard Arabia Hot 100 and the Billboard Arabia Artist 100. The Hot 100, showcasing the most streamed Arabic songs, kicks off with a brace from Sherine Abdel Wahab (“Kalam Eneih” at No. 1 and “El Watar Al Hassas” at No. 2). The chart’s inaugural top five is filled out by tracks from Al Shami, Ayed and ElGrandeToto. The Artist 100 highlights the most popular Arab artists, with Sherine Abdel Wahab at No. 1, followed by ElGrandeToto, Marwan Pablo, Amr Diab and Ahmed Saad rounding out the top five.
Utilizing data from top digital streaming platforms such as Spotify, Anghami, Apple Music, YouTube and others, covering 200-plus territories, the charts are designed to reflect Arab music listening globally and not just in the MENA region. Starting in early 2024, Billboard Arabia will introduce eight genre-specific charts to showcase the diversity of Arab music, including Khaleeji, Egyptian, Magharabi, Levant, Arabic HipHop, Arabic Indie, Shelat, and Mahraganat.
These weekly charts will be released on the Billboard Arabia website and social media platforms every Thursday.
Billboard Arabia will also introduce other Billboard franchises to the MENA market, the fastest-growing region according to IFPI, including a Billboard Arabia Music Awards and Arabic Music Week, among others.
“This marks an exciting new chapter in the region’s music infrastructure, establishing a centralized platform to spotlight the thriving Arab music scene,” said Rami M. Zeidan, managing director of Billboard Arabia. “By continuing to elevate fan engagement and commemorate the evolution of Arab music, Billboard Arabia is committed to providing both established and new Arab artists and genres access to the global music market. Already, we’ve seen an increasing number of collaborations between Arab stars like Mishaal Tamer, Nancy Arjam, and Myriam Fares with global icons like Marshmello, Nicki Minaj, and Maluma. Billboard Arabia aims to further enhance this with the launch of our website and charts.”
Billboard president Mike Van added: “Billboard Arabia symbolizes the beginning of a new era—one where Arab artists are heard around the world. Our commitment to ensuring artists have a platform to resonate and engage with music fans has always defined Billboard, and we look forward to bringing this same passion to Billboard Arabia.”
Billboard Arabia is now live on its website and across X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube — all at the @billboardarabia handle.
