RIYADH: Billboard Arabia, a partnership between SRMG and Billboard, has announced the launch of its website and flagship charts, highlighting the transformation taking place in the Arab music industry.

Billboard Arabia will champion Arab artists, providing a new platform to tell their stories and gain worldwide recognition and popularity. This launch aligns with SRMG’s strategy to provide content that meets the demands of audiences and nurtures aspiring talent in the MENA region. It also represents the Group’s dedication to supporting content creators in the Arab world, elevating them onto a global stage. 

This launch comes at a time when the MENA region is recognized as one of the world’s fastest-growing music hubs, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The region’s music industry is set to increase to $670 million by 2027, driven by the region’s talent, with Saudi Arabia leading this growth as a prominent music market in the Middle East. 

The newly launched website will be the go-to source for music enthusiasts to discover Arab artists and their music through insightful reviews of the latest releases, exclusive artist interviews, event coverage, original photography, and special video content – all in one centralized location. Billboard Arabia is focused on delivering timely and evergreen content that celebrates the past, spotlights the present, and inspires the future. The website will also spotlight music legends and emerging stars with iconic digital cover stories, celebrating the diversity of the Arab music landscape. 

Central to Billboard Arabia’s launch are two global flagship charts – the Billboard Arabia Artist 100 and the Billboard Arabia Hot 100 for Arabic music. The Hot 100 showcases the most streamed Arabic songs, featuring Sherine Abdel Wahab's “Kalam Eneih” (1st) and “El Watar Al Hassas” (2nd), Al Shami's “Ya Leil W Yal Ein” (3rd), Ayed’s “Rdy” (4th) and ElGrandeToto's (FT. Hamza) “Dellali” (5th) rounding out the top 5. The Artist 100 highlights the most popular Arab artists, with Sherine Abdel Wahab (1st), ElGrandeToto (2nd), Marwan Pablo (3rd), Amr Diab (4th) and Ahmed Saad (5th) at the top. These weekly charts will be released on the Billboard Arabia website and social media platforms every Thursday.

The Billboard Arabia charts follow the well-established parameters set by Billboard over eight decades, making it the global benchmark for chart compilation. Drawing data from leading digital streaming platforms like Spotify, Anghami, YouTube, and Apple Music, spanning over 200 territories, the charts reflect Arab music preferences globally. Additionally, 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.  

Billboard Arabia’s weekly charts provide critical structure to the Arab music industry, enabling both established and new artists a platform to reach wider audiences within the region and beyond. For the first time, the Arab music community will have well-defined genres, recognition for its artists, and an essential point of reference – all driven by what fans love and stream. ​

Rami M. Zeidan, Managing Director of Billboard Arabia, said: “This marks an exciting new chapter in the region’s music infrastructure, establishing a centralized platform to spotlight the thriving Arab music scene. 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.”  

Mike Van, President of Billboard, stated: “With a rich 130-year history and a focus on blending a passion for music with data-driven insights, Billboard is honoured to play a role in a transforming Arab music scene. Billboard Arabia symbolises 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.” 

Since launching in June, Billboard Arabia has built an engaging community, bridging the gap between Arab artists and music lovers. In a short period, Billboard Arabia has gained significant traction with nearly 90K followers across its social channels. From established icons like Mohammed Abdo, Elissa, Hiba Tawaji, Carmen Sulaiman and Bader Al Shuaibi, to rising stars such as Bashar Al Shati, Isham Al Najjar, Ali Loka and Abeer Nehme, the Arab music community has expressed their excitement for Billboard Arabia’s launch in the Arab world. Over the next year, Billboard Arabia will introduce more iconic Billboard franchises to the MENA market, including Music Awards, Women in Music, Billboard NxT, The Billboard Stage, Arab Music Week, and much more.