Riyadh Music Week hits high note

The Billboard Arabia Music Awards will take place during Riyadh Music Week. (Billboard Arabia)
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Updated 05 December 2024
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Riyadh Music Week hits high note

  • Set to run until Dec. 14, the event will showcase a wide array of activities designed to advance the Kingdom’s music scene
  • Launch showcased a composition blending Saudi Arabia’s musical heritage with international influences, embodying the theme of the event

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission on Wednesday inaugurated Riyadh Music Week as part of efforts to establish the capital as a global hub for the music industry.

Set to run until Dec. 14, the event will showcase a wide array of activities designed to advance the Kingdom’s music scene.

The launch showcased a composition blending Saudi Arabia’s musical heritage with international influences, embodying the theme of the event.

Riyadh Music Week seeks to establish the Kingdom as a global cultural hub, elevate and showcase musical talent on the international stage, and promote cross-sector collaboration to drive the growth and development of the music industry.

It also offers a dynamic program, including dialogue sessions, workshops, training courses, and concerts featuring a mix of performances by Saudi and international artists.

The Music Commission is committed to fostering the growth of music in the Kingdom as an art form, cultural expression, science, and source of entertainment. Its efforts are centered around five key pillars: music education, music production, live performances, support and promotion, and establishing a comprehensive licensing system.


Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists

Updated 17 December 2025
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Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists

  • Egyptian stars and icon Fairuz continue to resonate in region
  • Artists shaping rap, mahraganat, hybrid sounds feature

DUBAI: Spotify has released its list of the Top Middle East and North Africa artists and songs globally, shaped by streams from listeners both inside and outside the region, offering a snapshot of how MENA music travelled in 2025.

Topping the global MENA artists list is Amr Diab, a mainstay of Arab pop. He also led Egypt’s Wrapped this year, while his catalogue — spanning both older hits and newer releases — continued to draw sustained global engagement.

The return of “Tamally Maak” to the global Top Tracks list underlines the lasting appeal of his music across generations.

Sherine is one of the year’s most emotionally resonant voices with four tracks in the global Top 10. Her classics “Kalam Eineh,” “El Watar El Hassas” and “3la Bali,” alongside her newer release “Btmanna Ansak,” reached listeners from Egypt to Germany and the UK.

Spotify data shows her catalogue maintaining a strong, personal connection with audiences throughout 2025.

Regional classics also featured prominently. Nancy Ajram’s early-2000s hit “Ya Tabtab Wa Dallaa” found renewed popularity in markets including Indonesia and Turkiye, while Khaled’s “C’est la vie” continued to cross borders, resonating with listeners from France to India.

Fairuz remained a fixture in daily listening habits, anchoring morning and coffee playlists across the Arab world and the diaspora.

Beyond pop, artists shaping rap, mahraganat and hybrid sounds maintained strong global visibility.

ElGrandeToto, Morocco’s Top Artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2025, continued to spotlight the evolution of Moroccan hip-hop, which in 2025 blended rai, chaabi and local rhythms with trap influences.

His collaboration with Spanish-Moroccan rapper Morad, “Ojos Sin Ver,” featured on the global MENA Top Tracks list, highlighting the genre’s cross-regional and European appeal.

Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo also remained a prominent global presence, recognized for his introspective approach within the country’s hip-hop scene.

Mahraganat artists Essam Sasa and Eslam Kabonga appeared in the global rankings as well, underscoring the genre’s expanding reach beyond its local roots.

The global MENA Top Tracks list included “KALAMANTINA,” a collaboration between Saint Levant and Marwan Moussa that blends hip-hop and pop within a hybrid electro-shaabi sound.