From billion-dollar streaming revenues to the resilient pulse of traditional broadcast, the MENA media and entertainment industry is a dynamic powerhouse, projected to grow from $47.6 billion in 2023 at a steady 4.8% CAGR through 2027, fueled by digital transformation and strategic national investments.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the overall MENA media and entertainment market was valued at $47.6 billion, with a projected CAGR of 4.8% through 2027 driven by streaming and digital ad growth
- Saudi Arabia accounted for 38% of the total MENA media spend in 2022, totaling $18.1 billion, fueled by Vision 2030 investments in entertainment
- UAE media market size reached $10.4 billion in 2023, with 12% growth from tourism recovery and events like Expo
- In 2023, MENA pay-TV subscribers numbered 42 million, generating $6.8 billion in revenue with 3.1% penetration growth
- Saudi Arabia's MBC Group reached 120 million viewers across MENA in 2023 via 15 free-to-air channels
- UAE's OSN streaming service had 8.5 million subscribers in 2023, with 25% from SVOD uptake
- MENA social media users reached 220 million in 2023, with 68.5% penetration rate and average 3.2 hours daily usage
- Saudi Arabia had 34.5 million social media users in Jan 2024, up 10% YoY, with TikTok at 25M
- UAE internet users spent 7 hours 12 min daily online in 2023, 42% on social platforms
- Print media circulation in MENA declined 15% to 28 million copies in 2023, offset by digital subs
- Egypt's Al Ahram newspaper daily print run 1.2 million copies in 2023, down 8% YoY
- UAE's The National daily circulation 65,000 in 2023, with 70% digital readership shift
- MENA advertising market totaled $14.2 billion in 2023, digital 56% share overtaking TV
- Saudi ad spend $4.8 billion in 2023, 18% growth led by retail and telecom sectors
- UAE digital ads $2.9 billion in 2023, 28% YoY increase via programmatic buying
MENA's media market is growing robustly, powered by digital expansion and Saudi investment.
Advertising and Economic Impact
- MENA advertising market totaled $14.2 billion in 2023, digital 56% share overtaking TV
- Saudi ad spend $4.8 billion in 2023, 18% growth led by retail and telecom sectors
- UAE digital ads $2.9 billion in 2023, 28% YoY increase via programmatic buying
- Egypt TV advertising Ramadan 2023 generated $650 million, 45% of annual total
- MENA OOH advertising revenue $1.1 billion in 2023, up 9% post-events recovery
- Qatar ad market $850 million in 2023, sports events drove 25% sports sponsorships
- Jordan digital ad growth 32% to $210 million in 2023, social media 70% share
- Media contributed 2.5% to UAE GDP in 2023, $9.2 billion economic value added
- MENA influencer ad deals averaged $15K per campaign in 2023, 120K creators active
- Algeria ad spend $420 million in 2023, TV 55% dominated by food/beverage brands
- Kuwait print ads revenue $95 million in 2023, luxury brands 30% spend
- Morocco total ad market $780 million in 2023, 2M agency spend on digital radio
- MENA e-commerce ads $3.2 billion in 2023, performance marketing 65% share
- Lebanon ad recovery to $280 million in 2023, +12% despite instability
- Tunisia sponsorship deals $110 million in 2023, events and sports 40%
- Bahrain media ROI averaged 4.2x for digital campaigns in 2023 surveys
- Oman ad growth 11% to $320 million in 2023, government campaigns 25%
- Iraq digital ads surged 45% to $150 million in 2023 post-stabilization
- Media exports from MENA reached $2.1 billion in 2023, content licensing to Europe/Asia
Advertising and Economic Impact Interpretation
The MENA advertising market, now a $14.2 billion digital-first arena, is a masterclass in contrasts where Saudi retail splurges meet Egyptian Ramadan TV traditions, UAE's programmatic precision fuels influencer side-hustles, and even a resilient Lebanese recovery proves that in this region, every media dollar is fighting for attention with the dramatic flair of a seasonal finale.
Digital and Social Media
- MENA social media users reached 220 million in 2023, with 68.5% penetration rate and average 3.2 hours daily usage
- Saudi Arabia had 34.5 million social media users in Jan 2024, up 10% YoY, with TikTok at 25M
- UAE internet users spent 7 hours 12 min daily online in 2023, 42% on social platforms
- Egypt's YouTube monthly active users hit 48 million in 2023, with 1.2 billion hours watched monthly
- MENA digital ad spend reached $7.9 billion in 2023, growing 22% YoY led by social video ads
- Instagram users in MENA totaled 85 million in 2023, with Saudi leading at 16.8M monthly actives
- Facebook penetration in Jordan 72% in 2023, with 5.8M users sharing 1.5B posts monthly
- Snapchat daily users in MENA 45 million in 2023, with AR filters boosting engagement 30%
- LinkedIn MENA users grew to 28 million in 2023, UAE at 12M with B2B media focus
- TikTok e-commerce sales via MENA influencers hit $2.3 billion in 2023, up 150% YoY
- WhatsApp monthly users in Egypt 52 million in 2023, handling 90% of digital comms
- MENA podcast listeners reached 65 million in 2023, with 25% weekly consumption growth
- Twitter (X) MENA users 40 million in 2023, Saudi trending topics 70% news/media related
- OTT video consumption in Qatar averaged 4.5 hours daily per user in 2023
- MENA online news sites traffic up 18% to 1.2 billion visits monthly in 2023
- Gaming streams on Twitch MENA viewers 15 million monthly in 2023, esports media boom
- MENA influencer marketing spend $1.4 billion in 2023, 65% on Instagram/TikTok
- Mobile news app downloads in UAE 2.5 million in 2023, BBC News top at 450K
- MENA digital video ad views 450 billion in 2023, short-form 60% share
Digital and Social Media Interpretation
The numbers paint a portrait of the modern MENA region: perpetually online, endlessly scrolling, and turning every scroll, click, and view into a formidable digital economy that now commands the world's attention.
Market Overview
- In 2023, the overall MENA media and entertainment market was valued at $47.6 billion, with a projected CAGR of 4.8% through 2027 driven by streaming and digital ad growth
- Saudi Arabia accounted for 38% of the total MENA media spend in 2022, totaling $18.1 billion, fueled by Vision 2030 investments in entertainment
- UAE media market size reached $10.4 billion in 2023, with 12% growth from tourism recovery and events like Expo
- Egypt's media industry contributed 2.1% to GDP in 2022, valued at $5.3 billion, with film and TV as key drivers
- MENA total media revenue grew 6.2% YoY in 2023 to $52.3 billion, led by internet advertising at 22% share
- Qatar media market expanded to $2.8 billion in 2023 post-World Cup, with 15% surge in broadcast rights
- Jordan's media sector valued at $1.2 billion in 2022, growing 4% annually via digital platforms
- MENA media investment hit $8.7 billion in 2023, with 45% in digital infrastructure
- Lebanon's media market shrank to $0.9 billion in 2023 due to economic crisis, down 18% YoY
- Overall MENA AVOD revenue projected at $3.4 billion by 2027, up from $1.2 billion in 2023
Market Overview Interpretation
While the digital streaming tide lifts most boats in the MENA media sphere, creating a $52 billion market surging forward at 6.2%, the stark contrast between Saudi Arabia's $18 billion Vision 2030-fueled dominance and Lebanon's crisis-driven contraction to a mere $0.9 billion paints a vivid picture of a region where national strategy and stability are the ultimate determinants of entertainment's value.
Print and Film
- Print media circulation in MENA declined 15% to 28 million copies in 2023, offset by digital subs
- Egypt's Al Ahram newspaper daily print run 1.2 million copies in 2023, down 8% YoY
- UAE's The National daily circulation 65,000 in 2023, with 70% digital readership shift
- Saudi Gazette print ads revenue fell 22% to $45 million in 2023, digital up 35%
- MENA magazine market valued $850 million in 2023, lifestyle titles 40% share
- Morocco's daily newspapers totaled 12 titles with combined 4.5M circulation in 2023
- Jordan print media revenue $120 million in 2023, 55% from ads down 10% YoY
- Egypt film industry produced 45 feature films in 2023, box office $98 million total
- UAE Dubai International Film Festival screened 180 films from 65 countries in 2023, attendance 45K
- Saudi Red Sea International Film Festival 2023 premiered 138 films, $15M production fund announced
- MENA cinema admissions 185 million in 2023, recovering 75% from pre-COVID levels
- Lebanon's L'Orient-Le Jour print run 22,000 daily in 2023, digital subs 15K
- Tunisia print media market $65 million in 2023, state-owned La Presse leading
- Iraq newspaper circulation 2.8M weekly in 2023, Al-Sabah top at 500K
- Qatar's Gulf Times print ads 20% decline to $12M in 2023, digital pivot
- Algeria's El Watan daily sales 180K copies in 2023, French-Arabic bilingual
- MENA comic book print sales $45 million in 2023, UAE Akhbar Al Arabi Comics leading
- Bahrain print media revenue $28 million in 2023, expat-focused titles dominant
- Oman newspapers 15 titles, total circulation 450K daily in 2023
- Yemen print media limited to 8 dailies, 200K circulation amid challenges 2023
- MENA film production investment $1.8 billion in 2023, Egypt 35% share
Print and Film Interpretation
The ink may be fading, but from Al Ahram's stoic print run to Saudi Arabia's blockbuster festival funds, the Mena media story is one of tradition reluctantly sharing the stage with a digital and cinematic revolution it can no longer ignore.
Television Sector
- In 2023, MENA pay-TV subscribers numbered 42 million, generating $6.8 billion in revenue with 3.1% penetration growth
- Saudi Arabia's MBC Group reached 120 million viewers across MENA in 2023 via 15 free-to-air channels
- UAE's OSN streaming service had 8.5 million subscribers in 2023, with 25% from SVOD uptake
- Egypt's television ad spend was $1.9 billion in 2022, 42% of total media ads, dominated by Ramadan seasons
- MENA linear TV audience share dropped to 55% in 2023 from 68% in 2019, shifting to OTT platforms
- beIN Sports held 65% of MENA sports rights market in 2023, with $2.1 billion annual spend
- Kuwait TV market revenue at $0.7 billion in 2023, with 90% households having cable/satellite access
- Morocco's 2M channel averaged 28% audience share in prime time 2023, leading public broadcasters
- MENA TV production costs rose 12% in 2023 to average $1.2 million per drama series episode
- Tunisia satellite TV penetration reached 98% in 2023, with 15 million viewers for state channels
- Oman free-to-air TV ad revenue grew 7% to $250 million in 2023, led by Eid campaigns
- Bahrain's Showtime Arabia merged with OSN, boosting TV subs to 4 million in MENA by 2023
- Algeria terrestrial TV covered 95% population in 2023, with EPTV dominating 70% viewership
- MENA kids TV market valued $1.1 billion in 2023, with Spacetoon network reaching 100M viewers
- Libya TV market recovered to $180 million in 2023 post-conflict, with 85% household penetration
- Yemen broadcast TV revenue at $90 million in 2023 despite challenges, via satellite reach
- MENA SVOD subscribers hit 25 million in 2023, with Netflix leading at 7.2 million
- Iraq pay-TV market grew 11% to $450 million in 2023, driven by premium sports packs
- Syria TV audience 22 million in 2023, with 80% via satellite due to infrastructure issues
- MENA TV news viewership averaged 35% daily reach in 2023, led by Al Jazeera at 50M
Television Sector Interpretation
The MENA media landscape is a study in stubborn resilience and shrewd adaptation, where linear TV still commands a hefty throne of cash and cultural influence—especially during Ramadan—even as its audience steadily defects to streaming services that are racing to capture them.
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