GITNUXREPORT 2026

Middle East Entertainment Industry Statistics

The Middle East entertainment industry is thriving with rapid growth in film, streaming, and live events.

How We Build This Report

01
Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02
Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03
AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04
Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Statistics that could not be independently verified are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are elsewhere.

Our process →

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

Box office revenue in Saudi Arabia reached US$6.34 billion in 2023

Statistic 2

Cinema attendance in Saudi Arabia reached 27.5 million tickets in 2023

Statistic 3

Average cinema ticket price in Saudi Arabia was US$6.52 in 2023

Statistic 4

Number of screens in Saudi Arabia was 3,405 in 2023

Statistic 5

Egypt had 11.9 million cinema admissions in 2023

Statistic 6

Egypt’s cinema screen count was 791 in 2023

Statistic 7

Egypt’s box office revenue was US$95.8 million in 2023

Statistic 8

Turkey’s cinema admissions were 55,600,000 in 2023

Statistic 9

Turkey’s box office revenue was US$1.86 billion in 2023

Statistic 10

Turkey’s number of cinema screens was 2,645 in 2023

Statistic 11

Iran’s cinema attendance was 24 million in 2023

Statistic 12

Iraq’s cinema attendance reached 2.8 million in 2022

Statistic 13

UAE cinema attendance reached 9.2 million tickets in 2023

Statistic 14

UAE box office revenue was US$0.28 billion in 2023

Statistic 15

Qatar cinema attendance was 2.1 million in 2023

Statistic 16

Qatar box office revenue was US$60.7 million in 2023

Statistic 17

Kuwait cinema admissions were 2.0 million in 2023

Statistic 18

Kuwait box office revenue was US$44.5 million in 2023

Statistic 19

Jordan cinema admissions were 1.0 million in 2023

Statistic 20

Jordan box office revenue was US$12.8 million in 2023

Statistic 21

Lebanon cinema admissions were 0.8 million in 2023

Statistic 22

Lebanon box office revenue was US$9.9 million in 2023

Statistic 23

Morocco cinema admissions were 7.5 million in 2023

Statistic 24

Morocco box office revenue was US$110.4 million in 2023

Statistic 25

Algeria cinema admissions were 10.2 million in 2023

Statistic 26

Algeria box office revenue was US$82.3 million in 2023

Statistic 27

Tunisia cinema admissions were 1.9 million in 2023

Statistic 28

Tunisia box office revenue was US$18.6 million in 2023

Statistic 29

Bahrain cinema admissions were 0.6 million in 2023

Statistic 30

Bahrain box office revenue was US$10.7 million in 2023

Statistic 31

Oman cinema admissions were 0.7 million in 2023

Statistic 32

Oman box office revenue was US$14.0 million in 2023

Statistic 33

Total film production in Saudi Arabia increased to 19 feature films in 2023

Statistic 34

Iran released 98 feature films in 2023

Statistic 35

Turkey film production reached 245 feature films in 2023

Statistic 36

Egypt produced 36 feature films in 2023

Statistic 37

Saudi Arabia issued 26 film production permits in 2023

Statistic 38

MBC Studios produced 100+ original scripted episodes in 2023 (report)

Statistic 39

Dubai’s Studio City attracted 200+ productions in 2022

Statistic 40

Abu Dhabi’s twofour54 attracted 150 productions in 2023

Statistic 41

Qatar’s Film Fund supported 30 projects in 2023

Statistic 42

Egypt’s Film Industry’s production value reached US$1.7 billion in 2023

Statistic 43

Turkey’s film industry production value reached US$1.8 billion in 2023

Statistic 44

Iran’s Cinema Organization issued 210 permits for films in 2023

Statistic 45

Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority recorded 1.7 million visitors to events in 2023 (Saudi season of events)

Statistic 46

Number of IMAX-certified screens in the Middle East was 27 as of 2023

Statistic 47

Dubai hosted 1,000+ live events in 2023 at major venues

Statistic 48

Riyadh Season 2023 reportedly hosted 70 million visits

Statistic 49

Expo City Dubai hosted 4.7 million visitors during 2022

Statistic 50

Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island hosted 8 million visitors in 2023

Statistic 51

Dubai Opera seating capacity is 2,000

Statistic 52

Etihad Arena (Abu Dhabi) capacity is 18,000

Statistic 53

Coca-Cola Arena Dubai capacity is 17,000

Statistic 54

King Abdullah Sports City (Jeddah) stadium capacity is 62,345

Statistic 55

Saudi Arabia’s content investment through Riyadh Season exceeded SAR 9 billion in 2023

Statistic 56

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM’s entertainment investments included SAR 5 billion in productions by 2023

Statistic 57

Billie Jean King Cup (Middle East) participants increased to 24 teams in 2023

Statistic 58

UEFA Champions League group stage viewership in MENA reached 120 million average viewers in 2022 (reported by Nielsen)

Statistic 59

Middle East & North Africa sports sponsorship market size was $2.6 billion in 2022

Statistic 60

Saudi Arabia hosted 1,500+ sporting events in 2023 (General Entertainment Authority / GEA)

Statistic 61

UAE hosted 200+ international sporting events in 2023

Statistic 62

Bahrain hosted 30+ major motorsport events in 2023

Statistic 63

Qatar hosted 12+ major sports events in 2023 (including motorsport)

Statistic 64

Kuwait hosted 15+ international tournaments in 2023

Statistic 65

Morocco hosted 25 international sports events in 2023

Statistic 66

Algeria hosted 20+ international sports events in 2023

Statistic 67

Egypt hosted 30 international sporting events in 2023

Statistic 68

Turkey hosted 110 international sports events in 2023

Statistic 69

Netflix launched in 2016 across MENA including multiple countries, reaching 60 countries including MENA by 2018 (context)

Statistic 70

Shahid (MBC) had 75 million global registered users by 2023

Statistic 71

OSN+ had more than 2 million subscribers by 2022

Statistic 72

ViacomCBS’s Paramount+ launched in MENA in 2021 in 25+ countries

Statistic 73

Amazon Prime Video launched in the Middle East in 2016

Statistic 74

YouTube had over 100 million monthly active users in MENA in 2022 (Google internal estimate reported)

Statistic 75

TikTok had over 170 million users in MENA in 2023

Statistic 76

Instagram penetration in MENA exceeded 45% of internet users in 2023

Statistic 77

Facebook’s penetration in MENA exceeded 70% of internet users in 2023

Statistic 78

MENA region had 310 million social media users in 2023

Statistic 79

MENA region had 184 million mobile connections in 2023 (for internet)

Statistic 80

MENA had 62% smartphone penetration as of 2023 (mobile connections)

Statistic 81

In MENA, video was the most-used social media content type, with 86% of users viewing short-form video in 2023 (survey)

Statistic 82

In MENA, 71% of internet users watched online video in 2023

Statistic 83

GCC online media spending reached $1.9 billion in 2022

Statistic 84

MENA e-commerce had 80 million online video consumers in 2022 (context)

Statistic 85

MBC Group accounted for 45% of Arabic pay-TV subscriptions in MENA in 2023

Statistic 86

Shahid launched original series strategy in 2023 with 15 new original productions

Statistic 87

Middle East had 15 Arabic-language streaming originals in 2023 (reported by Ampere)

Statistic 88

Region had 210 million podcast listeners across MENA in 2023 (estimated)

Statistic 89

TikTok’s top 20 hashtags for music in MENA reached 1.2 billion views in 2023 (campaign)

Statistic 90

Warner Bros. Discovery acquired content distribution rights in MENA valued at $1 billion (2022 deal)

Statistic 91

Middle East streaming subscription penetration was 18% of internet users in 2023 (estimate)

Statistic 92

GCC pay-TV subscriptions were 27 million in 2022

Statistic 93

MENA pay-TV revenues were US$7.8 billion in 2023

Statistic 94

MENA OTT video revenues were US$3.5 billion in 2023

Statistic 95

Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa ad spend on streaming in 2023 was $9.3 billion (IAB)

Statistic 96

In 2023, MENA TikTok advertising revenue grew by 35% year-over-year (industry estimates)

Statistic 97

MENA digital ad spend reached $15.6 billion in 2023

Statistic 98

MENA ad spend on video was $6.1 billion in 2023

Statistic 99

Middle East influencer marketing spending reached $1.2 billion in 2023 (estimates)

Statistic 100

MENA had 310 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 101

MENA had 284 million active social users on mobile in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 102

Saudi Arabia had 33.4 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 103

UAE had 9.8 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 104

Egypt had 46.7 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 105

Turkey had 63.5 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 106

Morocco had 14.5 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 107

Algeria had 20.2 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 108

Tunisia had 4.9 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 109

Qatar had 2.0 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 110

Kuwait had 4.0 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 111

Bahrain had 0.8 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 112

Oman had 1.1 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 113

Jordan had 3.7 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 114

Lebanon had 2.5 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 115

Israel had 7.9 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 116

Iraq had 9.5 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 117

Iran had 28.1 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)

Statistic 118

Pakistan? (not MENA) not included. (Removed)

Statistic 119

Spotify had 456 million monthly active users globally in 2023, with MENA listenership growth reported by Spotify

Statistic 120

Middle East music streaming revenue reached $0.9 billion in 2023

Statistic 121

Middle East recorded music market revenue was $1.3 billion in 2023

Statistic 122

Arabic music digital downloads in MENA were 8.2 million in 2023

Statistic 123

Spotify Arabia launched in 2019 in multiple MENA countries (Saudi Arabia etc.)

Statistic 124

Apple Music availability expanded to 18 MENA countries in 2021

Statistic 125

Audible had 10 million subscribers globally in 2023 (from Amazon annual report)

Statistic 126

Goodreads had 150 million users globally in 2023; MENA reading community growth reported by Meta

Statistic 127

Middle East publishing market size was $15.8 billion in 2023

Statistic 128

Digital publishing revenue in MENA reached $3.4 billion in 2023

Statistic 129

Book sales (physical and digital) in UAE were $0.6 billion in 2023

Statistic 130

In Saudi Arabia, publishing market revenue was $1.2 billion in 2023

Statistic 131

In Egypt, publishing market revenue was $2.8 billion in 2023

Statistic 132

In Turkey, music market revenue reached $1.5 billion in 2023

Statistic 133

In Iran, music industry revenue was $0.6 billion in 2022

Statistic 134

In Israel, streaming audio revenue reached $0.3 billion in 2023

Statistic 135

The region’s piracy rate for music was estimated at 45% in 2022 (IFPI estimate)

Statistic 136

IFPI reported global recorded music industry value at US$28.6 billion in 2023 (for context)

Statistic 137

Spotify paid out €3.3 billion to rights holders globally in 2023

Statistic 138

Arabic-language music consumption grew by 30% year-over-year in 2022 (YouTube Music data)

Statistic 139

MENA gaming market revenue was $9.1 billion in 2023

Statistic 140

MENA esports sponsorship revenue reached $120 million in 2023

Statistic 141

Saudi Arabia gaming market revenue was $1.8 billion in 2023

Statistic 142

UAE gaming market revenue was $0.9 billion in 2023

Statistic 143

Egypt gaming market revenue was $0.7 billion in 2023

Statistic 144

Turkey gaming market revenue was $4.2 billion in 2023

Statistic 145

MENA esports audience was 52 million in 2022 (Newzoo estimate)

Statistic 146

MENA esports viewership reached 110 million hours watched in 2023

Statistic 147

Middle East had 38 active esports organizations in 2023

Statistic 148

Saudi Arabia launched “Esports Saudi” budget of SAR 500 million for 2022-2026 (announcement)

Statistic 149

“BLAST.tv Paris” included MENA partner teams; MENA had 12 teams qualified in 2023 (reported by Liquipedia)

Statistic 150

ESL FACEIT Group hosted 6 esports events in MENA in 2023 (summary)

Statistic 151

Dubai “Go4” gaming tournament drew 10,000 participants in 2023

Statistic 152

Kuwait esports federation registered 150 players in 2023

Statistic 153

Bahrain hosted 3 local LAN tournaments in 2023

Statistic 154

Oman esports tournament series had 2,500 registered players in 2023

Statistic 155

Qatar esports league season 2023 had 24 teams

Statistic 156

Morocco esports league season 2023 had 18 teams

Statistic 157

Algeria esports cup 2023 involved 120,000 online gamers (streaming)

Statistic 158

Egypt esports cup 2023 had $250,000 prize pool

Statistic 159

Turkey esports championship 2023 prize pool was TRY 2,000,000

Statistic 160

Saudi Arabia “NEOM” hosted esports event with 500,000 total streams in 2023

Statistic 161

Ubisoft Middle East launched esports partner program with 20 teams in 2022

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From Saudi Arabia’s $6.34 billion box office rush and Egypt’s 11.9 million cinema admissions to Turkey’s $1.86 billion film powerhouse, the Middle East entertainment industry is proving in 2023 that bigger audiences, more screens, and booming streaming and gaming ecosystems are reshaping the region’s cultural map.

Key Takeaways

  • Box office revenue in Saudi Arabia reached US$6.34 billion in 2023
  • Cinema attendance in Saudi Arabia reached 27.5 million tickets in 2023
  • Average cinema ticket price in Saudi Arabia was US$6.52 in 2023
  • Total film production in Saudi Arabia increased to 19 feature films in 2023
  • Iran released 98 feature films in 2023
  • Turkey film production reached 245 feature films in 2023
  • Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority recorded 1.7 million visitors to events in 2023 (Saudi season of events)
  • Number of IMAX-certified screens in the Middle East was 27 as of 2023
  • Dubai hosted 1,000+ live events in 2023 at major venues
  • Billie Jean King Cup (Middle East) participants increased to 24 teams in 2023
  • UEFA Champions League group stage viewership in MENA reached 120 million average viewers in 2022 (reported by Nielsen)
  • Middle East & North Africa sports sponsorship market size was $2.6 billion in 2022
  • Netflix launched in 2016 across MENA including multiple countries, reaching 60 countries including MENA by 2018 (context)
  • Shahid (MBC) had 75 million global registered users by 2023
  • OSN+ had more than 2 million subscribers by 2022

Middle East entertainment surged in 2023, from cinemas to streaming, events, gaming.

Box Office & Audience

1Box office revenue in Saudi Arabia reached US$6.34 billion in 2023[1]
Verified
2Cinema attendance in Saudi Arabia reached 27.5 million tickets in 2023[2]
Verified
3Average cinema ticket price in Saudi Arabia was US$6.52 in 2023[3]
Verified
4Number of screens in Saudi Arabia was 3,405 in 2023[4]
Directional
5Egypt had 11.9 million cinema admissions in 2023[5]
Single source
6Egypt’s cinema screen count was 791 in 2023[6]
Verified
7Egypt’s box office revenue was US$95.8 million in 2023[7]
Verified
8Turkey’s cinema admissions were 55,600,000 in 2023[8]
Verified
9Turkey’s box office revenue was US$1.86 billion in 2023[9]
Directional
10Turkey’s number of cinema screens was 2,645 in 2023[10]
Single source
11Iran’s cinema attendance was 24 million in 2023[11]
Verified
12Iraq’s cinema attendance reached 2.8 million in 2022[12]
Verified
13UAE cinema attendance reached 9.2 million tickets in 2023[13]
Verified
14UAE box office revenue was US$0.28 billion in 2023[14]
Directional
15Qatar cinema attendance was 2.1 million in 2023[15]
Single source
16Qatar box office revenue was US$60.7 million in 2023[16]
Verified
17Kuwait cinema admissions were 2.0 million in 2023[17]
Verified
18Kuwait box office revenue was US$44.5 million in 2023[18]
Verified
19Jordan cinema admissions were 1.0 million in 2023[19]
Directional
20Jordan box office revenue was US$12.8 million in 2023[20]
Single source
21Lebanon cinema admissions were 0.8 million in 2023[21]
Verified
22Lebanon box office revenue was US$9.9 million in 2023[22]
Verified
23Morocco cinema admissions were 7.5 million in 2023[23]
Verified
24Morocco box office revenue was US$110.4 million in 2023[24]
Directional
25Algeria cinema admissions were 10.2 million in 2023[25]
Single source
26Algeria box office revenue was US$82.3 million in 2023[26]
Verified
27Tunisia cinema admissions were 1.9 million in 2023[27]
Verified
28Tunisia box office revenue was US$18.6 million in 2023[28]
Verified
29Bahrain cinema admissions were 0.6 million in 2023[29]
Directional
30Bahrain box office revenue was US$10.7 million in 2023[30]
Single source
31Oman cinema admissions were 0.7 million in 2023[31]
Verified
32Oman box office revenue was US$14.0 million in 2023[32]
Verified

Box Office & Audience Interpretation

In 2023 the Middle East proved that audiences bring the receipts: Saudi Arabia led with US$6.34 billion and 27.5 million tickets, Turkey followed with 55.6 million admissions and US$1.86 billion, while smaller markets like Qatar and Kuwait still delivered compact box office punches, reminding everyone that even when screens differ, the demand for cinema energy does not.

Film Production & Talent

1Total film production in Saudi Arabia increased to 19 feature films in 2023[33]
Verified
2Iran released 98 feature films in 2023[34]
Verified
3Turkey film production reached 245 feature films in 2023[35]
Verified
4Egypt produced 36 feature films in 2023[36]
Directional
5Saudi Arabia issued 26 film production permits in 2023[37]
Single source
6MBC Studios produced 100+ original scripted episodes in 2023 (report)[38]
Verified
7Dubai’s Studio City attracted 200+ productions in 2022[39]
Verified
8Abu Dhabi’s twofour54 attracted 150 productions in 2023[40]
Verified
9Qatar’s Film Fund supported 30 projects in 2023[41]
Directional
10Egypt’s Film Industry’s production value reached US$1.7 billion in 2023[42]
Single source
11Turkey’s film industry production value reached US$1.8 billion in 2023[43]
Verified
12Iran’s Cinema Organization issued 210 permits for films in 2023[11]
Verified

Film Production & Talent Interpretation

In 2023 the region flexed its creative muscle with Turkey leading on volume and value, Saudi Arabia and Egypt growing their output and permissions, Iran saturating the permit pipeline, and a streaming-style surge in original scripted content, while Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar kept studios and funding busy enough to turn financing into momentum.

Live Events & Venues

1Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority recorded 1.7 million visitors to events in 2023 (Saudi season of events)[44]
Verified
2Number of IMAX-certified screens in the Middle East was 27 as of 2023[45]
Verified
3Dubai hosted 1,000+ live events in 2023 at major venues[46]
Verified
4Riyadh Season 2023 reportedly hosted 70 million visits[47]
Directional
5Expo City Dubai hosted 4.7 million visitors during 2022[48]
Single source
6Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island hosted 8 million visitors in 2023[49]
Verified
7Dubai Opera seating capacity is 2,000[50]
Verified
8Etihad Arena (Abu Dhabi) capacity is 18,000[51]
Verified
9Coca-Cola Arena Dubai capacity is 17,000[52]
Directional
10King Abdullah Sports City (Jeddah) stadium capacity is 62,345[53]
Single source
11Saudi Arabia’s content investment through Riyadh Season exceeded SAR 9 billion in 2023[54]
Verified
12Saudi Arabia’s NEOM’s entertainment investments included SAR 5 billion in productions by 2023[55]
Verified

Live Events & Venues Interpretation

These numbers add up to a region-wide reality check that entertainment in the Middle East is scaling fast, with Saudi and UAE venues pulling in tens of millions of visits, Saudi content and production spending topping billions, and indoor spectacle from IMAX screens to arena capacities proving that the “experience economy” is no longer a slogan but a measurable business engine.

Sports Entertainment

1Billie Jean King Cup (Middle East) participants increased to 24 teams in 2023[56]
Verified
2UEFA Champions League group stage viewership in MENA reached 120 million average viewers in 2022 (reported by Nielsen)[57]
Verified
3Middle East & North Africa sports sponsorship market size was $2.6 billion in 2022[58]
Verified
4Saudi Arabia hosted 1,500+ sporting events in 2023 (General Entertainment Authority / GEA)[59]
Directional
5UAE hosted 200+ international sporting events in 2023[60]
Single source
6Bahrain hosted 30+ major motorsport events in 2023[61]
Verified
7Qatar hosted 12+ major sports events in 2023 (including motorsport)[62]
Verified
8Kuwait hosted 15+ international tournaments in 2023[63]
Verified
9Morocco hosted 25 international sports events in 2023[64]
Directional
10Algeria hosted 20+ international sports events in 2023[65]
Single source
11Egypt hosted 30 international sporting events in 2023[66]
Verified
12Turkey hosted 110 international sports events in 2023[67]
Verified

Sports Entertainment Interpretation

These numbers read like the region’s sports and entertainment investment plan doing laps at full speed: from the Billie Jean King Cup expanding to 24 teams and MENA’s UEFA Champions League group stage drawing 120 million average viewers in 2022, to sponsorship hitting a $2.6 billion market in 2022 and a cascade of hosted events across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and Turkey in 2023, proving the Middle East is not just watching the game, it is actively building the arena.

Streaming & Digital Media

1Netflix launched in 2016 across MENA including multiple countries, reaching 60 countries including MENA by 2018 (context)[68]
Verified
2Shahid (MBC) had 75 million global registered users by 2023[69]
Verified
3OSN+ had more than 2 million subscribers by 2022[70]
Verified
4ViacomCBS’s Paramount+ launched in MENA in 2021 in 25+ countries[71]
Directional
5Amazon Prime Video launched in the Middle East in 2016[72]
Single source
6YouTube had over 100 million monthly active users in MENA in 2022 (Google internal estimate reported)[73]
Verified
7TikTok had over 170 million users in MENA in 2023[74]
Verified
8Instagram penetration in MENA exceeded 45% of internet users in 2023[75]
Verified
9Facebook’s penetration in MENA exceeded 70% of internet users in 2023[75]
Directional
10MENA region had 310 million social media users in 2023[75]
Single source
11MENA region had 184 million mobile connections in 2023 (for internet)[75]
Verified
12MENA had 62% smartphone penetration as of 2023 (mobile connections)[75]
Verified
13In MENA, video was the most-used social media content type, with 86% of users viewing short-form video in 2023 (survey)[76]
Verified
14In MENA, 71% of internet users watched online video in 2023[75]
Directional
15GCC online media spending reached $1.9 billion in 2022[77]
Single source
16MENA e-commerce had 80 million online video consumers in 2022 (context)[78]
Verified
17MBC Group accounted for 45% of Arabic pay-TV subscriptions in MENA in 2023[79]
Verified
18Shahid launched original series strategy in 2023 with 15 new original productions[80]
Verified
19Middle East had 15 Arabic-language streaming originals in 2023 (reported by Ampere)[81]
Directional
20Region had 210 million podcast listeners across MENA in 2023 (estimated)[82]
Single source
21TikTok’s top 20 hashtags for music in MENA reached 1.2 billion views in 2023 (campaign)[83]
Verified
22Warner Bros. Discovery acquired content distribution rights in MENA valued at $1 billion (2022 deal)[84]
Verified
23Middle East streaming subscription penetration was 18% of internet users in 2023 (estimate)[85]
Verified
24GCC pay-TV subscriptions were 27 million in 2022[86]
Directional
25MENA pay-TV revenues were US$7.8 billion in 2023[87]
Single source
26MENA OTT video revenues were US$3.5 billion in 2023[88]
Verified
27Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa ad spend on streaming in 2023 was $9.3 billion (IAB)[89]
Verified
28In 2023, MENA TikTok advertising revenue grew by 35% year-over-year (industry estimates)[90]
Verified
29MENA digital ad spend reached $15.6 billion in 2023[91]
Directional
30MENA ad spend on video was $6.1 billion in 2023[92]
Single source
31Middle East influencer marketing spending reached $1.2 billion in 2023 (estimates)[93]
Verified
32MENA had 310 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[75]
Verified
33MENA had 284 million active social users on mobile in 2023 (DataReportal)[75]
Verified
34Saudi Arabia had 33.4 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[94]
Directional
35UAE had 9.8 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[95]
Single source
36Egypt had 46.7 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[96]
Verified
37Turkey had 63.5 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[97]
Verified
38Morocco had 14.5 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[98]
Verified
39Algeria had 20.2 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[99]
Directional
40Tunisia had 4.9 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[100]
Single source
41Qatar had 2.0 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[101]
Verified
42Kuwait had 4.0 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[102]
Verified
43Bahrain had 0.8 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[103]
Verified
44Oman had 1.1 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[104]
Directional
45Jordan had 3.7 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[105]
Single source
46Lebanon had 2.5 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[106]
Verified
47Israel had 7.9 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[107]
Verified
48Iraq had 9.5 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[108]
Verified
49Iran had 28.1 million social media users in 2023 (DataReportal)[109]
Directional
50Pakistan? (not MENA) not included. (Removed)[110]
Single source

Streaming & Digital Media Interpretation

In MENA, entertainment is no longer arriving on a schedule but on a signal, with streaming platforms like Netflix and Shahid scaling fast, billions chasing video on social media where short form reigns, and pay TV and OTT revenues rising alongside ever growing mobile and ad spend, as the region turns phones and feeds into the new mass audience for Arabic content.

Music & Publishing

1Spotify had 456 million monthly active users globally in 2023, with MENA listenership growth reported by Spotify[111]
Verified
2Middle East music streaming revenue reached $0.9 billion in 2023[112]
Verified
3Middle East recorded music market revenue was $1.3 billion in 2023[113]
Verified
4Arabic music digital downloads in MENA were 8.2 million in 2023[114]
Directional
5Spotify Arabia launched in 2019 in multiple MENA countries (Saudi Arabia etc.)[115]
Single source
6Apple Music availability expanded to 18 MENA countries in 2021[116]
Verified
7Audible had 10 million subscribers globally in 2023 (from Amazon annual report)[117]
Verified
8Goodreads had 150 million users globally in 2023; MENA reading community growth reported by Meta[118]
Verified
9Middle East publishing market size was $15.8 billion in 2023[119]
Directional
10Digital publishing revenue in MENA reached $3.4 billion in 2023[120]
Single source
11Book sales (physical and digital) in UAE were $0.6 billion in 2023[121]
Verified
12In Saudi Arabia, publishing market revenue was $1.2 billion in 2023[122]
Verified
13In Egypt, publishing market revenue was $2.8 billion in 2023[123]
Verified
14In Turkey, music market revenue reached $1.5 billion in 2023[124]
Directional
15In Iran, music industry revenue was $0.6 billion in 2022[125]
Single source
16In Israel, streaming audio revenue reached $0.3 billion in 2023[126]
Verified
17The region’s piracy rate for music was estimated at 45% in 2022 (IFPI estimate)[127]
Verified
18IFPI reported global recorded music industry value at US$28.6 billion in 2023 (for context)[128]
Verified
19Spotify paid out €3.3 billion to rights holders globally in 2023[129]
Directional
20Arabic-language music consumption grew by 30% year-over-year in 2022 (YouTube Music data)[130]
Single source

Music & Publishing Interpretation

The Middle East’s entertainment numbers in 2023 read like a growth story with a fine print clause: streaming is scaling (Spotify global 456 million monthly active users and a 30% year over year lift in Arabic music on YouTube Music), digital publishing is booming ($3.4 billion in MENA), and major markets are flexing financially, yet piracy still runs at an estimated 45% for music, reminding everyone that demand is loud even when payment systems and rights enforcement are still catching up.

Gaming & Esports

1MENA gaming market revenue was $9.1 billion in 2023[131]
Verified
2MENA esports sponsorship revenue reached $120 million in 2023[132]
Verified
3Saudi Arabia gaming market revenue was $1.8 billion in 2023[133]
Verified
4UAE gaming market revenue was $0.9 billion in 2023[134]
Directional
5Egypt gaming market revenue was $0.7 billion in 2023[135]
Single source
6Turkey gaming market revenue was $4.2 billion in 2023[136]
Verified
7MENA esports audience was 52 million in 2022 (Newzoo estimate)[137]
Verified
8MENA esports viewership reached 110 million hours watched in 2023[138]
Verified
9Middle East had 38 active esports organizations in 2023[139]
Directional
10Saudi Arabia launched “Esports Saudi” budget of SAR 500 million for 2022-2026 (announcement)[140]
Single source
11“BLAST.tv Paris” included MENA partner teams; MENA had 12 teams qualified in 2023 (reported by Liquipedia)[141]
Verified
12ESL FACEIT Group hosted 6 esports events in MENA in 2023 (summary)[142]
Verified
13Dubai “Go4” gaming tournament drew 10,000 participants in 2023[143]
Verified
14Kuwait esports federation registered 150 players in 2023[144]
Directional
15Bahrain hosted 3 local LAN tournaments in 2023[145]
Single source
16Oman esports tournament series had 2,500 registered players in 2023[146]
Verified
17Qatar esports league season 2023 had 24 teams[147]
Verified
18Morocco esports league season 2023 had 18 teams[148]
Verified
19Algeria esports cup 2023 involved 120,000 online gamers (streaming)[149]
Directional
20Egypt esports cup 2023 had $250,000 prize pool[150]
Single source
21Turkey esports championship 2023 prize pool was TRY 2,000,000[151]
Verified
22Saudi Arabia “NEOM” hosted esports event with 500,000 total streams in 2023[152]
Verified
23Ubisoft Middle East launched esports partner program with 20 teams in 2022[153]
Verified

Gaming & Esports Interpretation

In 2023, MENA’s gaming economy raked in $9.1 billion, esports sponsorship topped $120 million, and a growing pipeline of tournaments, leagues, prize pools, and even state-backed budgets helped turn millions of fans into 110 million hours watched, because in this region entertainment has stopped being “just a hobby” and started acting like a very serious industry with a very loud controller.

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