Last year, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) introduced the inaugural MENA (Middle East and North Africa) chart, which Rema's "Calm Down" topped during its initial weeks.

Now, IFPI has taken things a step further by unveiling a set of fresh music charts designed specifically for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and North Africa (consisting of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria). These charts aim to provide an authoritative ranking of the most streamed songs in countries across the MENA region.

According to IFPI, the launch of the Official Egypt Chart, Official Saudi Arabia Chart, Official UAE Chart, and Official North Africa Chart marks the first instance of official rankings being available in any of the countries.

Per IFPI’s charts methodology, these new charts incorporate streaming data from digital service platforms prominent in the MENA region, such as Anghami, Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, and YouTube. The charts will be updated every Wednesday while the Official MENA chart will continue to be released on Tuesdays, accompanied by insights into each week’s ranking.

At the moment, Rema's "Calm Down" holds the 12th position on the MENA chart and 7th position on the UAE chart. On the other hand, Libianca's "People" currently occupies the 19th spot on the UAE chart. To explore these rankings further, you can access the charts on the Official MENA website.

The charts are compiled by Barcelona-based BMAT, which specializes in monitoring and reporting music consumption data globally across television, radio, concert venues, and digital platforms. This data is used to help artists get paid for their plays by CMOs, record labels, and other music industry bodies.

This is a good development following reports of MENA experiencing a 23.8% increase in recorded music revenues in 2022, consequently making it the region with the third highest growth rate - following its position as the front-runner in 2021. Also, MENA claimed the highest share of streaming revenue worldwide, reaching an impressive 95.5% as reported by the IFPI's 2023 report. 

If anything, these figures underscore the region's significant embrace of streaming culture, growth in its music industry, and opportunities that abound.