Do We Watch The Same TV Series Across the MENA region?
A collaborative research project with students from the American University of Beirut
Hey streamers 👋
Today, I’m answering an interesting question: Do viewers across the MENA region stream the same TV series?
This time, I had extra support from students at the American University of Beirut.
Our approach:
We analyzed the Top 10 TV series on Netflix and Shahid in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Morocco from January to October 2024.
We then identified the countries of origin for each title and created pie charts to make the insights easier to digest.
The first part of this article focused on our observations. You’ll find our key insights in the final section.
Today’s program
A breakdown of the origins of Netflix & Shahid Top 10 TV series in:
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Lebanon
Morocco
Key insights from AUB students
And… Action!
Origins of Netflix & Shahid Top 10 TV series in UAE
The Top TV series on Netflix in the UAE mainly come from:
USA
UK
India
South Korea
UAE
The Top TV series on Shahid in the UAE mainly come from:
Turkey
Egypt
Lebanon
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait-Syria
Origins of Netflix & Shahid Top 10 TV series in Saudi Arabia
The Top TV series on Netflix in Saudi Arabia mainly come from:
USA
UK
South Korea
Spain
Japan
The Top TV series on Shahid in Saudi Arabia mainly come from:
Turkey
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Lebanon-Kuwait
Syria
Found this article insightful? Don't keep it to yourself, share it with your team and start the conversation!
Origins of Netflix & Shahid Top 10 TV series in Egypt
The Top TV series on Netflix in Egypt mainly come from:
USA
UK
Turkey-South Korea
Egypt
Spain
The Top TV series on Shahid in Egypt mainly come from:
Egypt
Turkey
Lebanon
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Origins of Netflix & Shahid Top 10 TV series in Lebanon
The Top TV series on Netflix in Lebanon mainly come from:
USA
UK
Spain
Turkey-South Korea
UAE-Jordan-France-Mexico
The Top TV series on Shahid in Lebanon mainly come from:
Turkey
Lebanon
Syria
Egypt
Saudi Arabia
Origins of Netflix & Shahid Top 10 TV series in Morocco
The Top TV series on Netflix in Morocco mainly come from:
USA
UK
Spain
South Korea
Turkey-France
The Top TV series on Shahid in Morocco mainly come from:
Turkey
Egypt
Lebanon
Morocco
Saud Arabia-Syria
If you're curious about the exact breakdown, including the number of titles per country and title-level details, just reply to this email and let me know!
Key insights from AUB students
No, this time the insights aren’t from me. They come directly from the final assignment of the year by AUB students:
SAUDI ARABIA & EGYPT
“The data displayed shows how streaming services like Netflix and Shahid play different roles in promoting regional versus global media, their strategies reflect the balance between addressing cultural representation and appealing to globalized audience.
→ Netflix risks losing viewers who appreciate cultural intimacy. Netflix strategy promotes universally popular productions, often including recognizable stars. Shahid on the other hand satisfies the need for representation. Shahid supports local artists rather than international ones.”
EGYPT & UAE
“Netflix is dominated by international content, with the majority of shows coming from global production hubs such as the U.S. and the U.K. In contrast, Shahid heavily focuses on regional and Arabic-language content, highlighting locally told stories that really resonate well with Middle Eastern audiences.
→ Netflix might increase its Arabic-language offerings to better capture the regional audience, while Shahid might consider the selective incorporation of international content in its bid to attract globally inclined viewers.”
LEBANON & UAE
“Netflix, as a global platform, prioritizes high-production-value international content to attract audiences from universal backgrounds across any specific culture. Shahid heavily invests in regional productions and in dubbing international titles into Arabic.
→ Netflix limited Arabic-language library represents a missed opportunity to deeply engage with regional markets in Lebanon and the UAE. Shahid’s strategies that cater to regional audiences are key points that give the reputation of being a guardian of regional media while also meeting the emotional and cultural needs of its audience.”
LEBANON & EGYPT
“The origin of content on Netflix is more varied than Shahid, although mostly western. In comparison, Shahid’s content of origin is less diverse geographically, focused mostly on the MENA region.
→ Global platforms like Netflix have made it possible to access diverse content easily no matter one’s background, with good subtitles or dubbed audio accessible for a majority of the most spoken languages in the world. Introducing audiences to international shows and films can lead to a cross-cultural exchange, and in turn, nurture global media culture.”
LEBANON & UAE
“Netflix's success is because of their localization strategy which has enabled it to connect with all cultures and languages. An example of this in the context of UAE could be Dubai Bling and Love is Blind Habibi which are UAE produced Netflix originals. Shahid on the other hand specializes in Arab content and its success is driven by focusing on premium content/Arabic originals, while exploring high demand niches.
=> Shahid specializes in Arab content which appeals to the Arab viewers of UAE and Lebanon while Netflix, although having Arab and locally produced content appeals more to the diverse non-Arab cultures in UAE and Lebanon or English speakers.”
MOROCCO & LEBANON
“The content steers heavily toward international productions on Netflix, often dominated by English-language shows. In contrast, shahid showcases a strong inclination towards locally executed, Arabic-language series, showing its regional attention and commitment to promote culturally relatable storytelling.
→ In Morocco, the blend of Arabic, French and Amazigh cultures create a high demand for both globally inspired content and regional relevant productions. Likewise, Lebanon’s Western-steering cultural identity creates a nuanced balance between the consumption of global content, like Netflix thrillers and Arabic-language productions that echoes with regional values. The fondness for Arabic content on Shahid points out audiences’ desire to view stories that show their identities, languages, traditions and more.”
UAE & MOROCCO
“The content presented in the UAE through Netflix is mainly international, they include U.S. and U.K. productions, in addition to certain local titles like Love is Blind Habibi. An emphasis on regional content is implemented by Shahid, a general focus on Arabic productions like The Traitor and Love Game are found on the platform. In Morocco, famous European and American shows dominate, the content presented in Netflix is surprisingly international. Shahid's lists of regional shows similar to أحلام بنات and بين القصور make up for Netflix's international lineup of shows.
→ The cultural backgrounds of both countries heavily influence this division. UAE audiences tend to keep up with a mix of regional and international productions while Moroccans find themselves more in the local or regional half of the spectrum due to the country's less diversified nature when it comes to nationalities in the population.
SAUDI ARABIA & UAE
“Shahid’s regional domination in Saudi Arabia is a reflection of its compatibility with language and cultural preferences. In Saudi Arabia, Netflix’s international content plays a big role on attracting younger, bilingual viewers who are looking for relatable and worldwide stories that interest them. While Shahid’s regional focus in the UAE also targets Arabic speaking viewers, Netflix’s varied content, which includes internationally recognized shows, also appeals to the multicultural audience of this country.
→ An important factor is language choice; viewers often choose content in their own language for higher engagement. This determines how important language selection and cultural relevance is for viewer engagement, which is relevant for Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the platform usage of Shahid and Netflix.”
LEBANON & UAE
“In Lebanon, regional content from countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey dominate Shahid’s lineup. Arab-language dramas and Turkish series that are dubbed are particularly successful because they feel relatable and culturally close. In contrast, Netflix content in the UAE has originated from the international market, such as the US, South Korea, and France. Shows such as Emily in Paris and The Wither reflect the UAE’s multicultural audience.
→ Shahid connects with local culture (Arab), while Netflix appeals to audiences worldwide. Moreover, regional, and cultural factors have a deep influence on the preferences. Lebanese viewers prefer local stories about family, social justice, and history, which Shahid provides. The UAE’s diverse audience enjoys content that crosses cultural boundaries, something Netflix is great at.”
UAE & EGYPT
“Since Netflix is a global streaming platform, it showcases content relevant to its international target audience that cater to their likings and preferences. In addition, Shahid serves more as an Arab streaming platform even though it delivers international content as well but is limited.
→ Regional and cultural factors highly influence the demand for local or international content because each region has its own cultural and traditional norms that differentiate it from other regions. Each region would demand content relevant to its tradition, culture, language, and values”
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A big thank you to Wazani, El Zweini, Bakri, Attie, Chamaa, Najde, Maadad, Hamdan, El Baalbaki, Badreddine, and all the AUB students for their incredible hard work! 😊
I have no doubt that one day I’ll see you shaping the future of Media & Entertainment in MENA, working with top local and international streaming services!
That’s all for today, do we watch the same TV series across the MENA region? If you found this breakdown valuable, spread the word and share it with your network!
I hope everyone has a great week, see you online next Monday. In the meantime enjoy Dubai Bling on Netflix. Welcome to Dubai, where diamonds and drama are a dime a dozen. In this elite social circle, who will shine the brightest - and who won’t make the cut?
Read all the previous edition of The Streaming Lab here.
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