Middle East Streamers Dominate Local Small Screens With Buzzy Series and Adaptations Like ‘Love Is Blind, Habibi’

Though Netflix reigns supreme in a large swathe of the world, the U.S. streaming giant has yet to dominate the Middle East, where competition is heating up.

Streaming is booming across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where the OTT subscription video market enjoyed robust 13% growth in 2023, led by local players Shahid and StarzPlay, according to media analyst Omdia. It expects streaming revenues to reach $1.2 billion in 2024. According to Omdia, Shahid — which is part of Saudi-owned linear TV operator and streamer MBC Group — leads the MENA streaming market with a 22% share thanks to its 3.6 million subscribers at the end of 2023.

"Shahid's strength lies in its extensive local Arabic content, which resonates deeply with regional audiences, especially during Ramadan," the region's peak season, even though "year-round content production has mitigated seasonal subscription fluctuations," the report notes.

StarzPlay Arabia follows closely with an 18% market share and 3 million subs, while Netflix trails closely behind with a 17% MENA market share, according to Omdia.

In terms of scripted originals, a quite recent development over at MBC are Arabic adaptations of Turkish dramas. MBC Studios managing director Samar Akrouk says Turkish shows are "fantastic for acquisition and for new subs, and absolutely perfect for retention to keep our churn down." Furthermore, because Arab remakes of Turkish shows are long-running, "you get very loyal viewership," Akrouk notes.

Two cases in point at MBC are "Al Ameel," the Arabic redo of Turkish hit "Içerde" ("Insider") about two brothers torn apart at childhood who wind up on opposite sides of the law as adults. The series launched on Shahid in August. There is also upcoming MBC original "Mother," a show centered around child abuse that is actually an Arabic redo of a Japanese drama previously redone for the Turkish market. Both shows stem from a five-year pact MBC Group forged in 2022 with Turkish TV powerhouses Medyapim and Ay Yapim.

Ties between MENA media players and Turkey are also firmly in place at Qatar-based powerhouse beIN Media Group — a co-owner of U.S. indie studio Miramax. Its TOD streaming platform currently commands a 4% share of the MENA streaming market and is available across both MENA and Turkey. BeIN also owns Turkey's top pay TV operator Digiturk. TOD's latest Turkish series "Sorgu" ("Interrogation"), a police procedural that revolves around a female cop, will drop day-and-date in both Turkey and MENA, where it will be dubbed.

Mia Edde, VP of original content at beIN Media Group, says that since beIN operates both in MENA and Turkey, it doesn't really make sense to do Arabic remakes of Turkish shows. Instead, beIN has been producing "Sarab" (AKA "Mirage") a high-end Arabic adaptation of "Seven Types of Ambiguity," the Australian TV series involving the kidnapping of a child told from the shifting perspective of seven characters. The series transposes its original suburban Melbourne into an Egyptian setting.

"It's a 100% adaptation with a completely local focus," says Edde, who points out that the Arabic culture prism adds "a different depth and dimension" to the "Seven Types" narrative.

This year's standout Arabic adaptation of Western IP is MBC's take on "The Good Wife" toplining Tunisian-Egyptian star Hend Sabry in the lead role. In June, the series launched to top ratings across MENA on Shahid.

Sabry also toplines Netflix's hit Arabic original "Finding Ola," in which she plays a Cairo divorcee who happily embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The second season of "Finding Ola" dropped in late September. In early October, Netflix launched "Love Is Blind, Habibi" a United Arab Emirates spinoff of its smash hit dating show featuring Arab singles looking for love that is likely to boost its numbers in MENA. But what's still lacking out of the Arab TV world is a local original that can travel outside the region.