Anghami, the leading music streaming company in the MENA region, announced today that it has received the Arab Social Media Influencers Award for Arts, launched under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Around 40 social media influencers and organisations were awarded at the second edition of the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit which took at the Dubai World Trade Centre. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, awarded the winners in 20 different categories. The award’s criteria focused on connectivity, creativity, and impact, for which Anghami came first in its class across the three categories. Institutions that were awarded are the ones that made a positive impact on the development and success of their communities while contributing to the progress and growth of people.
Elie Habib, co-founder and CTO of Anghami said: “We are honoured to receive this award from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and to be recognised at the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit as the leader in the Arts field. Anghami has recently completed its Series B investment round, which marks our third successful fundraise, led by private equity firm Samena Capital with the participation of UAE based mobile operator du. We have been particularly active raising funds, increasing our user base, expanding our music catalogue, rapidly growing the music video platform and introducing new features. We have grown our subscriber base eleven-fold to 30 million users with more than a half a billion songs are streamed per month from Anghami’s multi-application platform. We have now the largest catalogue of digital Arabic music globally while enjoying the biggest regional footprint.”
As the Middle East’s number one music entertainment platform, Anghami has revolutionised the digital music consumption in the region into a mobile one. The smartphone and mobile culture gave millions of fans a great opportunity to stay in touch with music in a more convenient and more portable way than ever. The smartphone penetration in the region is one of the highest in the world. With new innovations in the applications world, the MENA region now accounts for 10% of global mobile app traffic and revenue generation according to a recent survey by On Device Research. In the UAE, mobile penetration is 96%, active social media users represent 68% of the population and 62% watch videos on their mobile. Online statistics keep growing in the region as the interactivity increases. 52% of respondents also admitted to downloading more than five mobile apps in one month in the UAE.
“Users are nowadays benefiting from a wide range of platforms available for them from social networks, online streaming and music downloads, and we are grateful that music fans in the region choose Anghami over all other music apps for their entertainment,” added Elie Habib.
The global music market achieved a key milestone in 2015 as digital became the primary revenue stream for recorded music, overtaking sales of physical formats. Digital revenues now account for 45 percent of total revenues, compared to 39 per cent for physical sales. This uptick puts the total industry revenue in 2015 at $15 billion, primarily driven by a sharp rise in streaming revenues which now accounts for 43 per cent of digital revenues and is close to overtaking downloads (45 per cent). Anghami’s continued investment in intuitive technology and in bringing talent and artists closer to regional audiences through innovation and unlimited on-the-go music streaming service earned it a seat amongst top Arab Social Media Influencers.
Eddy Maroun, Co-Founder & CEO of Anghami, said: “This award is a testimony to our rapid growth, creativity and impact on the regional music streaming industry. Anghami has already attracted a large number of international and regional artists who are looking at exponential growth throughout the MENA region, by reaching cross-border music listeners who have not been accessible before. As a platform with cutting-edge technology, we aim to expand beyond the streaming application. We have recently introduced a new engaging feature, ‘Anghami Expressions’ and will be rolling out additional new features in the coming year. 2016 has ended with a strong momentum with this award, a highly successful fundraise and a growing user base. We are looking forward to yet another busy and productive year.”
