Podcasting in the Middle East is no longer a fledgling experiment. It has evolved to become a core part of the region’s media landscape.
What started out as independent passion projects, often recorded in living rooms and home studios, has developed into a thriving industry. One that is shaping growth strategies for brands and creators, influencing legacy media organisations and forcing social platforms to pay closer attention.
Globally, podcasting has reached a notable point of cultural recognition. In 2025, podcasts were introduced as a category at major international entertainment awards, including the Golden Globes, marking a shift from an alternative format to an established form of storytelling.
That shift is backed up by data. Industry estimates compiled by Podcast Statistics and Edison Research suggest more than 580 million people worldwide listened to podcasts in 2025, with projections expected to pass 620 million in 2026. YouTube, meanwhile, has reported more than 1 billion monthly podcast views.
The Middle East is very much part of this trajectory. Podcast listenership across the region is notably high compared to global standards. YouGov data from 2024 shows that 59 per cent of people in Saudi Arabia, 56 per cent in Egypt and 53 per cent in the UAE engage with podcasts on a regular basis.
From experimentation to programming
Across conversations with key podcast players in the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, a pattern emerges regarding the ways podcasting is being approached, with many outlining a need for long-term planning.
Islam Adel, chief executive and co-founder of Egypt's TPP Podcasts, says there is a need for stricter structure.
“The biggest regional challenge is still the lack of structure and discipline,” Adel tells The National. “Many podcasts rely on personality and momentum, without clear formats, digital verticals or publishing systems.”
He adds that irregularity and content confusion does not bode well for audiences or advertisers. “Consistency, irregular releases, unclear positioning and weak digital strategy are no longer accepted.”
Mouin Jaber, a podcast strategy consultant working with MBC Group’s Shahid Podcasts in Saudi Arabia, agrees that the issue is not creativity but commitment.
“Podcasting works when it becomes ritual,” Jaber says. “Same day. Same time. Every time. Humans are creatures of habit.”
Without that consistency, he adds, even strong ideas struggle to form lasting relationships with listeners.
Beyond the one-off show
The emphasis on programming is shaping how some networks approach podcast development.
Adel describes a move away from treating podcasts as one-off productions and towards building structured formats. “We don’t build shows. We build brands and franchises, with clear formats, scalability and longevity in mind from day one,” he says
For Adel, this approach is closely tied to systems and measurement.
“Global competitiveness comes from repeatable quality, not one-off hits,” he says. “Nothing is pray and spray. Everything is engineered, measured and optimised over time.”
In Saudi Arabia, Mics Podcasts is approaching growth from a different creative angle. Chief executive Abdulaziz Alhedian says content themes are expanding in formats.
“There will be new themes in podcasting, including more entertainment, comedy, storytelling and game shows,” he says. “Before, it was more focused on cultural topics.”
Despite differing approaches, the general direction by major players points towards podcasts being treated less as isolated episodes and more as ongoing content properties that require planning and purpose.
Video leads discovery, audio holds depth
Podcast discovery is another concern, particularly around the growing role of video.
Jaber describes podcasting today as being marketed visually first. “The first interaction is almost never audio any more,” he says. “It’s a frame. A clip. A thumbnail. A vibe.”
As a result, visual identity has become inseparable from content.
“Viewers now want studios that feel like an extension of the host’s mind,” he says. “A visual language. An atmosphere.”
At the same time, Zeina Tabbara, founder of UAE media strategy consultancy Dakikati, stresses that video should not be confused with the medium itself.
“The core thing is actually the social content,” she says. “Not full videos.”
Community as the missing layer
Jaber argues that many commercial debates miss the point entirely. He argues that audiences are still too often treated as passive consumers, rather than active participants.
“When that relationship is strong, monetisation stops being theoretical,” he says, pointing to memberships, merchandise and events as natural extensions of trust.
This view aligns with the long-term thinking articulated by Mikey Muhanna, founder of New York-based Arab culture-focused network Afikra. For Muhanna, podcasting has always been part of a broader ecosystem that includes events, education and in-person connection. Afikra began as a community before it became a podcast network, and that foundation shaped how its content evolved, he says.
Muhanna believes trust is built through volume, consistency and humility. “My approach is to be excellent for a long time before asking for any money,” he says. “You have to show up consistently before people believe in what you’re building.”
Echoing this view, Tabbara points to the absence of physical spaces that bring the podcasting community together. She highlights the need for more on-the-ground events, networking gatherings and regional meetups, noting that opportunities for in-person collaboration remain limited and fragmented.
An AI future
For Ramsey George Tesdell, co-founder of one of the region’s largest Arabic-language podcast networks Jordan's Sowt Media, technological change and the progress of AI is adding another layer to the conversation.
“As AI becomes a larger part of our lives, we’ll see some audiences retreat towards more human experiences,” he says.
In this environment, human-curated podcasts that are thoughtfully produced and editorially guided become more, not less valuable. “Human-curated podcasts will matter more as AI slop floods social media,” says Tesdell.
But as AI tools lower the barrier to publishing, oversaturating platforms with material with low production value, the distinction between volume and value becomes sharper.
Muhanna believes Arab podcasting still lacks spaces for critical engagement. Too much content, he says, remains surface-level or promotional, prioritising visibility over inquiry.
“We need conversations that ask how we got here and where we’re going,” Muhanna says. “The best media engages in critical thinking and true curiosity. That’s what creates the best podcasts, writers and creators.”
Despite optimism around audiences and content, gaps in infrastructure remain a recurring concern.
Alhudian notes that while podcasters have proven their ability to reach and influence audiences, the commercial infrastructure remains underdeveloped. “Until now, we haven’t seen a successful company getting inventory from content creators and selling it properly,” he says, adding that major media buying agencies in the region still do not prioritise podcasts.
Ear to the ground
All these views reveal that the podcast industry in the Arab world has reached a turning point and a more reflective phase. It is no longer focused on proving the medium works, that question has largely been answered. The challenge now lies in how it evolves and what kind of industry it becomes.
Across markets, the shift is moving away from scale towards producing content with structure, consistency, community and purpose. Growth remains important, but it is no longer the sole measure of success.
As podcasting continues to expand, its future in the region will be shaped less by how many shows are launched, and more by the intention behind them. The next phase will belong to those willing to build patiently, invest thoughtfully and treat podcasting not as a trend to ride, but as a medium worth tuning up for the long term.
