Egyptian singer Amr Diab is the top Arab star in the world, according to Forbes Middle East, which ranked the 100 celebrities from across the Middle East for the first time according to their social media following, career length and extracurricular activities.
Diab, 55, has been in the music industry for more than 30 years and boasts more than 30.6 million followers on social media. The Nour Al Ain singer is still known as one of the most successful crossover artists in the west.
Nancy Ajram, 34, and Elissa, 44, were next in line. They have more than 48 million and 43 million followers respectively. Both have been around for a shorter period of time than Diab, but became known for their pop music stylings, as well as their time as judges on Arab Idol and X Factor Arabia.
UAE performers Ahlam Al Shamsi and Hussain Al Jassmi, and sports commentator Faris Awad, all appear on the list.
51 of the celebrities ranked were singers, followed by 37 actors and 11 presenters. Nearly half of the stars came from Egypt and a quarter from Lebanon. Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tunisia, Syria and the UAE all had names on the list.
Forbes Middle East surveyed 500 Arab celebrities on social media and short-listed those with more than three million followers. Though that was the main indicator of popularity, the publication also examined how long the celebrities had been in the industry and their activities outside of their main field.
