What were Ramadan’s most popular shows?

It has been a good month for television networks across the Middle East. With Ramadan coming to an end this week, newly released research shows that viewers watched more TV over the past 30 days compared to the rest of the year, which is obviously great news for advertisers, not to mention production houses as well.

According to UAE-based network OSN, at least one in three people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region watched 3 to 5 hours of television every day during Ramadan compared to the regional average of 3.1 hours throughout the rest of the year.

Unsurprisingly, Egypt led the pack with more than 37 per cent watching 3 to 5 hours of TV, 26 per cent spending 1 to 3 hours and 15 per cent hooked to their entertainment for 5 to 7 hours each day. In Saudi Arabia, 33 per cent spend 3 to 5 hours every day, while in UAE and Kuwait, 32 and 30 per cent, respectively, dedicate 3 to 5 hours to TV viewing.

But which shows did well, and which ones were better left on the shelf?

While specific viewing figures are yet to be made available for the UAE, 80 per cent of OSN customers made watching Season 3 of Hareem Al Sultan their priority. Meanwhile, in Egypt — arguably the biggest market for advertisers — Al Hayat TV won the majority of viewers (88 per cent), stated MENA-based IRS Research.

It will come as a shock to many, but Ramez Galal’s controversial show, Ramez Ankh Amoun — which sees the actor pranking celebrities, including the now infamous episode with Haifa Wehbe (just YouTube it) — was the number one show this Ramadan. It attracted 88 per cent of total viewers. This has made his programme the top-viewed show for the third consecutive year, following Ramez Qalb Al Assad and Ramez Thaalab Al Sahraa in the past two Ramadan seasons.

Meanwhile, Mai Ezz Al Deen’s Al Shak — showing on Dubai TV — has been revealed as the top drama of thw month, drawing in 41 per cent of total viewers.

So who else has made it into the Top 10 this year? More below.

1) Ramez Ankh Amoun

2) Al Shak

3) Al Aaraf (Adel Imam)

4) Al Kebeer Awy (Ahmed Mekky)

5) Hekayet Hayat (Ghada Abdel Razek)

6) Alzoga Althanya (Amr Waked)

7) Mazag Al Khair (Mostafa Shaaban)

8) Mossalssaliko (Mohammad Heneidy)

9) Khatawat Al Shaytan (Moez Masoud)

10) Ana Wal Assal (presented by Neshan Der Haroutiounian)