Music Videos of the Year Middle East & North Africa 2025

For decades, the humble music video stood as a promotional tool - an add-on to a song, a condiment to the main meal, if you will. In recent years, however, that hierarchy has collapsed. The visual is no longer an accessory, but rather an essential extension of the DNA of both the track and the artist, carrying as much weight and intentionality as the music itself.

Over the past year, we’ve seen artists - alongside directors, stylists, and a whole litany of creatives - across the region move beyond the standard performance clip to build new worlds. Music videos serve as standalone experiences that redefine how we digest music; they aren’t something to simply watch, but something to inhabit, layering texture and subtext onto sound until the two become inseparable. These are the visuals that stayed burned into our retinas - these are the best music videos of 2025.

Note: This list is organised alphabetically, not ranked, to highlight the diversity of outstanding releases from across the region.

Ahwak - Shams 

Already dripping in a particular type of nostalgia, Shams’ cover of the Abdelhalim Hafez classic, ‘Ahwak’, came with a charmingly simple video. Directed by Ali Abdoun with cinematography by Nohad Nour, it’s a fairytale-licked school play that skips grand cinematic statements for something far more intimate - a story told through soft lighting and a sense of wide-eyed wonder that perfectly complements the track and feels timeless.

Al7amdulillah - MaMan

Co-directed by Mohamed Osama and Hussein Khalid, the video is a soulful journey through a dreamlike landscape inspired by MaMan’s Sudanese musical heritage. The video features cuts of MaMan’s shadowed by a masked man in white, resembling his pressuring anxiety, signalling his resolution to embrace it and live with it.

Argeen - Soulja

Directed by Sudanese filmmaker Mousab, the music video visually mirrors the song’s overarching narrative. Soulja is seen wearing traditional Sudanese attire, immersed in what appears to be an authentic Sudanese celebration. Midway through, the setting transitions into an Egyptian shaabi wedding, reinforcing the song’s central theme of cultural duality and movement between borders.

7arrir 3aqlak / Asli Ana - Zeyne

Helmed by Farid Malki and brought to life through creative director Farah Hourani’s visionary lens, the short film ‘Asli Ana’ is a vibrant exploration of Palestinian traditions and heritage. From Saif Hidaya and Hourani’s meticulously styled costumes to Majdi Karakra’s reimagined Dabkeh choreography, every frame pulses with cultural pride, echoing the track’s celebration of Arab resilience and identity.

Ayam W Layaly - Tommy

The ‘Ayam W Layaly’ video, directed and produced by Khaled Ibrahim, plays out like a concise black-and-white short film. It follows a young man lost in memories of a past romance, their reckless love echoing the storylines of Esabet Hamada w Tutu or Bonnie and Clyde. Familiar as the narrative may be, the video frames rising Egyptian artist Tommy in a new light, showing a measured performance that complements the track’s reflective mood and its themes of love, loss, and disillusionment.

Bosakber - Marwan Moussa

A visual diary of vulnerability and inner turmoil, Yussef Haridy’s music video for Marwan Moussa’s ‘Bosakber’ fuses striking cinematography with seamless transitions that mirror the song’s emotional depth. Early on, we see Moussa dragged into a fortress-like dungeon where masked figures perform a hypnotic Sufi dance, a ritual that seems aimed at exorcising his tormented spirit. Intercut with distorted reflections, he confronts himself alone in a room—a haunting portrayal of isolation, inner conflict, and the suffocating grip of self-imprisonment.

Cairo Traffic - Chiati

Directed by Ziad Yosry and co-produced by Armaal’s Ahmed Khalil, the video takes Chiati on his afro-melodic house journey through the chaotic metropolis. Shot amid honking cars and the relentless flow of city traffic, it captures the unfiltered energy that inspired the track through a cinematic lens. Dreamy, often hazy frames are intercut with live street recordings, occasionally dissolving to mirror the song’s layered, percussive textures. Chiati himself anchors the chaos, performing atop a cruising truck and grooving amidst the streets, as if experiencing a fever dream echoing the track’s inception in the studio.

Den Den - Tawsen

Directed by Moroccan maestro Farid Malki, the video is a vibrant tapestry of culture, identity, and daring fashion–styling by El Mehdi Khorsane. White jellabas meet red tarbouches, chikhates glide past drifting cars, parchis and football jerseys collide, and even a peacock struts in slow motion. A visual love letter from the Dutch-Moroccan artist to his homeland.

Dima Rave - Ino Casablanca

Directed by Ino Casablanca’s longtime collaborator TOXINE, the video moves on the same pulse as the track itself, channelling the Moroccan artist’s unfiltered musicality and irresistible urge to dance. Percussion becomes both a visual punchline and a metronome: every slap lands on the kick, shoulders roll, legs bounce, and dance circles form. The visuals flip between saturated colours and stark black-and-white, but the momentum never dips, locked in a breathless loop of adrenaline and motion and dima rave.

Do You Love Me? / سنيورة - Saint Levant, Fares Sokkar

The ‘Do You Love Me?’ music video, directed by Egyptian filmmaker Abanoub Ramsis, turns the track into a cinematic playground. It follows two couples—Saint Levant with Naika, and Fares Sokkar with his partner—on a whirlwind of adventures: cruising on a hot pink motorcycle, sharing candle-lit dinners, dancing through amusement parks, and basking in sun-soaked, carefree moments. The video thrives on spontaneity, from unscripted street dances with an elderly woman in Cairo to playful fashion nods, as the cringe-worthy fashion faux pas of the early 2010s jeans-over-tights look.

Douberwoman - ValerieBlud, Fureslise

Through grainy, vintage-tinged visuals, Moroccan rappers ValerieBlud and Fureslise’s ‘Douberwoman’—directed by Pizzy—captures the slow spiral of North Africa’s street rap psyche. Its stripped-back aesthetic mirrors the track’s blunt emotional core, tracing numbness, heartbreak, and the quiet erosion of self that follows.

EH EL ARAF DAH - Ziad Zaza

Egyptian photographer and filmmaker Saddam Mky delivers a visually arresting video for Ziad Zaza’s chaotically fun, provocative ‘Eh El Araf Dah,’ propelled by restless experimental cuts and transitions. Set against a wall that looks like a spray-paint-and-graffiti explosion, Zaza and his entourage emerge in audacious eyewear and silver grills, courtesy of Experimental Joy.

El Doniya Ya3 - Seif Mrdeny, Riff

As intoxicating and eclectic as the track itself, ‘El Doniya Ya3’ music video is a colourful visual piece by director Viviane Boulos that pairs maximalistic aesthetics and Egyptian shaabi motifs in a perfectly balanced formula. From the settings in old Cairo streets to the camp fits, helmed by stylist Dalia Ngeb and art director Sayed Muhammed, the video showcases Mrdeny and Riff’s experimental approaches to visuals and imagery.

Gonya - Moscow, Big Moe

Directed by Moustafa Adel, who also acts as the DOP, ‘Gonya’ music video features cinematic visuals that emphasise the track’s emotional depth. With cuts of Egyptian rapper Moscow, in a talk show setting, presumably a reference to the 2019 film ‘El Joker’, the video encapsulates the schizophrenic reality of the artist’s existential struggles.

Gun Powder - Arabian Alien

Saudi surrealist filmmaker Meshal Al Jaser channels heartbreak and disillusion into a strikingly staged wedding set against AlUla’s vast desert for his electronic music project Arabian Alien’s ‘Gun Powder’. Echoing the track’s volatile title, the video weaves in tasheer—the Hejazi war dance where rifles are fired into the ground mid-leap—turning ritual into spectacle and emotional rupture.

Habeeby Dah - Tul8te

Helmed by one of Egypt’s most acclaimed filmmakers and the Cannes-winning director, Omar El Zohairy, Tul8te’s ‘Habeeby Dah’ video reimagines the track through a multi-layered short film that plays out like a bittersweet coming-of-age vignette. Through cinematic cuts and simple yet evocative visuals, it retells the story of a one-sided summer romance through the eyes of a young boy who falls for a girl on a coastal vacation.

Hey Habibi - Etaf

Framed as a sharp clapback to the hate they faced for being unapologetically themselves, Kuwaiti-Palestinian artist Etaf’s ‘Hey Habibi’—directed by Riffy Ahmed—unfolds as a cheeky ode to Arab diaspora pride. The video threads sly nods to body politics throughout, from gym-flex bravado to tongue-in-cheek Abdulhaleem references, embodying Etaf’s ideology of an iconic cool Arab who refuses to be boxed in.

7ouma - Gustavo 51

Helmed by Jamal Hakkou, the video is a gritty, realistic portrayal of life in the hood in Morocco, focusing on struggles, dreams and the lifestyle of street hustling by employing raw visuals of urban life and social challenges in the rapper’s homeland. Several cuts depict clan fights as Gustavo stands still, sometimes looking straight into the camera’s lens, spitting his evocative bars.

Kafini - TIF, ELGrandeToto

Directed by Zakaria Goudkit, Hassani Mehdi, and Abd-Elghafour Goudji for SKYZDALIMIT, ‘Kafini’ music video leans into the natural chemistry between Algerian rap star TIF and Moroccan heavyweight ElGrandeToto. Set against candid hangouts with their entourage across Algeria, the visuals favor ease over spectacle—chill, unguarded moments that mirror the track’s reflective, confessional core. It’s a quiet flex: pride in their hard-earned rise within Arab hip-hop, paired with a clear-eyed rejection of fake friendships and the hollow gloss of fame.

Karakeb - Young Zuksh, El Waili

More like a short film than a music video, ‘Karakeb’, directed by Omar Donga, captures the cluttered mind of a troubled young man with a generous, forgiving heart, struggling to stay soft in a world intent on hardening him. Starring Egyptian trailblazing actor Amir El Masry as the lead alongside Caro Amyr as an unexpected but grounding love interest, the film is an accurate depiction of the track’s emotionally-charged and introspective theme.

MAMA - Nagham Saleh

Framed as a modern-day zaar ritual, Nagham Saleh’s ‘MAMA’ music video—directed by Khaled Bargona—places the Egyptian artist at the center of a ceremonial circle. Through hazy cuts and Capo’s choreography-driven movement, the visuals channel the hypnotic spirituality of traditional zaar dance, reimagined with a sharp contemporary edge that encapsulates the meditative nature of the song itself.

Matrix - Nordo

Directed by SLIMBHY, the ‘Matrix’ music video mirrors the track’s raw meditation on regret and disorientation, tracing past mistakes through a barrage of flashback cuts. Stark black-and-white close-ups of Tunisian rapper Nordo flicker in and out, as if he’s spiraling through his own memory lane, confronting a murky former life. The noir-leaning visual language heightens the drama of the Tamazight track, recasting it as a tense, crime-drama vignette rather than a conventional rap video.

Msh S7ab - Lilian Chlela & LAI

Egyptian director Mohsen Sherif crafts a visual universe that is as experimental as the track’s production, matching the high-energy of its jukebox inflections through fast-paced cuts and bold, sensory visuals. A mixture of unadulterated party vibes and illicit affairs echoes the rebellious spirit of misfits and underground clubbing culture, with versatile references that span the Fallen Angels motorcycle scene to the raw angst of a modern-day Skins, capturing the disillusionment and bittersweet burn of a relationship lived in the grey area.

Palm Trees - Narcy

Featuring viral Iraqi sensation Abboud Skaiba, ‘Palm Trees’—filmed in Iraq and directed by American-Iraqi artist Narcy alongside Tarek Turkey—blends humor with striking visuals. The video captures everyday life with charismatic bravado, turning reflections on home, love, and nostalgia into something both playful and poetic.

Rassi - Baby Gun, ElGrandeToto

As if Baby Gang and ElGrandeToto being together on one track wasn’t enough, the video for their collab, ‘Rassi’, is the kind of trans-continental collision that demands a cinematic lens. There’s a deliberate duality to the video, switching back-and-forth between the cold, sterile elegance of Milan and the warm, vibrant chaos of the Moroccan streets. It captures the kind of communal, lived-in energy that seems to anchor Moroccan rap, proving that even as these artists conquer global stages, their vision remains firmly rooted in the dust and the hustle of a North African neighborhood. Samo Fein? - Mared, YONYO Filmed by Ahmed Sayed and Omar Maged, the ‘Samo Fein?’ video thrives on playful, unscripted moments shared between Egyptian rapper Mared, producer YONYO and their close circle. Grainy, film-like visuals and sharp close-ups nod to the parody rap series Nesr El Scene, sharpening the track’s wit while tapping into personal quirks and a distinctly Cairo-coded sense of childhood nostalgia.

Tarat Tarat Tat - Lella Fadda

From its wardrobe and styling by Marcellino and Sam Khaled to the revolving camera and inventive transitions, Abanoub Ramsis’ ‘Tarat Tarat Tat’ stands out as a landmark in Egyptian visual storytelling. The video draws viewers into Lella’s sonic universe, effervescent yet cloaked in dizzying darkness, offering a striking commentary on womanhood, toxic love, and domestic violence in Egypt. Yet it’s Lella’s magnetic presence, her diva-like poise and command of the frame, that truly amplifies the track’s message.

TNKR - Wegz

Directed by Mohsen Sherif, the video is a playful yet chaotic chase sequence between the Egyptian rapper and a cohort of audience who look like his rivals, embodying the track’s rage-rap and drill energy, as well as the unapologetic street-rooted lyricism. The clips fuse traditional and contemporary fashion, nodding to Wegz’s Saeedi (Upper Egyptian) roots, courtesy of stylists Howaida Wagdy and Noor Babylon, and the Gozoor label.

Umro2 - R3D, Shabjdeed

Helmed by Stereo Studios and directed by Rony Karkar, the animated video plunges into a subterranean world that echoes the track’s defiance, inner turmoil, and raw social critique. It is an unflinching portrait of annihilation, an apocalyptic reality that Palestinians are forced to live and survive. The video moves between an ominous, game-like underworld and stark images of Palestinian rap icon Shabjdeed confined in a prison cell, before unfolding into airstrikes and jarring juxtapositions of a sleek futuristic metropolis against Gaza’s rubble-laden ruins under Israeli assault.

U NVR KNU ME - Bu Kolthoum

The music video is a bold, mind-warping cinematic piece by Egyptian production giant Good People and directed by Ingrid Bawab. The visuals feature cuts of the Syrian rapper Bu Kolthoum being the Joker-level unhinged and standing amid a gangster-like cult, sometimes sinisterly smiling, other times angrily glaring at the lens, with shots of scattered dead bodies punctuating the chaos. The video references the track’s narrative: By moving on, prioritising self-worth, and cutting ties with those who have betrayed him or caused him pain.

Wasa3 - A.L.A

Tunisian filmmaker Anis Zaier amplifies the swagger of A.L.A’s trap anthem ‘Wasa3’ with bold, cinematic visuals that nod to the heist-fueled drama of ‘La Casa De Papel,’ reflecting the track’s themes of ambition, self-reliance, and the hard-earned lessons of life.