Poparabia

PopArabia was founded in 2011 by Canadian hip-hop pioneer, music executive and entrepreneur Spek, in partnership with twofour54 – the Abu Dhabi media zone that is home to the region’s entertainment industry. As a sub publisher, PopArabia represents the world’s leading music catalogs across the MENA territories and has pioneered music licensing in the region since inception. In 2020, PopArabia announced a partnership and joint venture with New York-headquartered Reservoir to sign and develop Arabic talent to export around the world. PopArabia also launched ESMAA later that year, a rights management entity working with the global community of music stakeholders licensing performance, mechanical and neighbouring rights in the Gulf states. Today, PopArabia operates as a vertically integrated independent music company spanning label, publishing, distribution, music supervision and catalog ownership, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Cairo. In 2026, PopArabia completed the acquisition of Egyptian label and distributor Viral Wave, deepening its presence in the Arab world's largest music market and cementing its position as the region's most comprehensive independent music rights company.