Photo Credit: Ahmad Alghawanmeh and Ahmed Nureni
Warner Music Group expands its regional leadership in the Middle East and North Africa after seismic shifts across the United States and beyond.
Warner Music Group (WMG) has announced a strategic expansion of its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) leadership team as the company continues to poise itself for growth across one of the world’s most rapidly growing music regions.
Ahmed Nureni has been promoted to Managing Director, MENA, reporting to the President of EMEA, Recorded Music, Guillermo Gonzalez. Highly respected music executive Ahmad Alghawanmeh has also joined the company as General Manager, MENA, reporting directly to Nureni.
Nureni will oversee Warner Music MENA’s overarching vision, corporate development, strategic joint ventures, and catalog expansion across all markets. Alghawanmeh is joining WMG from Sony Music Entertainment, where he served as Vice President, Revenue & Growth Strategy, developing high-impact partnerships to scale artists’ reach and commercial revenue. As General Manager, Alghawanmeh will lead commercial growth, business development, market expansion initiatives, and multi-territory operational delivery for the region.
The appointments aim to further accelerate momentum for Warner Music MENA across its operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Morocco. They arrive on the heels of the full integration of Qanawat Music into ADA, which established a premier distribution engine for the region.
“I’m excited to be stepping into this new role at Warner Music MENA,” said Ahmed Nureni. “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in the region over the last few years, but know there is so much more opportunity for growth and development. With Ahmad joining our team, we are now in the best position to capitalize on these opportunities and become the number one destination for artists across the Arab world.”
“I’m delighted to join Ahmed and the talented teams across the region at such a pivotal moment for Warner Music and the industry,” added Ahmad Alghawanmeh. “The Arab world has a rich and dynamic creative culture. By combining WMG’s global resources with our local expertise, we’re well positioned to be an empowering home for Arab artists and a strong partner in driving their commercial and creative growth.”
“MENA continues to be one of the fastest-growing music markets in the world, and Warner Music is committed to staying at the forefront of that momentum,” concluded Guillermo Gonzalez. “Ahmed has done an outstanding job building our presence in the region over the last several years and will develop this further in his new role, while, in Ahmad, we are adding an executive with sharp commercial instincts, deep regional relationships, and a proven track record in digital strategy. And with ADA x Qanawat giving us an unrivaled label and services offering, we are in prime position for our next era of growth.”