For most of the world, streaming services promise smooth access: click, pay and watch. In parts of the Middle East and North Africa, however, the reality is far more complicated. While global platforms such as Netflix and Spotify have expanded their reach, access across the region remains uneven.

In countries such as Syria and Lebanon, sanctions, financial crises and fragile banking systems make even basic digital payments difficult. For many young people in these regions, piracy, VPNs, Telegram channels, and shared drives are not seen as fringe systems operating outside the law, but as the default way of accessing culture.

In the Middle East, piracy is illegal in countries with established intellectual property (IP) and copyright laws, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar. In the UAE, it is also illegal to use a VPN to commit a crime, such as the unauthorized downloading or reproduction of copyrighted material.

“I don’t consider it piracy,” says Mira, a student in Beirut who like others quoted in this story was granted anonymity to speak freely about their streaming habits. “My banking card doesn’t work online, and even if it did, more than half of the movies aren’t available here.” Since Lebanon’s financial crisis began in 2019, access to international payments has become increasingly difficult. Banks imposed strict controls on foreign currency transactions, leaving many debit and credit cards unable to process payments for dollar-denominated services such as streaming subscriptions.

In neighboring Syria, the barriers are even more fundamental. Many international platforms do not operate there because of US sanctions imposed on the Assad regime during the country’s civil war, restricting financial transactions and preventing many global companies from offering services in the country. For Laith, a student in Damascus, the lack of access means people look for workarounds. “Some services don’t operate here at all,” he says. “That’s why you’d need a VPN, which you also have to pay for. As a simpler solution, most people just download directly.”

In Egypt, the issue is often practicality. Hussein says pirated content circulates quickly through messaging platforms. “There are Telegram groups that upload new episodes within hours,” he says. “If something isn’t licensed in Egypt, it’s no problem—someone will eventually share it.” Telegram says it removes copyrighted material when rights holders submit complaints, but the platform’s vast network of public and private channels can make enforcement difficult.

Economic conditions across parts of the region also play a role. Currency devaluations in countries such as Egypt and Lebanon have made foreign streaming subscriptions—typically priced in dollars—far less affordable for local audiences.

Young consumers are also aware of the tension between access and supporting creators. Amine, 23, a film student in Tunis, says the conflict is hard to ignore. “We want to support artists,” he says. “But if we can’t access their work through official channels, we have to find another way.”

Sophisticated Piracy

Jean-Pierre Andreaux, head of content protection at StarzPlay, a Dubai-based streaming platform operating across the Middle East and North Africa, says user experience plays a major role in how audiences choose where to watch content. “For younger audiences across the region, streaming isn’t just about access,” he says. “It’s about having a seamless experience—instant discovery, smooth playback, and frictionless payment.”

That expectation has also shaped the piracy ecosystem. Andreaux says organized IPTV piracy operations have become increasingly sophisticated, designing services that closely mimic legitimate streaming platforms.

He also referred to market analysis suggesting that roughly “23 percent of users in the region still access pirate IPTV services.”

“The trade-off isn’t only ethical or economic,” Andreaux adds. “It’s also about reliability, privacy and personal security.”

Abed Kataya, digital content manager at SMEX, a Beirut-based digital rights organization focused on internet policy in the Middle East and North Africa, says piracy in the region is shaped less by culture than by structural barriers.

“I see that piracy in MENA is not a cultural choice; rather, it has multiple layers,” Kataya tells WIRED Middle East.

“First, when the internet spread across the region, as in many other regions, people thought everything on it was free,” Kataya says. “This perception was based on the nature of Web 1.0 and 2.0, and how the internet was presented to people.”

Today, he says, structural barriers still lead many users towards illegal platforms. “Users began to watch online on unofficial streaming platforms for many reasons: lack of local platforms, inability to pay, bypassing censorship and, of course, to watch for free or at lower prices.”

Payment access also remains a major factor. “Not to mention that many are unbanked, do not have bank accounts, lack access to online payments, or do not trust paying with their cards and have a general distrust of online payments,” Kataya adds.

Algerian students also share external hard drives loaded with television series, while in Lebanon streaming passwords are frequently shared across households. In Egypt, large Telegram channels distribute content across different genres, including Korean dramas, classic Arab films and underground music.

“We grew up solving problems online,” says Mira. “When something is blocked, you find a way around it. It’s … a fundamental human instinct.”

Streaming Platforms Adapting

Andreaux says StarzPlay has tried to address some of the payment barriers that limit streaming adoption in the region. “StarzPlay recognized early that payment friction was a regional barrier to adoption,” he says. “That’s why we invested in flexible subscription models and alternative payment methods, including telecom-led billing options that make access easier across different markets.”

At the same time, international media companies are working together to combat piracy through the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a coalition of film studios, television networks and streaming platforms that targets illegal distribution of films, television and sports content. Its members include global companies such as Netflix as well as regional players like OSN Group, which operates the streaming service OSN+ across the Middle East and North Africa.
Kataya notes that legitimate streaming platforms are still expanding across the region. “The user base of official streaming platforms has been growing in the region,” he says. “For example, Shahid, the Saudi platform, is expanding and Netflix has dedicated packages for the region.”

“Other players, like StarzPlay and local platforms in Egypt, are also finding their place,” Kataya adds. “Social media also plays a huge role, especially when a film is widely discussed or controversial.”

Piracy carries legal and security risks, Andreaux says. “Rather than just ‘free streaming’, piracy exposes consumers to malware and insecure payment channels,” he says. “It also weakens investment in local content by depriving creators of revenue and reducing jobs.”

But the structural barriers described by users across the region remain. For many viewers in North Africa and the Levant, the challenge is not choosing between piracy and legality—it is whether legitimate access exists at all.