Apple has been branching out to bolster their service offerings. Today’s news brings it to more countries worldwide including more in the Middle East region. It’s a perfect match with the recent announcement of the iPhone SE, helping to promote their ecosystem.
Today’s announcement brings the App Store, Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and iCloud to Iraq.
Apple Music was launched in June 2015 and then expanded to more countries. While it’s been available in some of the Middle East countries with the bells and whistles, the addition of few more brings them on parity with the current ones. The three countries getting it are Kuwait, Qatar, and Yemen.
As of today, the App Store is now available in 175 countries and regions; this includes the Middle East.
Apple Music is the most complete music experience, now available in 167 countries and regions and offering over 60 million songs. Hence, you can access it on your Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, MacBook, iMac, etc.), Android-powered devices and other devices.
New subscribers in the additional countries can enjoy a six-month free trial of the service, accompanied with locally curated playlists. In addition, users have access to world-class music experts, tastemakers, and artist-led programs from globally celebrated creators including Virgil Abloh, Billie Eilish, Elton John, Pharrell, and more.
Apple Podcasts now features over 1 million shows in more than 100 languages, bringing it to 175 countries and regions. Hence, you can easily find Arabic-friendly podcasts as well. This should greatly increase the level of competition with the rising popularity of podcasts.
If you want a visual summary of what’s currently available in your country, then you can easily refer to the table below (also being updated on their Support section).
App Store | Apple Music | iTunes Store | Apple TV app | Apple Podcasts | Apple Books | |
Qatar | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public domain books only |
United Arab Emirates | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public domain books only |
Saudi Arabia | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public domain books only |
Kuwait | Y | Y | N | Synced videos only | Y | Public domain books only |
Oman | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public domain books only |
Bahrain | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public domain books only |
Lebanon | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public domain books only |
Jordan | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public domain books only |
