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2020 has been quite the year. From a global pandemic that introduced us to social distancing to personal and economic uncertainties all over the world, it was a year full of mixed emotions. Throughout it all, many people from the MENA region turned to TikTok to share their stories and lift others up.

Here are the moments and people  laughs and tears, that made TikTok what it is today in this Year on TikTok roundup:

Top Trending Hashtags
Trends can start from a single video and turn into inspiration across the platform, quickly spreading across TikTok with the help of hashtags. These are the top hashtags the MENA region couldn’t get enough of:
    1.    #LearnonTikTok   - Where learning never stops.
    2.    #DontRushChallenge - Empowering women to embrace their beauty with and without makeup.
    3.    #SubmarineChallenge - Interactive submarine game.
    4.    #BeautyMode - Transformations at their best.
    5.    #WipeitDown - If only it was this quick to get ready.
    6.    #FliptheSwitch - Trading places with a simple ‘switch’.
    7.    #AlbumCoverChallenge - Using particular songs and albums as the punchline for jokes made easy.
    8.    #LoveStory - Dancing to Taylor Swift’s iconic song.
    9.    #ChefReacts - Cook-off with six famous chefs.
    10.   #RiseAgain - Hard times inspire great moments.

Top Creators
Creators are the heart of TikTok, making the platform unlike any other thanks to their creativity, commitment, and constant drive to make content that inspires audiences the world round. These are the creators in MENA who inspired people to cook, dance and laugh in this rollercoaster of a year:
    1.    @SarahhMiladd 
    2.    @iimeeto            
    3.    @1_alkaisr_1
    4.    @Aboody_kareem
    5.    @Noorstar
    6.    @Nour.magic
    7.    @hanen
    8.    @mostafashaabanofficial 
    9.    @a5_l
    10.   @nairaakamal1

The Rising Stars
TikTok has become a launch pad for creators to build livelihoods by making content authentic to who they are and driven by their passions. Here are TikTok’s top rising stars:

1. @baselaughs  
2. @yaraaziz       
3. @nadiamneimne
4. @madshadz    
5. @amirdeleon  
6. @nabhanmasry           
7. @Samkari       
8. @ma3muntaha           
9. @Molham       
10. @anastalks

Top Celebrities
These celebs just like us were stuck at home during the global pandemic, they turned to TikTok to be entertained and to connect with their fans and grow their community like never before.

1. Ahmed Helmy 
2. Huda Beauty   
3. Seif Nabeel    
4. Tamer Hosny  
5. Mohamed Al Salem
6. Nancy Ajram   
7. Balqees          
8. Raya Abi Rachid
9. Yara    
10. Youssra           

Brand campaigns thriving on TikTok
The TikTok For Business MENA community, which now stands at over 60,000 registered businesses, came together to share moments of inspiration and positivity, and saw brands shift in real-time to embrace authenticity and genuine connection.
Over 83 Arabic-first campaigns were launched in the region - from brands using TikTok to support local communities through the pandemic, to campaigns that put Creators at their heart engaging the TikTok’s thriving Arab community and bringing them along on their brand journey. To celebrate a momentous year for brands on TikTok, TikTok has compiled the ads that the community has loved and ads that have embodied their “Don’t Make Ads, Make TikToks” creative ethos.

Top Branded Challenges that sparked creativity

1. #FreeYourAwesome    
2. #ShareTheCare          
3. #اليوم_الوطني_السعودي_٩٠ (SaudiNationalDay90)
4. #افتح_عينك (Openyoureyes)
5.  #StylishVsSavage      
6. #Coffeebeats  
7. #احسن_ناس   (BestPeople)
8. #اغسلها_مع_لايفبوي (CleanwithLifebuoy)
9. #عزوتنا ملايين (HonoringMillions)
10. #SketchersMovesModesh

Top Branded Effects

1. Vimto x VimtoMoments          
2. PepsiCo x Cheetos Egypt        
3. Lenovo x Lenovo Yoga Challenge     
4. Clorox 
5. بهجة العيد  x Samsung
6. Nivea x I Care For… Heart Effect        
7. Etisalat           
8. Vodafone        
9. OSN x OSN #افتح_عين    
10. جولي فرايدي x Jollychic   

     
“The Arab region is a melting pot of immense creativity with a young population that has a high level of digital connectivity, and TikTok fuelled this creative spirit across the region in 2020. We are immensely proud of the creativity that has been born and which flourished on our platform this year. The TikTok platform sparks joy and our thriving community proved that joyful creative content has no limits on TikTok. We invite you to take a trip down memory lane with us and look back and celebrate everything the region has to offer and we look forward to a more prosperous new year in 2021!,” said Rami Zeidan, Head of Video and Creative at TikTok.