Warner Music puts Nureni in charge of MENA, hires Alghawanmeh from Sony
Warner Music Group has promoted Ahmed Nureni to Managing Director of Warner Music MENA, its Middle East and North Africa business.
The major music company announced the move on October 6, 2026. At the same time it confirmed the hire of Ahmad Alghawanmeh from rival Sony Music Entertainment as General Manager, MENA, according to Music Business Worldwide. The two appointments set the leadership for the region in one announcement. Trade title Record of the Day also carried the announcement on October 6, 2026.
Alghawanmeh will report directly to Nureni. Nureni will report to Guillermo Gonzalez, President of Warner Music EMEA, the division covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The chain puts day-to-day decisions with Alghawanmeh and Nureni, with Gonzalez overseeing the wider region.
Their remit covers four hubs. Warner Music MENA operates in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco. Each is a distinct music market, with its own artists, languages and live circuits, and each has its own staff and partnerships. The structure means artists in Cairo or Casablanca work with local staff while releases can travel across the region.
Warner said the appointments follow the full integration of Qanawat Music into ADA, its independent distribution and label services division. ADA works with independent labels and artists rather than acts signed directly to Warner. It handles distribution, getting recordings onto streaming services and stores, alongside marketing and other label services.
Nureni steps up from inside. He was named General Manager of Warner Music Middle East in October 2022, and has therefore led the Middle East operation for close to four years before this promotion. That change came when Moe Hamzeh stepped down as Managing Director in the same month.
Hamzeh had helped establish Warner Music Middle East in 2018. He then led the business for five years before leaving to pursue other music projects, Warner said at the time. Employees in Beirut remained based in Beirut after that 2022 handover.
For fans, the names at the top rarely appear on a release. What matters is the work underneath. Regional teams find artists, clear rights, pitch songs to playlists and coordinate releases across countries. Leadership decides where staff, marketing and investment go. A change at the top does not alter existing contracts or catalogues on its own. It can shape future signings, partnerships and priorities.
