It’s official: the world’s most-watched podcast episode is from Saudi Arabia. Produced by Thmanyah, a digital space that describes itself as “the largest platform for podcasts in the Arab world,” their flagship show Fnjan made history with the episode “Secrets to Thriving Relationships,” which now holds the record for the most-viewed podcast episode on YouTube.
Posted on YouTube over a year ago, the episode has since amassed over 100 million views, breaking the previous record held by American comedian Joe Rogan with his interview featuring Elon Musk, which garnered nearly 70 million views over five years.
The historic milestone was officially recognized by the Guinness World Records (GWR) for its “direct, no-nonsense approach,” which made “advice feel accessible, not academic.”
As it happens to be, the episode’s relatable content and down-to-earth nature managed to pull popularity from outside the Gulf State as according to GWR, 74% of viewers tuned in from outside Saudi Arabia, which, to them, “demonstrates how expert-led guidance presented conversationally can transcend language barriers.”
Per the video’s description, the episode touches on a wide range of topics all centered around the realm of love, affection, and mental health— topics that are usually considered as taboo in the once-conservative Kingdom. “Mental health is a very important topic for me and many others, and I find that one of the most important components of mental health is human relationships,” the episode description reads. “To talk more about it, I hosted Yasser Al-Hazimi, a certified trainer with experience in providing courses and lectures in the field of developing relationships and communication skills,” it adds.
