Al Jazeera’s English-language television channel is the most followed Middle East media brand on twitter (@AJEnglish), according to a new website which tracks tweets from media, journalists and bloggers in the Middle East & North Africa.

The Qatar-based news organisation operates three of the four most-followed twitter handles according to www.SociableMedia.me, with Al Jazeera Arabic (@AJArabic) second and Al Jazeera English’s breaking news feed (@AJELive) fourth.

Dubai-based news channel Al Arabiya (@AlArabiya) is ranked third overall, while Egypt-based Rassd News Network (@RassdNews) is the most followed online brand, Egypt’s Al Masry Al Youm (@AlMasryAlYoum_A) the most followed newspaper, Time Out Dubai (@TimeOutDubai) the most followed magazine, and Kuwait-based Marina FM (@MarinaFM888) is the region’s most followed radio station.

Ben Smalley, managing director of MediaSource and editor of the Middle East & North Africa Media Guide, said the UAE-based media research company has launched www.SociableMedia.me as a free service for journalists, corporate communications professionals, and twitter users with an interest in the region.

“The site enables journalists to see what fellow media professionals are tweeting about,” he explained. “It enables PR practitioners to identify key influencers in different regional markets and media channels, while anyone can use the site to discover the media outlets, journalists and bloggers they want to follow on their own twitter accounts.”

SociableMedia.me currently tracks over 1,400 twitter handles belonging to media, journalists, broadcasters and bloggers across 18 countries in the Middle East & North Africa.

“We are adding dozens of new twitter handles each day, so the site is constantly evolving,” said MediaSource research manager, Hiba Rasheed. “There is also the option for any regional media, journalists or bloggers not currently listed to contact us through www.SociableMedia.me so we can add them.”

According to the recently published MediaSource/Insight Middle East Journalist Survey 2011, twitter is used by 22% of Arabic and 63% of English-language media outlets across the region, while the micro-blogging site is used individually by 43% of Arabic and 50% of English-language journalists.