Why Influencer Marketing In The UAE Is About To Change Forever

The influencer marketing industry in the UAE is about to drastically change…

Today the National Media Council (NMC) announced all influencers, creators and social media stars will need to secure a media licence, under new regulations soon to be implemented at the end of June 2018.

This applies to anyone that does not already hold a trade license and accepts paid collaborations, sponsored posts and/or brand deals in the UAE for the purpose of creating promotional content to be shared with their following.

According to The National, the Council said the licence would be similar to those that magazines and newspapers acquire from the authorities.

The overall goal is not to hinder creativity, but to ensure influencer earnings and standards are kept high for all parties involved in creating digital content. Influencers that fail to comply with the new regulations may be fined up to Dh5,000.

The introduction of the trade license for influencers comes after the Council announced a new set of guidelines for all online and electronic media on this past Monday.

In a media briefing session yesterday led by NMC Director-General Mansour Ibrahim Al Mansouri and Dr. Rashid Al Nuaimi, the Council’s Executive Director of Media Affairs, the Council disclosed that new guidelines have been put into place to help the UAE media sector remain on top of the rapid developments in electronic media. 

“The new regulations are part of the Council’s plan to promote and develop an advanced legislative and regulatory environment for the UAE media sector, keeping it up-to-speed with regards to all technological developments that have transformed media in recent times,” Al Mansouri said.

Either way, it will be interesting to see what this means for the future of influencer marketing in the UAE.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…