YouTube and Creators HQ forge regional partnership to unlock new revenue streams for Middle Eastern storytellers

A strategic collaboration between YouTube and the UAE's premier creators' hub will train over 1,000 content makers across the Middle East and North Africa in monetisation strategies, marking a significant milestone in the region's digital economy.

The digital landscape of the Middle East and North Africa is entering a new chapter of economic opportunity for those who create. Creators HQ, the UAE’s dedicated hub for content makers, has partnered with YouTube to establish the first regional incubator designed to empower storytellers to build sustainable businesses through YouTube Shopping, a direct monetisation tool that transforms audience engagement into economic return.

The collaboration unfolds over two years, with YouTube Academy running a series of dedicated masterclasses to train more than 1,000 creators in best practices and strategies for leveraging YouTube Shopping as a primary revenue stream. The initiative reflects a broader recognition that the region’s content makers possess exceptional talent but require access to the right platforms, expertise and tools to scale their work globally.

YouTube Shopping itself operates with elegant simplicity. Creators can now tag products directly within their videos, Shorts and live streams to earn commissions on resulting purchases. The technology harnesses Google’s artificial intelligence to automatically identify products in content and suggest tags, substantially reducing the manual labour involved. For viewers, the experience has become seamless: those watching YouTube on their television can scan an on-screen QR code with their mobile device to complete purchases instantly, creating a frictionless path from discovery to transaction.

The initiative will feature prominently at the fifth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, which brings together the region’s most influential voices and emerging talent, running from 8th to 10th January 2027 across Jumeirah Emirates Towers, DIFC and the Museum of the Future in Dubai under the theme ‘Content for Good’. The YouTube Shopping experience at the summit will provide creators with direct engagement opportunities and practical demonstrations of the platform’s capabilities.

The programme builds on YouTube Academy’s existing impact, having trained over 5,000 creators since its launch. The YouTube Affiliate Shopping programme, now operational across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, enables creators to generate income whilst connecting brands with audiences known for their trust and engagement. Amazon serves as the first affiliate partner, with additional merchants joining the ecosystem as it matures.

Javid Aslanov, Head of YouTube in the Middle East and North Africa, emphasised that the partnership reflects YouTube’s commitment to enabling creators to build thriving, long-term careers. The figures substantiate this vision: globally, viewers watch more than 40 billion hours of shopping-related content on YouTube annually. Within the UAE and Saudi Arabia specifically, research conducted by Kantar reveals that 94 per cent of surveyed viewers agree that YouTube offers the best shopping-related content, whilst 86 per cent identify YouTube creators as the most trusted sources for product recommendations.

Alia Al Hammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and Deputy CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, described the collaboration as a pivotal moment for the region’s creators. The partnership positions content makers to capitalise on the convergence of creativity, technology and commerce, transforming audience loyalty into tangible economic opportunity. This builds on the UAE’s broader commitment to developing its creative workforce through strategic academic and institutional partnerships, establishing the region as a centre of digital innovation.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

The initiative represents a watershed moment for content creators across the emirate and the broader region. By providing access to global monetisation infrastructure alongside specialist training, the collaboration enables Abu Dhabi’s storytellers to transition from creating content as a passion to building sustainable professional enterprises. The masterclasses and hands-on experience at the 1 Billion Followers Summit will equip local creators with the strategies and confidence to diversify their revenue models, reducing dependency on sponsorship alone and creating new pathways to economic independence.

For Abu Dhabi more broadly, the initiative reinforces the emirate’s position as a nexus of digital creativity and entrepreneurship. As the region’s content makers earn more from their work, they attract talent, investment and international attention, elevating the profile of Emirati and regional storytelling on the global stage. This economic multiplier effect supports the broader digital economy whilst demonstrating that innovation in the UAE extends well beyond technology infrastructure into the cultural and creative sectors.

Source: WAM

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