Two Gulf markets now require a licence before a creator posts an ad, and Egypt has no equivalent that we could find. The UAE advertiser permit has been mandatory since 1 February 2026, with fines reported up to AED 10,000. Saudi Arabia requires a Mawthooq licence for individuals who advertise on social media.<\/p>\n
White Friday creator campaigns start in weeks. This guide compares the rules as reported, lists what a brand should ask every creator, and says plainly what we could not verify. We read news and law-firm reports. We could not open the regulators’ own permit pages, so confirm fees and penalties with them before you sign.<\/p>\n
Any creator in the UAE who posts paid or unpaid promotional content must hold an advertiser permit. It is issued under Federal Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023 on media regulation, applications run through the regulator’s online portal with UAE PASS, and processing takes about three working days, as reported by Pinsent Masons, 29 January 2026<\/a> and Emirates 24|7, 1 July 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both reports name the National Media Authority as the regulator, which replaced the UAE Media Council, while the service portal still sits on a UAE Media Council address. The enforcement deadline moved to 31 January 2026 after an extension. Citizens and residents pay nothing for the first three years, then AED 1,000 a year from year four. Visitors can get a three-month permit for AED 500 through a licensed local agency, renewable once.<\/p>\n Applicants must be 18 or older, hold a trade or freelancer licence for media or advertising work, and provide a good conduct certificate. Creators must show the permit number on their profiles and post ads only from accounts linked to the permit. Emirates 24|7 adds that real estate, healthcare, finance, education and food ads need prior approval. Pinsent Masons reports fines of up to AED 10,000 for posting without registering.<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia licenses individuals who advertise on X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook. The licence is called Mawthooq and sits with the General Authority for Media Regulation (GAMR). Sponsorship counts as advertising, and ads may run only through an account registered with GAMR and linked to the licence, per Saudipedia<\/a>.<\/p>\n The same page lists exemptions: events run by a government entity, an individual promoting their own product through a personal account, and under-18 sponsorship of education, sport or culture. It also says advertised products or services must be approved by the relevant entities, and that no promotional material may run without a written contract. Licensees may not let anyone else advertise through their account.<\/p>\n Brands carry their own duty. Gulf News, 2 December 2024<\/a> reported that a Ministry of Commerce directive bars businesses from using visiting celebrities on visitor visas in promotions unless they hold a Mawthooq licence, and that any commercial ad featuring an influencer must be licensed, resident or visitor. The sources we read do not state the licence fee, the validity period or the fines, so check those on the regulator’s portal.<\/p>\n We found no Egyptian advertiser permit for creators in force. Egypt’s 2018 media law treats social media accounts with more than 5,000 followers as media outlets under the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, according to Arab News, 17 July 2018<\/a>. That is a different rule from a paid-promotion permit, and it is aimed at what accounts publish, not at who they advertise.<\/p>\n A December 2025 opinion column in the Egyptian daily El Watan argued for a creator licence from the Council, with fines and account suspension. It is one writer’s proposal, and the page contains no rule, no effective date and no Council response. Until a regulator publishes something, an Egyptian brand running a campaign with Gulf-based creators is bound by the Gulf rules in the table below, not by an Egyptian permit.<\/p>\n The UAE and Saudi Arabia both license the individual, require the licence number to be traceable, and tie ads to a registered account. They differ on fees and on how loudly the regulator publishes enforcement. Egypt has no permit we could verify. The table shows what the sources we read state, and says so where they are silent.<\/p>\nWhat does Saudi Arabia require from creators and brands?<\/h2>\n
Is there an influencer advertiser permit in Egypt?<\/h2>\n
How do the three markets compare for a creator campaign?<\/h2>\n
| <\/th>\n | UAE<\/th>\n | Saudi Arabia<\/th>\n | Egypt<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator named in sources<\/td>\n | National Media Authority (portal on a UAE Media Council address)<\/td>\n | General Authority for Media Regulation (GAMR)<\/td>\n | Supreme Council for Media Regulation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Permit or licence<\/td>\n | Advertiser Permit<\/td>\n | Mawthooq licence<\/td>\n | No creator advertiser permit found<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Who needs it<\/td>\n | Anyone posting paid or unpaid ads, including visitors<\/td>\n | Individuals advertising on major social platforms, with listed exemptions<\/td>\n | Not applicable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Fee reported<\/td>\n | Free for 3 years, then AED 1,000 a year; visitor AED 500 for 3 months<\/td>\n | Not stated in sources read<\/td>\n | Not applicable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Penalty reported<\/td>\n | Up to AED 10,000 for posting unregistered<\/td>\n | Not stated in sources read<\/td>\n | Not applicable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Brand duty reported<\/td>\n | Check the permit number, add a contract clause, prior approval for regulated sectors<\/td>\n | No visiting celebrity on a visitor visa without Mawthooq; written contract; products must be approved<\/td>\n | None found<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n All figures come from the news and law-firm reports linked above, dated between December 2024 and July 2026. We did not open the regulators’ own fee pages, and one of them blocks automated reading. Check the live portal before quoting a fee in a contract.<\/p>\n What should a brand check before paying a creator?<\/h2>\nAsk for the licence number, check it on the regulator’s portal, and put it in the contract. Then confirm that the product itself is approved for advertising and that the creator posts only from the linked account. Four checks cover most campaigns, and each maps to a duty reported in the sources.<\/p>\n
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