Influencer Marketing & the Law in UAE

Influencer marketing has become a major business in UAE in the recent past. This trend is however not new, since brands have been using celebrities and other popular personalities to endorse and promote their products and services.

However in UAE there was no law or regulation monitoring the aspect of marketing through an influencer, which has now changed with the introduction of new regulations for electronic media by the NMC (National Media Council) which is introduced with the intention to enhance its content reliability its balance apart from reducing or eliminating false and bogus marketing including safety of children from being influenced wrongly.

Such regulation calls for registration or legalization of any commercial activity conducted through social media and online platforms by availing an e-media license.

Three Category System For Influencer Law In UAE
NMC has categorized the influencers on the basis of their operations:
1. Individual License: This applies for influencer’s who work independently and the cost of such license amounts to AED 15,000/-. Such influencer’s should also acquire a separate trade license (Contact us for further assistance – 04 252 2235)
2. Partnership License: This license may be acquired by small groups of friends or family who come together to set up a company also costing AED 15,000/-
3. Official Influencer Agencies certified by NMC: The agency will hold a licence which covers all influencers as long as they are exclusively registered with that single company.

Eligibility And Application Of E-media License
In order to apply for an E-media license the applicant should be:
1. 25 years of age or above
2. Citizen of UAE, expats, residents, corporates with existing license, individuals conducting commercial media activities online within UAE
3. In some cases you may need a separate company / trade license incorporated to acquire the E-media license.

Time Taken To Obtain An E-media License
Subsequent to fulfilling the aforementioned conditions, 30 working days may be required unless until a further approval or third party decisions is needed. Issuance of E-media license may also be postpone by NMC at its sole discretion for reasons of review or such foregoing approvals.

Electronic Media Activities That Require Trade License
The following electronic media activities require to be licensed (set up as a company or acquire a trade license) prior to obtaining an e-media license:
1. Sites used to trade, showcase and sell print, video, and audio materials.
2. Electronic publishing activities and on-call printing
3. Specialized websites such as the electronic advertisements, news sites, etc
4. Any electronic activity that the council deems appropriate to be added.

Exemptions From National Media Council
Social media accounts of individuals who review brands and products without monetary benefit will not be liable to register themselves with the Council.

Let Us Help You If you are a social media influencer (paid) / blogger, who wishes to obtain an e-media license and legalize your activities and do not how to go about it or where to get started, feel free to drop us a message or mail to help our consultants to reach out and make life easier for you!

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