DUBAI, 10th November, 2026 (WAM) — Creators HQ, the first dedicated creators’ hub in the UAE and the Middle East and part of the UAE’s largest content management and development platform Visioneers, announced a strategic collaboration with YouTube to launch the first regional incubator to empower creators across the Middle East & North Africa maximise their revenue through YouTube Shopping.
Over the next 2 years, YouTube will run a series of dedicated masterclasses through YouTube Academy to train more than 1,000 creators with best practices and tools to leverage YouTube Shopping as a primary monetisation lever.
The new initiative also features a marquee YouTube Shopping experience at the upcoming fifth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, organised by the UAE Government Media Office 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’.
Since launching last year, YouTube Academy has trained over 5,000 creators.
The collaboration builds on the launch of the YouTube Affiliate Shopping programme across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
The programme enables creators to tag products directly in their videos, Shorts, and live streams to earn commissions, with Amazon as the first affiliate partner, with more merchants joining soon.
The collaboration with YouTube builds on Creators HQ’s ongoing efforts to establish an integrated ecosystem that supports content creators, by connecting them with global platforms, specialised expertise and emerging opportunities across creativity, technology, business and monetisation.
Alia Al Hammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and Deputy CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, affirmed that the Creators HQ’s collaboration with YouTube on the YouTube Shopping masterclass marks a key step in empowering content creators to capitalise on the advancements in e-commerce, enabling them to turn their audience engagement into tangible economic opportunities.
Al Hammadi said, “This collaboration reflects Creators HQ’s commitment to building strategic relations with leading global platforms, providing regional creators with new tools and solutions to scale their business, leverage the rapid shifts in the digital economy and unlock broader avenues for sustainable growth and monetisation.”
Javid Aslanov, Head of YouTube in the Middle East & North Africa, stated, “We are excited to expand our ongoing collaboration with Creators HQ, as part of YouTube Academy, to bring the first-of-its-kind masterclass for regional creators to learn and make the most of the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program. This programme gives creators another, practical way to build their businesses, while offering brands a way to connect with highly engaged audiences.”
“Today’s masterclass is an extension of our joint efforts with CreatorsHQ to empower the next generation of storytellers from across the region, ensuring more creators have the tools and capabilities to turn their passion into a thriving, long-term career on YouTube,” he added.
Eligible creators can now tag products in videos, Shorts and live-streams to earn commissions on purchases from viewers.
YouTube Shopping uses Google AI to automatically identify products in videos and suggest tags, saving creators hours of manual work.
Additionally, viewers watching YouTube on their television can now scan an on-screen QR code with their mobile device to complete purchases instantly.
Launching YouTube Shopping in the region reflects the growing influence of digital content on shopping decisions.
Globally, viewers watch more than 40 billion hours of shopping-related content on YouTube annually.
According to a survey conducted by Kantar, 94% of surveyed viewers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia agree that YouTube has the best shopping-related content, while 86% say that YouTube has the most trusted creators for product recommendations.
The figures highlight the significant opportunities available for creators to leverage e-commerce tools and develop business models that combine creativity, audience engagement and economic return to drive the growth of the region’s content industry.
Source: Emirates News Agency