What began as a straightforward platform for sharing moments with family, friends, and local communities in 2005 has transformed into the world’s largest video platform, a daily entertainment hub for billions, and a major income source for many.

Nearly two decades later, YouTube boasts around 2.5 billion monthly active users as of 2024. The platform’s reach is powerful in the MENA region, with the UAE leading in YouTube penetration at 94.1%, followed by Saudi Arabia in fourth place with 84.3%.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTENT CREATORS

More than 300 YouTube channels in Saudi Arabia now have over one million subscribers, marking a 15% year-over-year increase. In the UAE, over 250 channels have reached the same milestone, with a 30% year-over-year increase.

Tarek Amin, Regional Director of YouTube EMEA Emerging Markets, notes that most views for content from the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia come from international audiences, showcasing MENA creators’ talent on a global stage.

“Globally, we’ve paid $70 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the last three years,” Amin says. “We know that making engaging content isn’t necessarily easy, so we want creators to have the tools they need to build thriving, long-term careers on our platform. Over the last few years, we’ve been investing in giving creators even more choice across creative formats, monetization, and ways to build community.”

The platform also greatly invests in creators in the region. “We’ve supported the creator community and wider creator economy in MENA since day one. We were the first platform to offer creators in MENA a way to make money in 2012,” noted Amin.

In 2023, YouTube introduced a new tier in the YouTube Partner Program, enabling thousands of creators in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Oman to earn money from their content for the first time.

Additionally, YouTube’s women’s empowerment initiative graduated over 500 women from across MENA, supporting female content creators in building sustainable careers on the platform.

“We’re proud of the creator community in MENA. From creators who are people of determination tackling stereotypes, to gaming creators speaking up about mental health and even farming communities creating space to learn and support each other on YouTube.”

MAKING MONEY OFF OF YOUTUBE

YouTube stands out as a top choice for creators aiming for monetization. With increasing interest in establishing stable careers on the platform, many are studying YouTube’s unique algorithm.

Tarek Amin highlights YouTube’s distinctive approach: unlike social media platforms that rely on a social graph or traditional broadcasters with fixed content libraries, YouTube’s recommendation system is key to connecting viewers with desired content.

The platform considers signals like watch and search history, channel subscriptions, and contextual factors such as country and time of day to provide locally relevant content. Additionally, it evaluates whether viewers who clicked on a video watched it fully, refining recommendations based on viewer engagement.

“Our recommendation system is built on the simple principle of helping people find the videos they want to watch and that will give them value. Today, the recommendation system constantly evolves and learns from over 80 billion signals.”

YouTube continues to broaden monetization avenues, supporting creators through short-form videos, subscriptions, branded content, and Fan Funding, where tens of thousands of channels have doubled their earnings year-over-year. Yet, despite these diversified revenue options, ads remain the platform’s primary income source.

Amin believes YouTube’s ability to reach audiences across all screens—from computers to mobile to TV—and through various formats like Shorts, live streams, audio, and long-form video offers significant opportunities for advertisers. This versatility allows greater flexibility in engaging with and reaching audiences at every marketing funnel stage.

Tarek Amin references a Kantar survey revealing that 81% of viewers in the United Arab Emirates feel ads on YouTube increase their likelihood of considering a brand or product. Additionally, 80% of Gen Z viewers in Saudi Arabia say YouTube influences purchasing decisions.

YouTube recently launched a beta version of partnership ads, creating new opportunities for brands to connect authentically with audiences. This feature links creator content with Google Ads on YouTube, leveraging audience data segments based on video views to enhance engagement. It also includes co-branded ad formats in DemandGen campaigns, displaying the brand’s and creator’s logos together.

THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

Amin highlights YouTube’s significant influence on the MENA entertainment industry, noting that production houses are now inviting creators to participate in TV shows and movies, leading to adaptations of channel content for television and other media.

He cites examples such as Azza Zarour’s appearance in a mini-series and Sameh Sanad’s true-crime YouTube channel “El Qisa El Kamla,” which caught the attention of Egyptian director Magdy Elhawari, who is now planning TV adaptations of some of the stories.

Amin says content creators on the platform are constantly innovating and pioneering new forms of content, blurring the lines between creator and studio-backed content. 

“Creators are producing exceptionally crafted content. Technology like 4K cameras and special effects software is becoming more accessible and allowing creators to produce at new levels of sophistication.” 

He notes how the boundaries between scripted and unscripted content are becoming increasingly blurred, much like the convergence of screens and formats. 

Amin cites notable examples like Reem Animations, which employs animated storytelling to reflect everyday life; Telfaz11 in Saudi Arabia, which is transforming the nation’s film industry; and Anas Bukhash in the UAE, who has revitalized the talk-show format through engaging and candid discussions on AB Talks.

THE ROLE OF TELEVISION

As YouTube and other video platforms have emerged, a new era of entertainment has begun. Viewers are now watching over 1 billion hours of YouTube content on television daily. In 2023, views of Shorts on connected TVs more than doubled, with TV becoming the most-watched screen for over 40 of YouTube’s top 100 channels by watch time.

This trend is also evident in the MENA region. In May, YouTube reached over 12 million people in Saudi Arabia, 600,000 in Qatar, and over 2.5 million in the UAE, aged 18 and above, on connected TVs.

“The mobile streaming revolution came, and with it, the ability for anyone, everywhere, to have a video camera the size of their pockets at hand, democratizing content creation and making content more accessible than ever.”

Amin emphasizes that television still plays a central role, especially during key regional occasions like Ramadan and Eid, when numerous new releases hit the screen. 

However, the shift now is that audiences expect not only scripted, studio-produced content but also unscripted material from their favorite creators. For these viewers, creators embody the new wave of entertainment.

THE FUTURE OF YOUTUBE

As artificial intelligence permeates the entertainment industry, Amin believes it has great potential to supercharge the creativity coming from MENA content creators. He notes how the tech can help do some of the heavy lifting in creating animated backgrounds or using AI to inspire content ideation that matches audience interests.

“These Gen AI tools will empower more people to create by enabling easy, high-quality creation, reducing the time it takes to tell unique stories and share them with the world, and ultimately open up new possibilities for self-expression,” he states.

YouTube already offers these tools to creators. Last year, the platform introduced an AI-powered tool to help creators brainstorm by offering ideas. With the launch of the new Inspiration tab in YouTube Studio, YouTube is taking it a step further by providing curated suggestions, including ideas, titles, thumbnails, and outlines tailored to each creator’s style.

Looking ahead, Amin finds it difficult to predict the future of the relationship between traditional media studios and YouTube creators over the next decade. However, he is confident that the boundaries between both will continue to blur.

“Creators are already media businesses themselves. Some employ dozens of people, run their studios with state-of-the-art technology, and have built household brands on the side. At the same time, we see media companies like Netflix embracing YouTube more decisively, amplifying their reach and expanding their revenue streams,” Amin says.

Amin notes that the way people consume video content has drastically evolved. In the Middle East, YouTube commands a vast audience, with over 27 million adult viewers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia combined, each spending an average of more than 60 minutes daily on the platform.

Amin notes that the way people consume video content has drastically evolved. In the Middle East, YouTube commands a vast audience, with over 27 million adult viewers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia combined, each spending an average of more than 60 minutes daily on the platform.

“The MENA region is one of the most exciting places to be regarding entertainment. From the YouTube perspective, it will continue to be multi-screen and multiformat, with expectations for a more immersive and customized experience, and content creators from MENA will continue to be at the forefront of this,” he adds.