Abu Dhabi sets new licensing rules for social media influencers

Abu Dhabi authorities have issued new compliance guidelines requiring all licensed economic establishments to strictly adhere to regulations when engaging with social media influencers. Department of Economic Development (ADDED), the guidelines mandate that social media influencers obtain a specific license from ADDED before promoting any services online.

The order states that social media influencers must pay a higher license charge of 5000 dirhams, whereas social media influencers must obtain a license costing 1250 dirhams.

The objective of these measures is to augment supervision and responsibility in the swiftly expanding domain of influencer marketing in the emirate.

With effect from July 1, influencers operating without the required license will face severe penalties of up to 10,000 dirhams, demonstrating the government’s will to ensure compliance.

The program aims to guarantee that influencers participating in marketing campaigns respect the law and remain open and honest with their followers.