Guide

Do influencers need a licence? Rules in the Arab world

Country by country, as of October 2026: whether influencers and content creators need a licence or permit to advertise in Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, Algeria, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, what it costs, who is exempt and which advertising rules apply.

146 claims from 103 sources, each re-opened on 27 October 2026.

In short

As of 27 October 2026, an influencer needs a licence or permit to advertise in Jordan (a Media Commission licence for professional creators), the UAE (the Advertiser Permit), Saudi Arabia (the Mawthooq licence) and Oman (a commerce ministry licence for anyone promoting goods or services online). Kuwait's new media law, in force from April 2027, requires promoters and advertisers to be licensed in the cases its executive regulations will set; we found no report by 27 October 2026 that those regulations had been issued, and a May 2026 press report said influencers must already advertise through their own company or a licensed advertising company. In Qatar, Palestine, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia we found no licence made for influencers, only general rules on media, advertising, business registration, e-commerce or consumer protection (in Egypt, a media-law article also binds personal accounts with 5,000 or more followers), and several drafts or proposals that had not taken effect.

A summary of laws, regulators' statements and press reports as of the date checked. It is not legal advice: these rules are changing quickly across the region, so check with the regulator or a lawyer before you rely on them.

Jordan: a Media Commission licence for professional creators

Do influencers in Jordan need a licence?

Yes, if the work is professional. Under Digital Media Regulation Bylaw No. 13 of 2026, which the Media Commission says took effect on 24 May 2026, a content creator whose activity is a profession or a source of income and is also continuous and regular must apply for a Commission licence, with the registration certificate of their company or establishment. Two amended bylaws set 500 JD to license a content creator's digital publishing and advertising establishment or company, or their digital production and distribution company, due a year after the licence is granted, plus 100 JD a year to renew. A report of the Cabinet's approval said people posting personal content are exempt, a Commission official said follower count is not a criterion, and creators who need no licence may choose accreditation (20 JD to apply, 100 JD, then 20 JD a year). Licensed and accredited creators must disclose AI use clearly.

  • Jordan's Digital Media Regulation Bylaw No. 13 of 2026 was published in the Official Gazette on 23 April 2026, after the Cabinet approved it on 5 April 2026. Source: Petra, Jordan News Agency (state) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • The Media Commission announced that the bylaw took effect on 24 May 2026, and that the 90-day period the bylaw sets for regularising status runs from that date. Applications go to the Commission's Digital Media Directorate. Source: Petra, Jordan News Agency (state) (opens in a new tab), 2026-05-24
  • The bylaw defines a digital content creator as a person who carries out production, distribution or advertising work for digital content aimed at the public, in any form, whether informational, advertising or marketing, and whether written, visual or audio, using digital or similar technical means. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • Article 13 requires a digital content creator to apply for a licence from the Media Commission when doing any professional digital media activity. Accreditation is for those who want it: a creator not covered by that rule who wishes to be accredited registers in the register the Commission keeps for that purpose. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • Under Article 4(b), digital media activity counts as professional if it meets both of two tests: it is done as a profession or as a source of income, or earns its owner money from apps, search engines, social media platforms or the like; and it is done continuously and regularly. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • Under Article 13(c), licence and accreditation applicants fill in the Commission's form and attach documents including a certificate showing no conviction for a felony or a misdemeanour against honour and public morals, the approved names and web domains of their accounts with the names and trademarks they use, a detailed list of the technologies and equipment they plan to use, and a list of the digital means, apps and platforms they will work through. A creator who must be licensed also attaches the registration certificate of their company or establishment. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • When the Cabinet approved the bylaw on 5 April 2026, Al-Wakeel News reported that it exempts individuals who post personal content on social media, while professional creators doing work that needs a licence, such as advertising and production, must be licensed. Source: Al-Wakeel News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-05
  • The head of the Commission's Digital Media Directorate said creators' follower count was not adopted as a criterion under the new bylaw, because a creator with fewer followers can meet the criteria by working professionally, and that people who promote themselves without offering a product or advertising a service do not need a licence. She said foreign tourists and visitors not resident in Jordan who film there do not need a licence, while foreigners living in Jordan must be licensed and accredited if they work in an organised way and earn income from it. Source: Al-Wakeel News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-05-18
  • Separately, Article 16(b) requires everyone doing digital media work to notify the Commission of the nature of the work they run in Jordan. This covers activity produced wholly or partly for any party in Jordan, Jordanian or not, wherever the servers are and whatever the audience, whenever any element of producing the content, or of its reception by the public, took place in Jordan. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • For a content creator who does not have to be licensed, Article 22 sets accreditation service charges of 20 JD to apply, 100 JD for the accreditation and 20 JD for each annual renewal. Charges once paid are not refundable. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • An amended bylaw on the fees and licensing of publishing and advertising firms, reported on 23 May 2026, covers licences for digital content creators' digital publishing and advertising establishments and companies: it sets a 500 JD fee for carrying out advertising through digital means, falling due one year after the licence is granted, plus 100 JD a year on renewal. Source: Petra, Jordan News Agency (state) (opens in a new tab), 2026-05-23
  • A second amended bylaw reported the same day, on licensing audiovisual works, sets the fees for licensing content creators' digital production and distribution companies: 500 JD, due one year after the licence is granted, plus 100 JD a year to renew. Source: Petra, Jordan News Agency (state) (opens in a new tab), 2026-05-23
  • Article 13's licensing and accreditation rules apply to a person under 18 only after the Commission's director general gives prior written approval, on the guardian's written request and under the guardian's supervision and responsibility, in line with the laws in force and the platform's or app's own rules. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • Article 18(b) requires licensed and accredited creators to tell the public clearly, in a prominent place or by an audio notice, when AI was used to produce content or any part of it, and to get explicit consent before using, modifying, employing or generating people's personal data in AI processes. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • Article 24 applies the penalties in the Audiovisual Media Law No. 26 of 2015 (which the bylaw calls 'the Law'), the Press and Publications Law and all related legislation to anyone who breaches the bylaw. Source: Official Gazette No. 6046 (pp. 1671-1685), as reproduced by Ammon News (Amman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-04-23
  • Article 8(a) of Jordan's Consumer Protection Law No. 7 of 2017 bans publishing any advertisement that misleads consumers about a good or service; an ad is misleading if it contains false, incorrect or incomplete information on matters the article lists, such as the product's nature, quality, origin and conditions of use, and the total price. Under Article 25(a), a breach is punishable by a fine of 250 to 10,000 JD, up to six months in prison, or both, unless another law sets a heavier penalty. Source: Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, Jordan (law text as published in Official Gazette No. 5455) (opens in a new tab), 2017-04-16

Qatar: general advertising and e-commerce licences; an influencer licence only proposed

Do influencers in Qatar need a licence?

We found no licence written specifically for influencers in force in Qatar on 27 October 2026. The Ministry of Culture licenses advertising, publicity and public relations activity, including for individuals (its FAQ says only a Qatari citizen can obtain a licence, though a resident can apply with a Qatari partner), and Gulf Times reported in 2023 that a Ministry guide pointed content creators who need a licence for that activity to its licence for individuals. A draft advertising law approved in principle in December 2024 and a Shura Council proposal to license influencers had not taken effect as far as we found. Consumer Protection Law No. 8 of 2008 bars false or deceptive advertising. Separately, Ministerial Decision No. 25 of 2026 bars commercial activity through a website without an e-commerce licence (QAR 500 to issue), and a Doha law firm reported that its definition of a website includes social media. We found no source that says whether paid promotion of another business's products counts as such activity.

  • Qatar's Ministry of Culture lists a licence for advertising, publicity and public relations activities that lasts one year and costs QAR 5,000 to issue, QAR 5,000 to renew and QAR 5,000 to re-issue. Source: Ministry of Culture, State of Qatar (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • The Ministry describes it as an online service through which companies apply for a licence to design advertisements, promote the marketing of goods or services, run advertising campaigns and manage public relations, and says individual applicants must be Qatari. A new application needs a certificate reserving a trade name and a study of the business signed by the company's owner or authorised signatory; a renewal or re-issue needs copies of the commercial registration, municipality licence, establishment card and lease contract. The licence's description does not mention social media, influencers or content creators. Source: Ministry of Culture, State of Qatar (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • The Ministry of Culture's Publications and Artistic Works Services page says its Licensing Department issues licences for media activities, including advertising and public relations, to individuals, institutions and companies. It lists a request for a licence for publicity, advertising and public relations activity both under 'Special license (individuals – institutions)' and under 'Special license (Companies)'. The page gives no fees and does not mention social media or content creators. Source: Ministry of Culture, State of Qatar (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • The Ministry of Culture's FAQ says only a Qatari citizen can obtain a licence, and a resident can apply only if there is a Qatari partner; a Qatari under 21 cannot obtain a licence but can be the partner of a Qatari over 21. The Ministry's e-services portal works only inside Qatar, and once the fee is paid the licence is printed and the procedures to obtain or renew the commercial registration are completed with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Source: Ministry of Culture, State of Qatar (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • Gulf Times reported in August 2023 that a Ministry of Culture guide pointed content creators who need a licence to operate advertising and public relations activity to the Ministry's License Request service, through which individuals could apply online for a 'License to Operate Advertising and Public Relations Activity for Individuals'. Gulf Times gave the fees as QR 25,000 to issue and QR 10,000 to renew, and said applicants had to be Qatari and over 21. Source: Gulf Times (Doha) (opens in a new tab), 2023-08-12
  • Media City Qatar says it provides licensing and permits for media companies and content creators, allowing 100% foreign ownership. Its FAQ does not say that creators must hold one. Source: Media City Qatar (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • On 23 December 2024 the Shura Council decided to send the Cabinet a proposal to regulate digital media content, including a legal framework under which the relevant state authorities would license social media influencers, partly to prevent uncontrolled advertisements. The licensing rules it proposes include credibility, intellectual property rights, transparency and avoiding misleading or scientifically unproven information. Source: Shura Council of Qatar (opens in a new tab), 2024-12-23
  • On 23 June 2025 the full Shura Council reviewed its Education, Culture, Sports and Media Affairs Committee's report on the government's statement on the Council's wish-based proposal (iqtirah bi-raghba) on regulating the creation and publication of media content on digital platforms, and "took the appropriate decision". The Council's release does not say what that decision was. Source: Shura Council of Qatar (opens in a new tab), 2025-06-23
  • At the Council's closing session on 30 June 2025, the Shura Council Speaker listed regulating digital media content among the Council's proposals that, he said, had met with a response and welcome from the government. He did not say what measures would follow. Source: Shura Council of Qatar (opens in a new tab), 2025-06-30
  • At its meeting of 11 December 2024 the Cabinet approved in principle a draft law regulating advertising, public relations, artistic works and artistic production. The draft was posted for public comment on the government's Sharek platform, with comments closing on 26 December 2024. Source: Sharek, Qatar government e-participation platform (opens in a new tab), 2024-12 (consultation closed 2024-12-26)
  • Article 2 of the draft would bar any advertising, publicity or public relations activity without a prior licence from the Ministry of Culture's competent department. The draft defines advertising activity as any activity by a natural or legal person to design an advertisement or promote goods or services, by any means of expression, including websites. A trader promoting goods or services they sell and provide themselves, or a trademark they own, would not count as advertising activity. Source: Ministry of Culture draft, published on Sharek (Qatar government e-participation platform) (opens in a new tab), 2024-12 (consultation draft)
  • Article 16 of the draft would require an individual licence applicant to be Qatari, at least 18 years old, of full civil capacity and of good conduct and reputation, with no final conviction for a crime against honour or trust unless rehabilitated. A company applicant would have to be formed under the Commercial Companies Law, with at least 51% of its capital owned by Qataris. Source: Ministry of Culture draft, published on Sharek (Qatar government e-participation platform) (opens in a new tab), 2024-12 (consultation draft)
  • Article 23 of the draft would punish a breach of Articles 2, 8 or 13, which include advertising without a licence, with a fine of up to QR 250,000, and a breach of Articles 3 or 9, which include the bans on certain advertising content, with a fine of up to QR 500,000. Source: Ministry of Culture draft, published on Sharek (Qatar government e-participation platform) (opens in a new tab), 2024-12 (consultation draft)
  • Consumer Protection Law No. 8 of 2008 defines an advertiser as anyone who advertises or promotes a good or service, personally or through someone else, by any means of advertising. Its Article 18 exempts the advertiser from liability when the information in the advertisement is technical, could not be verified, and was provided by the supplier. Source: WIPO Lex (consolidated text of Qatar's law, reproduced from Al Meezan, Qatar Legal Portal) (opens in a new tab), 2008 law, as amended to 2018 (page read 2026-10-27)
  • Article 7 of the Consumer Protection Law bars a supplier from describing, advertising or displaying a good in a way that contains false or deceptive information, and Article 17 requires the advertisements and information covered by Articles 7, 8 and 11 to be in Arabic, though other languages may be used alongside. Article 18, in the text as amended up to Law No. 7 of 2018, punishes breaches of the law's chapter on supplier obligations (Articles 5 to 17), which includes Article 7, with up to two years in prison and/or a fine of QR 3,000 to QR 1,000,000, doubled for a repeat offence. Source: WIPO Lex (consolidated text of Qatar's law, reproduced from Al Meezan, Qatar Legal Portal) (opens in a new tab), 2008 law, as amended to 2018 (page read 2026-10-27)
  • In October 2025 the Ministry of Commerce and Industry ordered a one-month administrative closure of a manufacturer of motorcycles and powersports vehicles, saying it had described and advertised a product in a false or misleading way in breach of Article 7 of Consumer Protection Law No. 8 of 2008. Source: The Peninsula (Doha) (opens in a new tab), 2025-10-23
  • Al-Raya reported on 15 March 2026 that the Official Gazette had published Decision No. 25 of 2026 of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, which sets the conditions for carrying on, through websites, commercial activities that need no physical premises. The Decision bars any commercial activity through a website without an e-commerce licence from the Ministry, and an applicant must be in the commercial register. It does not apply to dealings through websites in goods and services for personal use, provided they are not in commercial quantities. Source: Al-Raya (Doha) (opens in a new tab), 2026-03-15
  • On 17 September 2026 the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said it had launched the e-commerce licence under Decision No. 25 of 2026. The licence covers 194 approved activities, costs QAR 500 to issue, and can be applied for online. Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, State of Qatar (opens in a new tab), 2026-09-17
  • A Doha law firm reported that the Decision defines an electronic website as any system or technology that relies on information technology to facilitate transactions or communication between parties, including social media and online platforms. Source: Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners (Doha law firm) (opens in a new tab), 2026-03-29
  • Law No. 11 of 2025, published in the Official Gazette on 4 August 2025, added Article 8 bis to Cybercrime Law No. 14 of 2014. Infringing the privacy of people in a public place by publishing or circulating images or video clips of them without their consent, or in circumstances the law does not permit, through an information network or other information technology, carries up to one year in prison and/or a fine of up to QR 100,000. Source: The Peninsula (Doha) (opens in a new tab), 2025-08-05

Palestine: no creator licence found; online selling and ads are regulated

Do influencers in Palestine need a licence?

As of 27 October 2026 we found no licence, permit or registration made for influencers or content creators in Palestine. Decree-Law No. 21 of 2025 on E-Commerce, in force since 27 January 2026, requires anyone practising e-commerce to register in the E-Commerce Register (a 30-dinar application fee, plus 20 dinars to reserve the store name the application must attach) and every electronic ad to state clearly that it is a commercial ad, give the store's name and register number, and be shown in Arabic; breaches can bring up to three years in prison, a fine of 500 to 4,000 Jordanian dinars, or both. We found no source on whether a creator paid only to promote another business's product must register. Misleading or non-Arabic advertising can also be fined under the Consumer Protection Law.

Algeria: no influencer licence found

Do influencers in Algeria need a licence?

We found no licence or permit made for influencers in Algeria as of 27 October 2026, but the laws we found provide two registers that can cover the work. Algérie Eco reported in April 2021 that the commercial register had added 'influencer on social networks' to its list of activities; we could not confirm that it is still on the list. Law No. 04-08 requires anyone carrying on a commercial activity to be in the commercial register. The National Auto-Entrepreneur Agency lists 'content creator on social media' as an auto-entrepreneur activity; Law No. 22-23 says anyone who meets that status's conditions must apply to the national auto-entrepreneur register and get a tax number, and exempts them from the commercial register. The status is open to annual turnover of up to 5,000,000 DA, with a flat 0.5% tax (minimum 10,000 DA a year). General laws apply: e-commerce Law No. 18-05 of 2018 requires advertising sent electronically to be clearly identifiable as advertising and to identify the person on whose behalf it was made, and Law No. 04-02 of 2004 bans misleading advertising. Two MPs' 2025 proposals and a draft tax measure for 2027 are not law as far as we found.

United Arab Emirates: the Advertiser Permit

Do influencers in the UAE need a licence?

Yes. Since 1 February 2026 every individual who produces advertising content from within the UAE, paid or unpaid, whether citizen, resident or visitor, needs an Advertiser Permit, now issued by the National Media Authority; people advertising their own product, service or company through their personal account, and under-18s doing certain educational, sports, cultural or awareness activities, are exempt. Citizens' and residents' permits last one year and require a commercial licence for electronic media (one from any UAE free zone is accepted if it is a sole establishment); the permit itself is free for the first three years and then costs AED 1,000; visitors need a three-month permit applied for by a UAE advertising agency (AED 500). Businesses must contract only with permit holders, and advertising without a permit brings a written warning, then fines of AED 20,000 and AED 50,000.

  • Emirates 24|7 reported in July 2026 that since 1 February 2026 the National Media Authority has required advertising content creators to hold a valid Advertiser Permit. It applies to every individual, whether citizen, resident or visitor, who produces advertising content from within the UAE, paid or unpaid, on social media or any other modern technological means. Source: Emirates 24|7 (Dubai Media Incorporated) (opens in a new tab), 2026-07-01
  • WAM reported, in a story Sharjah24 carried on 18 December 2025, that the UAE government had issued a federal decree-law establishing the National Media Authority. Under it, the Authority replaces the UAE Media Council, the National Media Office and the Emirates News Agency (WAM) in all their powers, rights, obligations and related legislation. Source: Sharjah24 (Sharjah), carrying WAM's report (opens in a new tab), 2025-12-18
  • The National Media Authority's service page for the individual permit says it lets an individual publish advertising and media content through their social media accounts, websites or other modern digital platforms, paid or unpaid. It is free of charge for the first three years and costs AED 1,000 after that, and the service takes three working days. Source: National Media Authority (UAE) (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • The same page lists what an applicant needs: a digital ID, a passport, a personal photo and a commercial licence. The applicant must complete the regulator's training programme on the applicable laws and rules, be of good conduct with no conviction for a felony or a dishonesty-related offence unless legally rehabilitated, have no previously cancelled permit and owe the Authority nothing. Source: National Media Authority (UAE) (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • The regulator's Advertiser Permit guide bases the permit on Decision No. 3 of 2025 of the chairman of the UAE Media Council's board, Federal Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023 on media regulation and related Cabinet resolutions. It says the trade licence for electronic media that an applicant submits may come from any free zone in the UAE, provided it is a sole establishment. Source: UAE Media Council guide, published by the National Media Authority (UAE) (opens in a new tab), 2025
  • WAM reported at the launch that two groups are exempt: a person who advertises their own product or service, or a company they own, through their personal account; and under-18s who provide educational, sports, cultural or awareness activities, provided the activity fits the age classification set by the relevant legislation. Source: Emarat Al Youm (Dubai), carrying WAM's report (opens in a new tab), 2025-07-30
  • Emirates 24|7 reported that for citizens and residents the permit is valid for one year and can be renewed, and that it expires 30 days after its validity period if it is not renewed. Source: Emirates 24|7 (Dubai Media Incorporated) (opens in a new tab), 2026-07-01
  • The National Media Authority issues a separate permit for visitors. It covers people who come to the UAE to publish advertising content on social media or online, paid or unpaid. A UAE advertising agency must submit the application, and the visitor must be at least 18, have full legal capacity and be of good conduct. The permit lasts three months, and the Authority may extend it, for one or more periods, to no more than six months in total. The fee is AED 500, and the service takes three working days. Source: National Media Authority (UAE) (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • The regulator's guide requires a business or other body that engages an individual to advertise a brand, product, service or event in the UAE on social media to contract only with a permit holder listed in the database on the regulator's website, check that the holder complies with all the permit's conditions, never deal with a visiting advertiser who has no permit or invite one to marketing events, and sign a written agreement with the advertiser, giving the regulator a copy on request. Source: UAE Media Council guide, published by the National Media Authority (UAE) (opens in a new tab), 2025
  • Cabinet Resolution No. 42 of 2025, issued on 16 April 2025, sets the administrative fines under the media law. Under Table 1, item 11, a person or company that provides advertising or media content on social media or other modern technology, paid or unpaid, without a permit gets a written warning for a first offence, AED 20,000 for a second and AED 50,000 for a third, and the fine doubles on further repetition. Under item 12, continuing to advertise after the permit has expired is fined AED 10,000, then AED 20,000, and doubles on repetition. Source: UAE Cabinet (text published by the National Media Authority) (opens in a new tab), 2025-04-16
  • Gulf News reported in January 2026 that an Advertiser Permit can be cancelled or suspended, on top of other penalties, if the holder breaches its conditions or obligations, breaks the approved media standards in advertising content, or gave inaccurate, falsified or misleading information in the application. Source: Gulf News (Dubai) (opens in a new tab), 2026-01-24
  • WAM reported on 30 July 2025 that the UAE Media Council had launched the permit and that it would enter into force three months later. Permits already in force would remain valid until the end of their term, when their holders could apply to renew them. Source: Emarat Al Youm (Dubai), carrying WAM's report (opens in a new tab), 2025-07-30
  • Gulf News reported on 22 October 2025 that the UAE Media Council had extended the deadline for content creators and advertisers to obtain the permit to 31 January 2026. Source: Gulf News (Dubai) (opens in a new tab), 2025-10-22
  • Khaleej Times reported in May 2018 that rules the National Media Council issued that March required influencers doing business on social media, including those paid to advertise and promote brands, to hold an e-media licence, starting at Dh15,000, plus a trade licence. They had until the first week of June 2018 to apply; those who did not comply faced having their accounts shut down and fines of up to Dh5,000. Source: Khaleej Times (Dubai) (opens in a new tab), 2018-05-15

Saudi Arabia: the Mawthooq licence

Do influencers in Saudi Arabia need a licence?

Yes, to advertise. Since 1 October 2022 an individual who provides advertising content on social media has needed the Mawthooq licence, now issued by the General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), which said in December 2024 that it covers influencers visiting the Kingdom; GMedia's service page adds that a resident or foreign investor applying must hold the licence for audiovisual advertising offices, marketing offices and advertising agencies and own at least 50% of the company. GMedia lists a fee of SAR 15,000 for a three-year licence for applicants aged 18 or over, and an individual advertising their own product or service on their personal account is among the exemptions the Ministry of Media listed. Each ad must be clearly announced as advertising, and practising Mawthooq advertising without a licence carries a minimum fine of SAR 30,000.

  • The Saudi Press Agency reported on 31 July 2022 that the board of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM, now the General Authority for Media Regulation, GMedia) had added Mawthooq, a licence for individuals providing advertising content on social media platforms, to the Executive Regulations of the Audiovisual Media Law. GCAM asked Saudi individuals already doing this to get the licence through its Elaam e-services platform before 1 October 2022. Source: Saudi Press Agency (SPA, state) (opens in a new tab), 2022-07-31
  • Okaz reported GCAM's statement that the Mawthooq requirement took effect on 1 October 2022, making the licence mandatory for individuals who advertise. GCAM said an individual advertiser must hold the licence even when outside Saudi Arabia, and that if they do not, the competent authorities will penalise the companies advertising with them. Companies themselves need no Mawthooq licence, but an advertising agency's contract with an individual does not spare that individual from getting one. Source: Okaz (Jeddah) (opens in a new tab), 2022-10-01
  • GMedia's service page describes Mawthooq as a licence for individuals to provide advertising content on social media platforms. It lists a fee of SAR 15,000, a licence term of 3 years and processing in 30 working days, with applications through GMedia's e-services portal (the Elaam platform). Source: General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), Saudi Arabia (opens in a new tab), last modified 2026-09-14 (read 2026-10-27)
  • To get Mawthooq, GMedia's service page says, an applicant must be at least 18; have no criminal conviction for a crime against honour and trust; have had no final decision against them from GMedia or the committees that hear breaches of the Printed Materials and Publication Law in the six months before applying; have posted nothing on their accounts in those six months that breaches the media content controls; and describe the account or accounts they will advertise on and prove they own them. Source: General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), Saudi Arabia (opens in a new tab), last modified 2026-09-14 (read 2026-10-27)
  • GMedia's FAQ says the Mawthooq fee cannot be refunded once paid, that a Mawthooq licence cannot be transferred, and that covering festivals requires a Mawthooq licence. Source: General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), Saudi Arabia (opens in a new tab), last modified 2026-09-14 (read 2026-10-27)
  • Al-Madina reported on 28 July 2024 that GMedia had confirmed three cases exempt from Mawthooq, which the Ministry of Media listed in an infographic on X: advertising an event or activity of a government body, under GMedia's procedures; sponsorship of under-18s for educational, sports and cultural activities, where the sponsorship suits the individual's age rating; and an individual advertising their own product or service on their personal account. The ministry said the exemptions are without prejudice to the Audiovisual Media Law. Source: Al-Madina (Jeddah) (opens in a new tab), 2024-07-28
  • GMedia's service page says a resident or foreign investor applying for Mawthooq must hold the licence for audiovisual advertising offices, marketing offices and advertising agencies, and own at least 50% of the company, according to the data registered with government bodies. Source: General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), Saudi Arabia (opens in a new tab), last modified 2026-09-14 (read 2026-10-27)
  • GMedia posted on X on 1 December 2024, in a post Ajel reproduced, that advertising with influencers requires the Mawthooq licence, whether they are in the Kingdom or visiting it. Source: Ajel (Saudi e-newspaper), reproducing a post on X by GMedia (@Gmedia_SA) (opens in a new tab), 2024-12-01
  • In June 2022 GCAM (now GMedia) issued a circular barring non-Saudis who breach the Labour Law and the rules on expatriates, and hold no licence authorising them, from advertising on social media. It said that, working with the Ministry of Commerce, businesses would be told not to deal with such advertisers, residents or visitors, and to contract for advertising only with people who work under a commercial entity and hold a licence and the legal documents for commercial advertising on social media. It cited the Anti-Concealment Law (Royal Decree M/4 of 1/1/1442 AH), under which a non-Saudi's unlicensed economic activity on their own account in the Kingdom is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 5 million. Source: General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), Saudi Arabia (opens in a new tab), 2022-06-07
  • Disclosure: SPA reported that the rules for individuals' social media advertising require ads to be shown from an account registered with GCAM and linked to the licence, and require a notice before each ad, written or spoken and clear to the audience, that it is advertising content. They also require checking that the products or services advertised are licensed under the relevant laws and regulations. Source: Saudi Press Agency (SPA, state) (opens in a new tab), 2022-07-31
  • Disclosure under the E-Commerce Law: SPA reported on 5 February 2021 that, under the E-Commerce Law and its Executive Regulations, an electronic commercial ad must include a statement that it is "advertising material" (مادة إعلانية). The Ministry of Commerce had fined violators of these e-advertising controls a total of SAR 740,000; the violations involved 17 advertisers on social media and included not disclosing that they were presenting advertising. The ministry refers violators to the committee for E-Commerce Law violations, which can impose fines of up to SAR 1 million. Source: Saudi Press Agency (SPA, state) (opens in a new tab), 2021-02-05
  • Article 17 of the Audiovisual Media Law provides that, without prejudice to any heavier penalty under another law, a breach of the law or its regulations can bring one or more of: a fine of up to SAR 10 million, suspension from practising the profession for up to six months, or cancellation of the licence. The fine doubles if the breach is repeated, continues or is not corrected within the period GMedia sets, and GMedia may recover any financial gain the violator made from the breach. Under Article 18, GMedia itself can impose fines of up to SAR 1 million. Source: General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), copy of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers text (opens in a new tab), Royal Decree M/33 of 25/3/1439 AH (read 2026-10-27)
  • The schedule of violations annexed to the law's Executive Regulations sets minimum fines. Practising an activity without a licence carries at least SAR 30,000 for a first-category activity, a category that includes the licence for individuals' advertising content on social media (Mawthooq). A licensee who breaks the terms on individuals' social media advertising faces at least SAR 2,000, and the listed sanctions are suspension or withdrawal of the licence, or referral to the competent authorities. GMedia may impose the fine, the sanction or both, and may set the fine at the level it sees fit for the size and type of the breach. Source: General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), Saudi Arabia (document issued under its former name, GCAM) (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • Pending, not law: in November 2023 GMedia put out for public comment a draft Media Law that would replace the Audiovisual Media Law and the Printed Materials and Publication Law, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. The draft's penalties include a warning, a fine of up to SAR 10 million and a ban of up to six months on appearing in the media. As of October 2026 we found no report that it has been enacted. Source: Asharq Al-Awsat (opens in a new tab), 2023-11-05

Kuwait: a media-law licence from April 2027, and a reported company-only rule now

Do influencers in Kuwait need a licence?

Not under the new media law until it takes effect in April 2027, but a press report says influencers must already work through a company: Al-Rai reported on 9 May 2026 that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had begun to stop issuing advertising and marketing licences to individuals, and that influencers advertising on social media must now set up their own company or contract with a licensed advertising company that obtains a permit for each advert. We found no announcement of this by the ministry. Media Regulation Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026, published in the Official Gazette on 4 October 2026, takes effect in April 2027. From then, a promoter or advertiser whose content targets an audience in Kuwait may not advertise, paid or unpaid, without a two-year licence from the competent ministry in the cases the law's executive regulations set. The advertising itself also needs the ministry's licence and a clear label saying it is advertising; publishing it without that licence or without the label carries a fine of 1,000 to 50,000 Kuwaiti dinars. Influencers already active will have six months from the issue of the executive regulations to get licensed; we found no report by 27 October 2026 that the regulations had been issued.

  • Kuwait's Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026 issuing the Media Regulation Law was published in issue No. 1811 of the Official Gazette (Kuwait Al-Youm) on Sunday 4 October 2026, and under Article 5 it takes effect six months after publication. Article 2 gives the competent minister six months from publication to issue the law's executive regulations, and under Article 3 anyone running a media activity covered by the law when it takes effect must bring their status into line with it within six months of those regulations being issued, or their licence is cancelled. Source: KUNA, Kuwait News Agency (state), via Al-Jarida (Kuwait) (opens in a new tab), 2026-10-04
  • Kuwait Times reported that the law will take effect in April 2027, that the precise licensing requirements for influencers depend on executive regulations yet to be issued, and that influencers already active will have six months from the issue of those regulations to obtain the required licences. It said the way to apply for a licence had not been made public. As of 27 October 2026 we found no report that the regulations had been issued. Source: Kuwait Times (opens in a new tab), 2026-10-04
  • The law defines a promoter or advertiser as any natural or legal person who meets criteria the executive regulations will set and who, as a professional or commercial activity, creates, produces, publishes or broadcasts commercial, promotional or marketing content for the public to promote people, products, services or commercial events, on their own account or for others, paid or unpaid. Source: Al-Anba (Kuwait), print edition reproducing the decree-law text (opens in a new tab), 2026-10-05
  • Article 34 covers every promoter and advertiser, whether citizen, resident or visitor, whose advertising or promotion targets an audience inside Kuwait: none may advertise, paid or unpaid, without a licence from the competent ministry, in the cases and under the conditions and controls that the executive regulations set. An applicant must be at least 18, the ministry must accept or refuse an application within 60 days (silence for that long counts as a refusal), and the licence lasts two years, renewable for further periods of the same length. Licensed promoters and advertisers are entered on the electronic platform set up under Article 14 of the law. Source: Al-Anba (Kuwait), print edition reproducing the decree-law text (opens in a new tab), 2026-10-05
  • The law's explanatory memorandum says the executive regulations, not the law itself, will set out which promotional activity needs the licence and which does not, because promoters' activity varies in form, extent and effect. It also says a promoter or advertiser is bound by two chapters at once: under Chapter 8 (Articles 34-37) they must license their activity and register on the electronic platform, and under Chapter 12 (Articles 51-53) obtain a licence for the advertising material itself and disclose it. Neither replaces the other. Source: Al-Anba (Kuwait), print edition reproducing the decree-law text (opens in a new tab), 2026-10-05
  • Article 51 bars promoters, advertisers and media practitioners from publishing any commercial, marketing or promotional advertising, direct or indirect, or running competitions or giving out gifts, paid or unpaid, without the competent ministry's licence. Content a business publishes on its own website, app or account is not advertising that needs this licence when it falls within the cases set out in Article 30(2). Under Article 55, publishing such advertising, running competitions or giving gifts without the licence carries a fine of KD 1,000 to KD 50,000. Source: Al-Anba (Kuwait), print edition reproducing the decree-law text (opens in a new tab), 2026-10-05
  • Article 52 requires promoters, advertisers, media practitioners and anyone with an interest in an advert to include in it a clear and explicit indication that it is advertising. Under Article 56, publishing an advert without that indication, or one containing inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information aimed at deceiving consumers, carries a fine of KD 1,000 to KD 50,000. For any offence under the law, Article 65 lets a court also bar the convicted person from creating, running, managing or appearing on any account, website or app for up to one year. Source: Al-Anba (Kuwait), print edition reproducing the decree-law text (opens in a new tab), 2026-10-05
  • Kuwait's Decree-Law No. 10 of 2026 on digital commerce bars anyone from working in digital commerce before registering in the records of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Article 3). Under Article 23, the provider of a product or service that uses influencers to promote it must keep the influencer's data, records and agreements for at least five years and give them to the ministry on request, pay influencers through trusted payment channels that meet anti-money-laundering standards, and not use them in campaigns that defraud or mislead consumers. In the text Al-Anba printed, Article 45 says the decree-law takes effect one month after its executive regulations are published in the Official Gazette. Source: Al-Anba (Kuwait), reproducing the decree-law text (opens in a new tab), 2026-03-02
  • KUNA reported on 23 February 2026 that Decree-Law No. 10 of 2026 on digital commerce had been issued and that it would enter into force six months after its publication in the Official Gazette. Source: KUNA, Kuwait News Agency (state), via Kuwait Times (opens in a new tab), 2026-02-23
  • Al-Rai reported on 9 May 2026 that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had begun to stop issuing licences for advertising and marketing activities to individuals and to restrict them to companies, to implement Digital Commerce Decree-Law No. 10 of 2026. It reported that influencers and content creators advertising on social media must now either set up their own company or contract with a licensed advertising company, which obtains an 'advertising permit' for each advert before it is published. We found no announcement of this by the ministry. Source: Al-Rai (Kuwait) (opens in a new tab), 2026-05-09

Bahrain: no influencer-specific licence found

Do influencers in Bahrain need a licence?

We found no licence or permit specific to influencers in Bahrain in force on 27 October 2026. A proposed law the Shura Council referred to the government in April 2024 would require a ministry licence to advertise on social media; we found no bill or law that has come of it. The general Advertising Law says no one may advertise without a licence from the municipal-affairs ministry (the minister may exempt types of advert), and since 6 March 2026 advertising without one can bring imprisonment, a fine of BD 1,000 to BD 20,000, or both; but its text does not mention social media, and we found no official statement that it applies to influencers' posts.

  • On 7 April 2024 Bahrain's Shura Council agreed that a proposed law regulating advertising on social media could be considered, and referred it to the government to be drafted as a bill. The committee's rapporteur said the proposal would require a prior licence, make advertising on social media without a ministry licence a crime, and envisaged symbolic licence fees so that anyone could afford one. Source: Al-Bilad (Manama) (opens in a new tab), 2024-04-07
  • In October 2026, local experts cited by the Gulf Daily News called for content creators to be recognised as key partners in Bahrain's digital economy, with a licensing or regulatory framework to help professionalise the sector and protect consumers. Source: Gulf Daily News (Manama) (opens in a new tab), 2026-10-03
  • King Hamad ratified and issued Law No. 8 of 2026, amending Decree-Law No. 14 of 1973 on regulating advertisements, after the Shura Council and the Council of Representatives passed it. The law takes effect the day after its publication in the Official Gazette. Source: Akhbar Al Khaleej (Manama) (opens in a new tab), 2026-03-02
  • Law No. 8 of 2026, issued on 1 March 2026, was published in issue 3864 of Bahrain's Official Gazette, dated Thursday 5 March 2026. Source: Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain (issued by the Ministry of Information), hosted by the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission (opens in a new tab), 2026-03-05
  • Under the Advertising Law as amended, no one may advertise without a licence from the ministry responsible for municipal affairs, though the minister may exempt certain types of advert from the licence by decision. An advert must be in Arabic, with another language allowed alongside it, and must show the licence number in writing. A licence lasts at most one year and can be renewed. The consolidated text does not mention social media, the internet or electronic advertising. Source: Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, Kingdom of Bahrain (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • As amended in 2026, the Advertising Law defines an advertisement as any means of informing the public, or a group of people, about a good, service, product, device or anything else, whether by display, publication, drawing, symbol, image, sound, light or other means of expression, and whether it is made of wood, metal, paper, cloth, plastic, glass or any other material. Advertising without a licence, or in breach of one, is punishable by imprisonment and a fine of BD 1,000 to BD 20,000, or either penalty, and the penalty is multiplied by the number of offending adverts. Source: Akhbar Al Khaleej (Manama) (opens in a new tab), 2026-03-02
  • Law No. 41 of 2025, issued on 29 October 2025, amends Bahrain's press law and renames it the law on regulating the press and electronic media. It bars anyone from setting up, running or managing an electronic media site in Bahrain, or managing an office or branch of an electronic media site that operates from abroad, without a licence from the ministry responsible for media affairs; print newspapers' websites are exempt from the licence. The new chapter covers electronic publishing houses, online-only newspapers, print newspapers' websites and any other electronic media sites the minister designates by decision. Breaching the licence rule is punishable by a fine of up to BD 10,000. Source: Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, Kingdom of Bahrain (opens in a new tab), 2025-10-29

Oman: a commerce ministry licence, plus media-law rules on adverts

Do influencers in Oman need a licence?

Yes: since March 2023, Ministerial Decision 619/2022 has required anyone who markets or promotes goods or services on websites or social media to hold a licence from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and to do the work through a registered commercial company, unless the work is non-profit or a merchant is promoting what they sell themselves. Licensees must show their licence number, and brands must check that a promoter is licensed. Separately, the Media Law's Executive Regulations, in force since 15 September 2025, bar unlicensed accounts from publishing electronic commercial adverts without the Ministry of Information's written approval.

  • Under the regulation issued by Ministerial Decision No. 619/2022 of Oman's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MOCIIP), no one may carry out marketing or promotion of any good or service on websites or social media, whether in writing, drawings, images, symbols, sound or any other means, without a licence from the ministry's Commercial Affairs and E-Commerce Department. Two groups are exempt: people doing non-profit work such as charity and volunteering, and merchants promoting goods or services they sell or provide themselves, who must still follow the regulation's other rules. Source: Qanoon.om (law database reproducing Oman's Official Gazette No. 1473) (opens in a new tab), 2022-12-25 (gazette; issued 2022-12-21)
  • To get the licence, the activity must be carried out through a commercial company other than a joint-stock company, registered in the Commercial Register. The licence lasts three years and is renewable. Decision 619/2022 took effect 90 days after its publication in the Official Gazette on 25 December 2022, and gave those it covers six months from the date it took effect to comply. Source: Qanoon.om (law database reproducing Oman's Official Gazette No. 1473) (opens in a new tab), 2022-12-25 (gazette; issued 2022-12-21)
  • Article 8 of the regulation requires anyone who wants a good or service marketed or promoted to make sure the promoter holds the licence. Under Article 9, licensees must state their licence number, keep their marketing genuine and not exaggerated, and not promote goods or services that need prior approval from the competent authorities, unlicensed projects or counterfeit goods. Source: Qanoon.om (law database reproducing Oman's Official Gazette No. 1473) (opens in a new tab), 2022-12-25 (gazette; issued 2022-12-21)
  • Under Article 14 of the regulation, a committee may impose one of four penalties on anyone who breaches it: a warning, an administrative fine of up to OMR 1,000, suspension of the licence for up to one year, or cancellation of the licence. Source: Qanoon.om (law database reproducing Oman's Official Gazette No. 1473) (opens in a new tab), 2022-12-25 (gazette; issued 2022-12-21)
  • Times of Oman reported in March 2023 that MOCIIP would begin applying the regulation on 24 March 2023. The director of the ministry's Commercial Affairs and E-Commerce Department said there would be no fees for the licence "currently", and that any expatriate company or individual can come to Oman to promote their products and services but must set up their own company and get a licence to start. She also said companies and commercial establishments that deal with unlicensed promoters and advertisers face a fine of up to OMR 1,000, suspension of a licence for up to a year, and cancellation of a licence after a warning. Source: Times of Oman (opens in a new tab), 2023-03-20
  • At a government briefing in June 2026 for people active on social media, news accounts and content creators, MOCIIP's Director General of Commerce said marketing and promotion on websites and social media requires the licence, compliance with the rules that govern it, and checking that the activity or service promoted is lawful. The Ministry of Information's Director General of Publications and Artistic Works said each government body applies its own law within its remit: media activities fall under the Ministry of Information, while other bodies regulate commercial and promotional matters and consumer protection. Source: Oman Daily (Jaridat Oman) (opens in a new tab), 2026-06-16
  • Oman's Media Law (Royal Decree No. 58/2024) was published in the Official Gazette on 10 November 2024 and took effect the next day. Article 9 requires anyone wishing to carry out listed media activities, including advertising and publicity, to obtain a licence from the Ministry of Information. Under Article 51, practising an activity the law or its regulations cover without a licence is punishable by one to three years in prison and/or a fine of OMR 10,000 to OMR 20,000. Source: Qanoon.om (law database reproducing Oman's Official Gazette No. 1570) (opens in a new tab), 2024-11-10
  • The Media Law's Executive Regulations (Ministry of Information Decision No. 165/2025) were published in the Official Gazette on 14 September 2025 and took effect the next day. Article 71 bars anyone from publishing or broadcasting adverts in the media, including electronic messages and adverts, unless licensed by the ministry. Licensed newspapers and audio or visual channels, licensed electronic media sites and platforms, and shops and malls advertising their licensed activities on or inside their premises are exempt. Source: Qanoon.om (law database reproducing Oman's Official Gazette No. 1613) (opens in a new tab), 2025-09-14 (gazette; issued 2025-09-11)
  • Under Article 74 of the Executive Regulations, unlicensed electronic sites and accounts may not publish electronic commercial adverts without the Ministry of Information's written approval. The same article tells advertising agencies to keep each advert clearly separated from editorial content, and Article 72 makes adverts by those without a licence subject to the controls in the law and the regulations. The regulations' fee schedule charges OMR 5 for the clearance of each commercial advert, and OMR 5, with a OMR 50 financial guarantee, for a two-year licence to practise the profession of "media activist". Source: Qanoon.om (law database reproducing Oman's Official Gazette No. 1613) (opens in a new tab), 2025-09-14 (gazette; issued 2025-09-11)
  • The Executive Regulations count "electronic content creator" and "social media activist" among media professions (Article 92), and no one may work as a media professional or correspondent in any media institution or electronic media site without a Ministry of Information licence (Article 91). Article 89 requires applicants for the licence to carry out media activities on social media platforms to be Omani, while Article 94 sets extra conditions for licensing a non-Omani journalist or media professional, including a residence card that matches the licence and a university degree in journalism or media with at least five years' experience in journalistic work. Source: Qanoon.om (law database reproducing Oman's Official Gazette No. 1613) (opens in a new tab), 2025-09-14 (gazette; issued 2025-09-11)

Egypt: no influencer licence found; a bylaw and a bill in draft

Do influencers in Egypt need a licence?

We found no licence, permit or registration made for influencers in Egypt as of 27 October 2026. Law No. 180 of 2018 excludes personal accounts, but its Article 19, which bans false news, incitement and other content it lists, also binds personal websites, blogs and accounts with 5,000 or more followers, which the Supreme Council for Media Regulation may suspend or block. A draft content-making bylaw (March 2026) and an MP's draft law to register content creators (February 2026) had not taken effect as far as we found. Consumer Protection Law No. 181 of 2018 treats anyone who promotes a good or service, including by digital means, as an advertiser bound by its rules against deception.

  • The first promulgating article of Egypt's law regulating the press, media and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) applies the law to all press and media entities, institutions and outlets and to websites, and excludes the personal website or medium and the personal electronic account. Source: Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), Egypt (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • Article 19 of that law bars newspapers, media outlets and websites from publishing or broadcasting false news, content that calls for or incites breaking the law, violence or hatred, and other content it lists, such as discrimination between citizens, insult or defamation of individuals, and contempt for the revealed religions or for religious beliefs. As an exception to the first promulgating article, Article 19 also binds every personal website, personal blog and personal electronic account with 5,000 or more followers. The SCMR must take appropriate action against a breach and may, by its own decision, suspend or block the website, blog or account, without prejudice to the legal liability for the breach. Source: Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), Egypt (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • On 10 May 2020 the SCMR issued Decision No. 26 of 2020, its licensing regulation under Law No. 180 of 2018 on regulating the press, media and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation. The SCMR said the regulation includes procedures for licensing Egyptian and non-Egyptian websites operating in Egypt, among them social networking sites, under Article 6 of that law; its statement does not mention personal accounts. Source: Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), Egypt (opens in a new tab), 2020-05-10
  • The SCMR reported on 2 March 2026 that its chairman, at two meetings of the House of Representatives' media, culture and antiquities committee, said the council had finished preparing a draft content-making bylaw and setting rules for advertising content, and that it had been sent to the relevant bodies ahead of its issuance. As of 27 October 2026 we found no report that it has been issued. Source: Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), Egypt (opens in a new tab), 2026-03-02
  • In February 2026 an Egyptian MP from the Republican People's Party announced a 54-article draft law on protecting children from digital influencers and regulating digital life. It would create a national body to register content creators and influencers, and regulate content-making through licensing or registration. It is a proposal: as of 27 October 2026 we found no report that it has been passed. Source: Youm7 (Egypt) (opens in a new tab), 2026-02-12
  • Egypt's Consumer Protection Law No. 181 of 2018 defines an advertiser as anyone who advertises or promotes a good or service, personally or through others, by any media or advertising means, including digital means. The person who requests an advertisement, the advertising intermediary, the advertising agency and the advertising medium are also deemed advertisers, in line with the Egyptian standard specifications for advertising goods and services. Source: Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency (copy of the Official Gazette) (opens in a new tab), 2018-09-13
  • Article 9 of the Consumer Protection Law requires a supplier or advertiser to avoid any deceptive conduct concerning the elements it lists, among them a good's nature, essential qualities, components, quantity, source and conditions of use. Source: Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency (copy of the Official Gazette) (opens in a new tab), 2018-09-13
  • Under Article 14 of the Consumer Protection Law, a contest may not be advertised by any means until the Consumer Protection Agency has been notified at least three days before the advertisement. The agency may stop the contest and any ads for it if it finds the contest is not serious or is deceptive. Source: Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency (copy of the Official Gazette) (opens in a new tab), 2018-09-13
  • Under Article 57 of the Consumer Protection Law, where Article 9 or 14 is breached, the Consumer Protection Agency may ask the supplier and the advertiser to correct or amend a deceptive or misleading ad. If they do not do so within three days of the request, or the advertised product harms consumers' health and safety, it may suspend the ad temporarily, for up to seven days; it must report the suspension to the public prosecution within 48 hours, and a court then confirms or cancels it. Under Article 68, anyone who refuses to carry out a decision to stop an ad under Article 57 faces a fine of EGP 50,000 to EGP 1 million, or twice the amount agreed with the advertising medium for the ad, whichever is greater. Source: Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency (copy of the Official Gazette) (opens in a new tab), 2018-09-13
  • Egypt's state news agency MENA reported on 2 September 2026, in an article on the National Media Authority's site, that the Consumer Protection Agency continuously monitors advertising content across media and digital platforms, including ads circulating on social networking sites, through its 'Advertising Observatory'. Source: National Media Authority of Egypt (maspero.eg, state), report by MENA (Middle East News Agency, state) (opens in a new tab), 2026-09-02

Morocco: no creator licence found; consumer law covers advertising

Do influencers in Morocco need a licence?

Not as far as we found: as of 27 October 2026 no Moroccan law, decree or regulator decision requires influencers or content creators, as such, to hold a licence or permit or to register. The audiovisual regulator HACA says its remit does not include social networks, and the communication minister said in 2025 that his ministry was preparing a legal framework to extend HACA's powers to the digital field; we found no bill filed in parliament. Consumer-protection Law No. 31-08 requires advertising received through a communication service addressed to the public to say clearly that it is advertising and to name the supplier behind it, and bans misleading advertising.

  • In its 2023 annual report, Morocco's audiovisual regulator HACA says the texts in force limit its competence to audiovisual media, and that its subject-matter remit does not include, among other things, electronic press, social networks or digital content-sharing platforms. The report says Morocco must, as soon as possible, put in place a new legal framework covering the various aspects of what global digital players do. Source: HACA (Haute Autorité de la Communication Audiovisuelle), Morocco (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • HACA's summary of its 2024 annual report, dated 11 February 2026, says 38 complaints were rejected or closed without further action in 2024, half of them about cases outside its remit, such as content posted on social networks. Source: HACA (Haute Autorité de la Communication Audiovisuelle), Morocco (opens in a new tab), 2026-02-11
  • On 14 May 2025 Morocco's minister of youth, culture and communication told the House of Representatives' culture, education and communication committee that his ministry was preparing a legal framework that aims to extend HACA's powers so it can regulate the digital field, before submitting it to the legal procedure in force. Source: Hespress (Morocco) (opens in a new tab), 2025-05-14
  • In a written answer to a question from the Popular Movement (Haraki) group in the House of Representatives, reported on 7 November 2025, Morocco's minister of youth, culture and communication said the ministry was considering preparing a draft law in the form of an audiovisual communication code; the draft aims to regulate the digital field, including digital platforms and social media. Source: Hespress (Morocco) (opens in a new tab), 2025-11-07
  • Article 23 of Morocco's consumer-protection Law No. 31-08 requires any advertising, in whatever form, that can be received through a communication service addressed to the public to show clearly and unambiguously that it is advertising, and to name clearly the supplier on whose behalf it was made. Under Article 176, a supplier who advertises in breach of Article 23, by whatever distance-communication technique, faces a fine of MAD 10,000 to 50,000, and the court may order the conviction published or posted. The law does not mention influencers: these are general advertising rules. Source: Ministry of Justice of Morocco, legal portal (adala.justice.gov.ma) (opens in a new tab), 2011-04-07 (issued 2011-02-18)
  • Article 21 of Law No. 31-08 bans any advertising that contains, in whatever form, false claims, indications or presentations, or ones likely to mislead. Under Article 174 a breach is punished by a fine of MAD 50,000 to 250,000, whose maximum can be raised to half of what the offending advertising cost; a legal person faces a fine of MAD 50,000 to 1,000,000. Source: Ministry of Justice of Morocco, legal portal (adala.justice.gov.ma) (opens in a new tab), 2011-04-07 (issued 2011-02-18)
  • Article 175 of Law No. 31-08, which applies the Article 174 penalties for misleading and comparative advertising to further breaches, makes the advertiser on whose behalf the advertising is made principally liable for the offence committed; where the offender is a legal person, liability falls on its managers, and complicity is punishable under the Penal Code. The offence is committed once the advertising is made, received or perceived by the consumer. Source: Ministry of Justice of Morocco, legal portal (adala.justice.gov.ma) (opens in a new tab), 2011-04-07 (issued 2011-02-18)
  • Hespress FR reported on 12 May 2026 that Morocco's Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah, in a detailed answer addressed to Parliament, said influencers resident in Morocco, and those working from abroad for the Moroccan market, are subject to income tax under the ordinary rules, and that YouTubers and bloggers whose annual turnover exceeds MAD 500,000 are subject to VAT. The report says there is, to date, no 'YouTube tax' or regime specific to social networks. Source: Hespress FR (Morocco) (opens in a new tab), 2026-05-12

Tunisia: no licence found; a 2024 bill on online marketing is still in committee

Do influencers in Tunisia need a licence?

As of 27 October 2026 we found no licence or permit in force for influencers in Tunisia. Bill No. 42/2024, filed by MPs on 7 May 2024 and still listed as before a parliamentary committee, would bar anyone from marketing or promotion on websites and social networks without the Commerce Ministry's specification (cahier des charges), set a minimum age of 18 and require every electronic ad to state clearly that it is advertising. Le Temps reported in June 2026 that speakers at an April 2026 parliamentary study day had proposed replacing the specification with an online declaration.

  • Tunisia's Bill No. 42/2024, on regulating marketing and promotion on websites and social networks, was filed by a group of MPs on 7 May 2024 and referred to parliament's committee on organising and developing the administration, digitalisation, governance and fighting corruption. The Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP) lists it among bills before committees; the latest committee meeting it records on the bill was on 11 June 2026, and its plenary record for the bill is empty. Source: Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP), Tunisia (opens in a new tab), undated (read 2026-10-27)
  • Under Article 7 of Tunisia's Bill No. 42/2024 as filed, no one could carry out marketing or promotion on websites or social networks until they had taken the specification (cahier des charges) for that activity from the Ministry of Commerce and Export Development's central or regional offices, downloaded it from the ministry's website or copied it from the Official Gazette. Anyone in breach would face the bill's penalties, and people doing non-profit work, such as charity or volunteering, would be exempt. Source: Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP), Tunisia (opens in a new tab), 2024-05-07 (ARP receipt stamp; cover letter dated 2024-05-06)
  • Article 2 of Tunisia's Bill No. 42/2024 as filed defines an advertiser as any person, company, institution or body that publishes paid posts on websites and social networks in return for material or non-material consideration. Under Article 9, anyone wishing to do marketing or promotion on websites and social networks would have to be at least 18. Source: Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP), Tunisia (opens in a new tab), 2024-05-07 (ARP receipt stamp; cover letter dated 2024-05-06)
  • Article 31 of Tunisia's Bill No. 42/2024 as filed would require every electronic advertisement, when published or sent, to include a clear statement that it is advertising material, the commercial promoter's name and any distinguishing details (unless the promoter is registered with an e-shop certification service provider), and the means of contacting the promoter. Source: Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP), Tunisia (opens in a new tab), 2024-05-07 (ARP receipt stamp; cover letter dated 2024-05-06)
  • Under Articles 42 and 43 of Tunisia's Bill No. 42/2024 as filed, breaches would carry one or more of four penalties: a warning; a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 Tunisian dinars; temporary partial or total blocking of the online shop; or striking off the activity by blocking the online shop permanently. Penalties would double for repeat offences, and under Article 49 the law would take effect three months after its publication in the Official Gazette. Source: Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP), Tunisia (opens in a new tab), 2024-05-07 (ARP receipt stamp; cover letter dated 2024-05-06)
  • La Presse reported that at a parliamentary committee hearing on Bill No. 42/2024 in April 2025, Tunisia's Commerce Ministry said the existing legal framework was mainly Law No. 40 of 1998 on sales methods and commercial advertising and Law No. 83 of 2000 on electronic exchanges and commerce, but that gaps remained, including monitoring sellers' activity on social networks and being unable to sanction foreign platforms. Source: La Presse de Tunisie (opens in a new tab), 2025-04-11
  • Le Temps reported that the parliamentary committee decided at a session on 2 June 2026 to keep examining Tunisia's Bill No. 42/2024, and quoted its chair as saying the Commerce Ministry's letter contained several substantive remarks that must be taken into account to reword parts of the bill. It also reported that speakers at a study day on the bill, held by the ARP's Parliamentary Academy on 29 April 2026, proposed replacing the prior specification (cahier des charges) requirement with a unified electronic declaration, under which operators would register their activity on a digital platform and get a receipt at once. Source: Le Temps News (Tunisia) (opens in a new tab), 2026-06-06
  • During the parliamentary debate on Tunisia's 2024 finance bill, Finance Minister Sihem Nemsia said 20,000 content creators and social-media service providers, on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, had been brought into the ordinary tax system, and that 140 content creators and social-media service providers had been placed under tax surveillance and asked to make payments estimated at 14 million Tunisian dinars. Source: La Presse de Tunisie (opens in a new tab), 2023-12-11

How this guide was made

Every claim states what its source says, in our words, and links that source. Official texts and regulators’ own pages, independent research and the platforms’ own documentation come first; press reports are cited for what they report, or where an official page could not be read, and each claim names its publisher. A number from a company that sells influencer or measurement services is labelled as such, and vendor benchmark reports were left out. Where we looked for a rule and found none, the guide says so. The claims were compiled and re-opened against their sources by an automated research process. No person reviews a guide before it is published. Corrections go through the contact page.

Disclosure. Interestana is part of the MyInfluencers Group, the companies of MyInfluencers, an influencer marketing agency in Qatar, Jordan and Palestine (About). This guide does not recommend any agency, MyInfluencers included.

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