YouTube Shorts Fund goes live in the UAE

Dubai - The percentage of YouTube channels in the UAE making six figures or more in revenue in UAE dirhams is up over 40 per cent, year over year

YouTube has announced that its $100 million YouTube Shorts Fund, which seeks to reward content creators and artists for their creative and unique short videos, has gone live in the UAE.

Starting this Sunday, the YouTube Shorts Fund is now active in the UAE, in addition to other countries in the Middle East including KSA, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Morocco. The global was earlier announced in May this year, and is already available in a number of markets around the world. Channels that qualify for the fund can earn between $100 to $10,000 each month to start, with bonus payment amounts adjusted based on the channel’s total Shorts performance and their audience’s location. Experts at YouTube have said that the company has plans to expand the fund to even more countries in the coming months.

Tarek Amin, director of YouTube in the Middle East and North Africa, said that since the rollout of Shorts in the region earlier this year, the video platform has seen “great growth” in both viewership and content creation.

“The Shorts Fund was the logical next step as we build our long-term monetization plan for Shorts,” Amin said. “YouTube has helped an entire generation of creators and artists turn their creativity into businesses, and in the Mena region, the number of creators earning five and six figures from YouTube continues to grow year on year. The Fund is yet another tool in YouTube’s storytelling toolbox.”

In order to be eligible for the fund, content creators must meet certain criteria including the channel having uploaded at least one eligible Short in the last 180 days. In addition, all channels will need to abide by YouTube’s Community Guidelines, copyright rules, and monetization policies. Videos with watermarks or logos from third-party social media platforms, or videos re-uploaded from other creator’s channels will not be eligible. Also, channels do not need to be currently monetizing on YouTube to be eligible.

The announcement by YouTube is in line with several initiatives that have been launched to support the growth of content creators in the region. Earlier this year, Canon Middle East launched the second season of its youth empowerment programme called ‘AKTASHIF’ which aims to discover and develop the next generation of aspiring creatives based in the Middle East. The programme is a unique platform for aspiring photographers, videographers, and print creatives to discover their artistic voice.

“It is very important for content creators in the region to have a platform for their creative ideas simply because knowledge-sharing and ongoing support can be key differentiators for young people looking to launch a successful idea or business. Working together helps ignite the creative spark and allows budding entrepreneurs to unlock their passions while getting a better understanding of the direction they want to take with their careers,” said Mai Youssef, director of Corporate Communications and Marketing Services at Canon Middle East, Turkey, and Central & North Africa.

rohma@khaleejtimes.com