Ministry of Economy licenses Emirati Musicians' Association to safeguard the rights of creators and musicians enhancing competitiveness of UAE's creative economy
The Ministry of Economy announced the granting of the Collective Music Management license to the Emirati Musicians' Association (EMA), as part of its efforts to organize the collection and distribution of rights of music creators and ensure that media channels and content streaming platforms uphold copyrights held by creators in the UAE's music industry. The initiative contributes to enhancing the competitiveness of the UAE's creative economy and supports the establishment of a sustainable creative environment in line with global best practices, fostering the growth of talent and innovators. The Ministry explained that the issuance of the license is in alignment with the Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021 on copyright and neighboring rights.
The ceremony was organized by the Ministry in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC). It was attended by H.E. Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, who delivered the keynote address, along with H.E. Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, and H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for the Intellectual Property (IP) Sector at the Ministry of Economy. The event was also attended by representatives of various music sector entities, composers, artists, producers, various international organizations specializing in copyright protection, in addition to experts and stakeholders from the music industry and the UAE's IP protection landscape.
H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, emphasized that the UAE has successfully created an advanced legislative environment aligned with global best practices to strengthen IP protection. This enhances the competitiveness of the cultural and creative sectors, which are key drivers of the national economy. Over the past years, the UAE has successfully developed an integrated ecosystem for protecting authors' rights by updating legislation and launching impactful initiatives that keep pace with digital transformation and modern innovations, as reflected in the Copyright and Neighboring Rights Law. These developments have accelerated the country's efforts to position the creative economy as a fundamental pillar of sustainable economic growth.
H.E. Bin Touq added: 'The licensing of EMA marks a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance the growth of creative economy in the UAE, as it is one of the key pillars of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision. We aspire to make our country a regional and global hub for culture, talent, and creative content through the development of an attractive and stimulating legislative and regulatory framework.'
The Minister of Economy explained that the initiative is the latest step in building an institutional framework that protects rights, enhances justice, and creates new opportunities for artists, authors, and producers within the UAE. This will contribute to the development of the creative industries related to music. It is also part of the continuing efforts to achieve the objectives of the Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy, aimed at building a supportive environment that protects the rights of creators, attracting investment in the music sector, and establishing clear and transparent mechanisms for the collection and distribution of revenues.
Furthermore, H.E. pointed out that the licensing aims to create a strong and competitive collective management ecosystem for the music sector, which is key to attracting investment in the cultural industries and enabling partnerships between the public and private sectors. The Ministry of Economy does not limit its role to granting licenses, and will continue to provide technical and legislative support, as well as enhance cooperation with the Association to carry out its assigned tasks in accordance with best global practices.
H.E. added: 'The Ministry of Economy, in cooperation with relevant authorities from the public and private sectors, continues its efforts to provide all possible means to protect intellectual property rights across all economic sectors in the country, especially in creative industries. These sectors have witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, in light of the country's abundant capabilities and opportunities for creators and innovators in various sectors and activities related to intellectual property and creativity.'
His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture, affirmed that the granting of the first license to practice collective management of music rights consolidates the UAE's position as a leading destination in the field of intellectual property and a supporter of the music industry, which is a vital part of the creative economy. He pointed out that collective management is key to stimulating innovation, protecting the rights of creators, and building a sustainable environment that balances the interests of authors and artists with market requirements.
His Excellency said: 'The launch of this license represents a pivotal milestone in our cultural journey and reflects our vision for a future where creativity thrives. We at the Ministry of Culture are committed to empowering this sector through quality initiatives, most notably the National Grant Program for Culture and Creativity, which provides comprehensive support to Emirati creatives, with the aim of enhancing cultural production and developing cultural and creative industries.'
His Excellency added: 'The move contributes to creating a sustainable environment that supports artists and authors, preserves their original work and moral rights, and ensures the continuity of creative production, enhancing the confidence of talented individuals that their creations are protected by fair laws that encourage innovation.'
The Ministry of Economy explained that it will work in cooperation with EMA to develop an advanced digital platform that enables the registration of rights and promotes efficiency in revenue management, in addition to organizing awareness workshops for artists to apprise them of their rights and the mechanisms for protecting them. Cooperation with international institutions working in the field of copyright will also be enhanced, leveraging global experiences in implementing the best legal and technical practices in this field.
Gadi Oron, Director General of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), said: 'I am delighted to be attending this ceremony, which marks the awarding of the license to the Emirati Musicians' Association. This is a significant step that will certainly serve as a model for other entities. At CISAC, we are proud to have been part of a unique international collaboration to achieve this milestone, and we will continue our commitment to supporting the development of EMA and helping it become a successful organization that represents creators both within the country and globally.'
Victoria Oakley, CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), stated: 'The Emirati Musicians' Association has a governance system that meets international standards for managing public performance and broadcasting rights. The licensing of the association by the Ministry of Economy is another step towards establishing the UAE as one of the most vibrant and exciting music markets in the world. This is especially true given that the IFPI Global Music Report 2024 showed that this region is the fastest-growing music recording market globally. IFPI is proud to support these efforts and wishes it continued success and progress.'
The UAE prioritizes the development of an environment conducive to the growth and prosperity of creative industries. It has developed a number of laws and policies aimed at increasing the creative economy's contribution to national economic growth. This has boosted the contribution of cultural and creative industries to the UAE's GDP in 2022, up 3.5 per cent, equivalent to AED 54.4 billion.
In 2024, the global music industry saw its revenues grow by 4.8 per cent, reaching $29.6 billion, according to a report by IFPI. The Middle East and North Africa region grew by 22.8 per cent to become the fastest-growing recorded music market globally.
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