Creatorverse: Dubai Is Angling to Be Creator Home Base

Hey Creatorverse readers,

If Los Angeles is the home of the TV and film industry, Dubai is aiming to be that for the creator economy. 

Last weekend was Dubai’s 1 Billion Followers Summit, an event hosted by the United Arab Emirates’ Government Media Office that claims to be the largest content creator expo. It’s not a lone collaboration.

U.S. investment firm Guggenheim Brothers Media (GBM) last week partnered with UAE firm Ethmar International Holding to launch an Abu Dhabi-based fund that invests in creator-led businesses. The fund led by UTA and Lionsgate alums Dillon Lawson-Johnston and Criswell Fiordalis reportedly ranges between $50 million and $75 million. Last year, Dubai also unveiled Creators HQ at Emirates Towers, a $40.8 million venture backed by the Content Creators Support Fund, and creator Nas Daily (14 million YouTube subscribers) opened the Nas House.

Saudi Arabia has also been courting creators for years. Since 2019, it’s been known that the Saudi government offered creators and influencers lavish trips in an attempt to better the kingdom’s reputation. Last year’s annual Riyadh Season featured the unveiling of MrBeast’s (461 million YouTube subscribers) temporary theme park Beast Land, and major creators iShowSpeed (49 million YouTube subscribers) and KSI (25 million YouTube subscribers) also filmed promotional spots for the event. 

There are several reasons why creators have turned to the welcoming arms of UAE. Between government-backed creator support funds, no income tax and a specific visa for creators and influencers, the country has been making a concentrated effort to embrace creators. But there are some major asterisks that come with this support. 

Non-resident creators are now required to have a temporary “Visiting Advertiser Permit” through the Media Council of UAE. The goal of this permit is to limit content the council dubs as misleading or harmful to the general public. Considering thatsame-sex relationships are illegal in the UAE as well as the country’sstrict laws about modesty, substance use and criticizing the government, the country’s definition of “harmful” should raise some eyebrows.

So why does this matter? The creator economy is undeniably the future of entertainment. As locations like Hollywood and Silicon Valley have proven, the physical hub for a new revolution sculpts how these movements evolve. And if the future of creators really takes off in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the next era of entertainment may come with some serious freedom of speech concerns. Just something to keep in mind. 

Now onto the rest.

Kayla Cobb

Senior Reporter
[email protected]

What’s New

TikTok adds a Series feature, loses a major executive

If you need further proof that TikTok is the new TV, here it is. TikTok has added a Series function to the app, which allows eligible creators to post premium content behind a paywall. A Series can be 80 episodes max, and each episode can range from 30 seconds to 20 minutes long. Users will be able to unlock this exclusive creator content by purchasing access through direct-in-video links or a creator’s profile.

In less exciting TikTok news, Kim Farrell, TikTok’s global head of creators and one of the masterminds behind TikTok’s first awards show, is leaving the company. Farrell’s departure is part of a company reorg that involves merging TikTok’s creator and publisher teams. Twenty people will be let go as part of this changeup. As TikTok transitions to its new U.S. owners, prepare for more news like this.

YouTube Shorts lets parents limit kids’ screentime

YouTube rolled out a new feature that will give parents more control over how long their kids can watch Shorts. Parents will even be able to set the timer to zero, meaning they can block children from scrolling when it’s time for homework and then bump screentime back up to 30 minutes for a car ride.

This update was released alongside the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA’s 2026 guide to creating content for teenagers. The biggest takeaways? Creators are still more influential to teens than traditional celebrities. Content that glorifies narrow beauty standards, excessive wealth, bullying and dangerous acts are big no-nos. Fun content from different perspectives that encourages curiosity is in.

Meta removes 550,000 accounts following Australia’s social media ban

Since Australia’s 16-and-under social media ban was implemented last month, Meta has removed almost 550,000 accounts across Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Meta is still opposed to this law, but as age lockdowns across social media become more common, this policy is one to keep an eye on. 

Speaking of changes at Meta, former Trump advisor Dina Powell McCormick was named Meta’s President and Vice Chairman. Trump was quick to praise her appointment. McCormick previously served on Meta’s board from April through December of last year.

By the Numbers

The average annual income for creators is less than $45,000

Though the creator economy has exploded, that new wealth hasn’t been equally divided, a new CreatorIQ report found. A survey of 300 participants found that the average creator earned $44,293 over the past year. Also, the average creator only earned $3,000 per campaign, and only 11% reported earning a six-figure income. Basically, a lot of that wealth is going to the top 10% of creators and leaving mid and lower-level creators in the dust.

Noticias Telemundo is the most-followed major U.S. news organization on TikTok 

Noticias Telemundo now has 14.9 million TikTok followers, making it the most followed major U.S. news organization on the platform. For comparison’s sake, ABC News has 14.2 million TikTok followers, and CBS has 10.5 million followers. Coverage of the ongoing U.S. incursion of Venezuela was responsible for the boost.

YouTube videos perform better with time

A new report from Agentio found that videos on YouTube generate about 40% of their views and 30% of their clicks in the first 30 days of being published. The report also found that it takes about six integrations with the same creator before brands see real conversions and clickthrough rates jump by 10% with each integration. Remember our prediction that longer brand deals are the future for the creator economy? The numbers are backing us up.

Speaking of YouTube, the platform will be the main focus for publishers this year, according to a report from the Reuters Institute. The same report predicts that traffic from search engines will drop more than 40% in the next three years as AI search tools become more common.

Movers and Shakers

Jamie Linn Watson will host Fallen Media’s new shortform series, “Sketch My Ex”

Jamie Linn Watson (41,000 followers on TikTok) will host the newest series from Fallen Media, the shortform production company, TheWrap has exclusively learned.

Each episode of “Sketch My Ex” will turn outrageous stories about participants’ exes into caricatures drawn by a professional sketch artist. The series has already seen strong early engagement, which has led to Fallen Media ramping up production and selling brand partnerships with companies like Meta and Dunkin. As a refresher, Fallen Media is behind shortform series like “What’s Poppin? With Davis!” as well as “Street Hearts” and “Subway Oracle.”

Hannah Stocking will star in a musical microdrama and Kasey Esser joins Underscore Talent

Creator Hannah Stocking (29 million TIkTok followers) joined the cast of a musical microdrama alongside actors Amber Laird and Sophie Sumner. “Playback” comes from Second Rodeo and will premiere on Holywater’s My Drama in early 2026. 

That’s not all. Microdrama star Kasey Esser (49,000 Instagram followers) signed with management firm Underscore Talent. As a refresher, microdramas are the hot new thing in Hollywood. Each episode lasts about a minute and a half, and they’re primarily consumed via mobile. A lot of money has been thrown at this space lately.

Kai Cenat launched a clothing line

After scaring his followers with an ominous “I quit” video, live streamer Kai Cenat (20 million Twitch subscribers) announced a new clothing line. The mega creator documented his new venture in a YouTube video. Cenat is one of the biggest if not the biggest creator around. Between this and his upcoming movie with Kevin Hart and Druski, it’s clear that Cenat is making moves to diversify beyond ambitious livestreams.

Who to Watch

“Ask Hank Anything”

Author and creator Hank Green has lowkey become the internet’s darling. His patient demeanor and love of explaining complex topics as simply as possible have netted him 2.9 million followers on YouTube. And next week he’s coming back with a new installment of “Ask Hank Anything,” a show where celebrity guests ask Green, well, anything.

Prepare for appearances from Jason Mantzoukas, Atsuko Okatsuka and more. The series comes from Complexly, Hank and John Green’s educational media studio that has also produced PBS Eons. Get ready to learn something new.

Bonus Content

• Pinterest CEO Bill Ready Is Taking Big Swings to Win Gen Z (via Vogue)
• Influencers and OnlyFans Models Are Increasingly Requesting O-1 Visas: ‘This Is the American Dream Now’ (via The Guardian)
• Did The Diary of a CEO Take the Red Pill? (via The Cut)

Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.

This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.

The post Creatorverse: Dubai Is Angling to Be Creator Home Base appeared first on TheWrap.