Dubai Media City and the wider UAE media ecosystem are expanding fast enough that even traditional channels are being reshaped by digital habits. With the UAE media market reaching USD 5.2 billion in 2023 and digital penetration at 68 percent, the gap between where revenue comes from and where audiences spend time is getting harder to ignore. From ad spend shifting to online platforms to a surge in local film output, the 2023 figures add up to a surprisingly clear picture of where UAE media is headed next.
Key Takeaways
- UAE advertising market size was USD 2.1 billion in 2023, growing 10.5%
- Digital advertising accounted for 65% of UAE ad spend in 2023 at USD 1.37 billion
- TV advertising revenue in UAE reached USD 650 million in 2023
- UAE media market digital penetration stood at 68% in 2023
- 99% of UAE population aged 16-64 are internet users, driving media consumption
- UAE social media users reached 11.3 million in 2023, 109% of population
- UAE produced 156 feature films in 2023, a 22% increase from 2022
- Dubai Media City hosts over 2,500 media companies producing content for global markets
- UAE TV channels broadcast 24,000 hours of local content annually in 2023
- UAE media workforce totals 45,000 professionals in 2023
- 12,500 journalists employed in UAE media sector as of 2023
- Dubai Media City employs 25,000 across 2,500 firms in 2023
- In 2023, the UAE media market was valued at USD 5.2 billion, reflecting a 7.5% year-on-year growth driven by digital transformation
- UAE's total media revenue reached AED 19.1 billion in 2022, with digital media contributing 42% of the total
- The broadcasting segment in UAE generated USD 1.8 billion in revenue in 2023, up 5% from 2022
UAE media grew fast in 2023 with digital leading ad spending and expanding the market to $5.2 billion.
Related reading
01 · Category
Advertising Revenue22 stats
01
UAE advertising market size was USD 2.1 billion in 2023, growing 10.5%
02
Digital advertising accounted for 65% of UAE ad spend in 2023 at USD 1.37 billion
03
TV advertising revenue in UAE reached USD 650 million in 2023
04
Out-of-home (OOH) ad spend in UAE grew 14% to USD 280 million in 2023
05
Print ad revenue in UAE dropped to USD 180 million in 2023, 18% decline
06
Social media ad spend in UAE hit USD 850 million in 2023
07
Programmatic advertising share in UAE reached 45% of digital ad market in 2023
08
Influencer marketing spend in UAE was USD 120 million in 2023, up 28%
09
Cinema advertising revenue in UAE totaled USD 45 million in 2023
10
Audio advertising (radio + digital) in UAE grew to USD 95 million in 2023
11
Retail media networks ad spend in UAE emerged at USD 50 million in 2023
12
Search advertising dominated UAE digital ads at 38% share, USD 520 million in 2023
13
Video ad spend in UAE digital market was USD 420 million in 2023
14
Display ad revenue in UAE totaled USD 310 million, 12% growth in 2023
15
Native advertising spend rose to USD 95 million in UAE 2023
16
CTV (connected TV) ad revenue emerged at USD 75 million in UAE 2023
17
Email marketing ad spend in UAE reached USD 40 million in 2023
18
Gaming in-app ad revenue USD 180 million in UAE 2023
19
DOOH (digital out-of-home) ads grew 22% to USD 150 million UAE 2023
20
Affiliate marketing revenue USD 65 million in UAE e-commerce media 2023
21
Podcast ad deals in UAE totaled USD 25 million in 2023
22
Brand sponsorships in UAE events/media hit USD 220 million 2023
Interpretation
Advertising Revenue Interpretation
In 2023, UAE advertising revenue totaled USD 2.1 billion and was increasingly dominated by digital, which rose to USD 1.37 billion or 65% of ad spend.
02 · Category
Audience Statistics20 stats
01
UAE media market digital penetration stood at 68% in 2023
02
99% of UAE population aged 16-64 are internet users, driving media consumption
03
UAE social media users reached 11.3 million in 2023, 109% of population
04
Average daily time spent on media by UAE adults is 7 hours 45 minutes in 2023
05
92% of UAE internet users watch online videos weekly
06
UAE TV viewership averaged 3.2 hours per day per household in 2023
07
7.8 million UAE residents use smartphones for news consumption daily
08
Print newspaper readership in UAE fell to 28% of adults in 2023 from 45% in 2019
09
UAE podcast listeners grew to 4.2 million in 2023, 45% increase
10
85% of UAE Gen Z consume media via TikTok and Instagram Reels
11
UAE internet users consumed 15.5 GB of video data per month on average in 2023
12
76% of UAE women aged 18-34 prefer digital news over TV, 2023 survey
13
UAE expatriates make up 88% of media audience for international content
14
Daily radio listenership in UAE cars reached 2.1 million in 2023
15
UAE YouTube monthly active users hit 9.8 million in 2023
16
62% of UAE adults subscribe to streaming services like Shahid and OSN in 2023
17
Gaming audience in UAE totals 6.7 million players aged 6+ in 2023
18
UAE print magazine circulation averaged 1.2 million monthly in 2023
19
Social media news trust in UAE at 42% among users in 2023
20
UAE short-form video consumption up 35% to 4 hours daily average
Interpretation
Audience Statistics Interpretation
Audience Statistics in the UAE are being strongly shaped by mass digital adoption, with 68% digital penetration in 2023, 99% of people aged 16 to 64 using the internet, and adults averaging 7 hours 45 minutes of media time daily.
03 · Category
Content Production20 stats
01
UAE produced 156 feature films in 2023, a 22% increase from 2022
02
Dubai Media City hosts over 2,500 media companies producing content for global markets
03
UAE TV channels broadcast 24,000 hours of local content annually in 2023
04
450 Arabic-language books published in UAE in 2023 by local publishers
05
UAE news outlets published 1.2 million digital articles in 2023
06
320 music albums released by UAE artists in 2023, up 15%
07
UAE gaming studios developed 45 titles in 2023, focusing on mobile
08
2,100 hours of radio programming produced locally per week in UAE
09
UAE ad industry produced 15,000 digital campaigns in 2023
10
Over 500 podcasts launched in UAE in 2023 by local creators
11
1,250 hours of local Arabic dramas produced by UAE broadcasters in 2023
12
UAE publishers exported 250,000 books internationally in 2023
13
18,000 hours of news content generated by UAE media annually in 2023
14
120 new digital media startups launched content platforms in UAE 2023
15
UAE film festivals screened 450 local productions in 2023
16
650 advertising creatives produced for Ramadan campaigns in UAE 2023
17
Local music videos uploaded to YouTube from UAE exceeded 5,000 in 2023
18
95 radio shows with original UAE content aired daily in 2023
19
UAE content creators on Instagram produced 2.5 million posts in 2023
20
40 documentaries on UAE heritage filmed by local media in 2023
Interpretation
Content Production Interpretation
UAE’s content production momentum is clear in 2023, with 156 feature films up 22% from 2022 and a wider creative output that includes 24,000 annual hours of local TV programming, 1.2 million digital news articles, and 320 music albums released, signaling rapid scaling across film, broadcast, news, and music.
More related reading
04 · Category
Employment And Infrastructure20 stats
01
UAE media workforce totals 45,000 professionals in 2023
02
12,500 journalists employed in UAE media sector as of 2023
03
Dubai Media City employs 25,000 across 2,500 firms in 2023
04
UAE media tech investments reached USD 750 million in 2023 for infrastructure
05
65% of UAE media jobs require digital skills, per 2023 survey
06
Abu Dhabi Media Zone hosts 450 companies with 8,000 employees in 2023
07
UAE has 150+ licensed TV channels operating from free zones in 2023
08
Fiber optic coverage for media streaming at 98% in UAE urban areas 2023
09
5G rollout enables 85% of media firms for AR/VR content in 2023
10
UAE media training academies graduated 3,200 professionals in 2023
11
UAE media sector added 4,500 new jobs in 2023, unemployment rate 1.2%
12
35% of UAE media workforce are women, up from 28% in 2020
13
Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) created 2,000 jobs for freelancers 2023
14
UAE invested AED 1.2 billion in media free zones infrastructure 2023
15
78% of media jobs in UAE require multilingual skills in 2023
16
Ras Al Khaimah Media Free Zone licensed 150 new firms in 2023
17
UAE 5G base stations for media at 15,000, covering 92% population 2023
18
AI tools adopted by 62% of UAE media companies for production 2023
19
Vocational training for 1,800 media technicians in UAE 2023
20
Data centers for media cloud storage capacity 10 PB in UAE 2023
Interpretation
Employment And Infrastructure Interpretation
In 2023 the UAE media sector supported 45,000 professionals with strong infrastructure momentum, shown by USD 750 million in media tech investment and a workforce increasingly geared toward digital skills where 65% of jobs require them.
05 · Category
Market Size And Growth11 stats
01
In 2023, the UAE media market was valued at USD 5.2 billion, reflecting a 7.5% year-on-year growth driven by digital transformation
02
UAE's total media revenue reached AED 19.1 billion in 2022, with digital media contributing 42% of the total
03
The broadcasting segment in UAE generated USD 1.8 billion in revenue in 2023, up 5% from 2022
04
Print media revenue in UAE declined to USD 450 million in 2023, a 12% drop due to digital shift
05
UAE digital media ad spend projected to reach USD 1.5 billion by 2027, CAGR of 11.2%
06
Overall UAE entertainment and media market expected to grow at 6.8% CAGR to USD 7.1 billion by 2027
07
UAE film and cinema revenue hit USD 320 million in 2023, boosted by post-COVID recovery
08
Music streaming revenue in UAE grew 25% to USD 85 million in 2023
09
UAE gaming media revenue reached USD 650 million in 2023, with 8.4% growth
10
OTT video revenue in UAE surged to USD 420 million in 2023, 18% YoY increase
11
Market Size and Growth category includes 30 statistics on revenue, projections, and sector valuations in UAE media.
Interpretation
Market Size And Growth Interpretation
Under the Market Size And Growth angle, the UAE media landscape is expanding, with the market reaching USD 5.2 billion in 2023 and continuing to grow 7.5% year over year as digital transformation boosts faster segments like digital media ads projected to hit USD 1.5 billion by 2027 at an 11.2% CAGR while print drops 12% in the same period.
report visual · Breakdown
Digital dominates UAE media ad spend (2023)
In 2023, digital advertising made up the majority share of UAE ad spend, with programmatic capturing a large portion of that digital market.
65%
Digital advertising accounted for 65% of UAE ad spend in 2023 at USD 1.37 billion
35%
UAE short-form video consumption up 35% to 4 hours daily average
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Uae Media Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uae-media-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Uae Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uae-media-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Uae Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uae-media-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
51 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level