YouTube Launches Shopping Affiliate Programme in Middle East
The platform introduces its creator-led shopping feature to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt with Amazon as its first partner.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Couponing
Live Poll
Do you trust product recommendations from social media creators when making your shopping decisions?
YouTube has officially rolled out its Shopping affiliate programme in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The new feature enables creators to earn commissions by tagging products in their videos, Shorts, and livestreams.
Why it matters
This expansion provides creators with a fresh revenue stream while offering retail brands a direct path to reach consumers through trusted content. It leverages creator influence to bridge the gap between product discovery and actual checkout.
Users globally view more than 40 billion hours of shopping-related content annually, with 40 million users performing shopping searches in June 2026. The new system integrates Google AI to identify products and suggest tags for creators.
The players
YouTube
A global video-sharing platform owned by Google that enables users to upload, view, and share content.
Amazon
A global multinational technology company that serves as the inaugural retail affiliate partner for the new programme.
The details
The programme allows viewers to make purchases by clicking tagged products or scanning QR codes on their television screens. Google AI assists creators by automatically identifying items featured in their content to streamline the tagging process.
Timeline
In June 2026, over 40 million users performed shopping-related searches.
YouTube launched the Shopping affiliate programme on October 26, 2026.
Culture Shift
This move reflects the growing industry shift toward social commerce where content consumption and retail transactions merge into a single seamless process. It positions YouTube to better compete with other platforms that have already normalized in-app shopping features for global audiences.
Viewers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt can now purchase products directly from their favorite creators' content using on-screen QR codes. This new convenience may alter daily shopping routines by turning video engagement into immediate, actionable retail transactions.
The takeaway
Creators in the region now have a clear pathway to monetize their content by recommending products they personally trust. Users should look for product tags in upcoming videos to access the new shopping features directly while they watch.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolving landscape of online deals in our Couponing section.
Live Poll
Do you trust product recommendations from social media creators when making your shopping decisions?
