YouTube influencer marketing in the UAE grew with a moderate rise in the total number of influencer posts in 2022. The video streaming platform  in the country generated a solid engagement rate in all influencers categories compared to other social media giants. With over 66.43% of the younger generation using YouTube extensively, UAE continues to expand the window of opportunities for brands and influencers. 

‍affable.ai has examined influencers' profiles to see how UAE YouTube influencer marketing performed in 2022 to help brands achieve better conversions in 2023.  In this report, we’ll walk you through different metrics regarding the number of influencers, their engagement rate, the number of posts in 2022, audience demographics, and a list of the most engaging YouTube influencers in the UAE.

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Table of Content: 

1. Influencer Demographics 
2. Number of Influencers by Followers Count 
3. Influencers Engagement Rates 
4. Influencer Posts: 2021 Vs. 2022 
5. Top 10 Influencers with the Highest Engagement Rate

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1. Influencer Demographics
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YouTube in UAE is dominated by male users comprising 58.78% of the total audience base, whereas female users stand at 41.2%. Millennials (26-32) occupy the massive space on YouTube, accounting for 31.95%, and GenZ (19-25), with 25.64% of the entire audience. The data indicates that the video streaming platform can be ideal for brands whose target audience is younger generations in the country. On the other hand, the audience among the 33-39 age group comprises 16.7% of the total user base. 

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2. Number of influencers by Followers Count
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Micro-influencers with 10k-50k followers comprise a large portion of the YouTube creator economy, with 1550 individuals. On the other hand, the nano influencers accounted for 964 individuals in 2022. However, the UAE can witness growth in nano and micro-influencers as they are expanding categories of influencers on social media, leveraging niche markets.

Mid-tier (500-100k) and macro influencers (100k-250k) come next with 531 and 461, respectively. Finally, celebrity influencers with over 1M+ followers are 228 in number. 

‍Discover top-performing content creators in your region through our Influencer Ranking page. 

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3. Influencers Engagement rates
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YouTube generated high engagement rates among all the influencer categories, indicating that people are most likely to engage with all categories of creators on YouTube. Celebrity influencers with above 1M+ followers generated the highest engagement on the platform with 919498.0% of average views due to the high chances of their content going viral online. 

Mid-tier and macro influencers have developed a considerate amount of engagement rate to help brands and marketers establish win-win collaborations with the influencers. 

Further, micro and nano influencers generated about 100108.96% and 53418.50%  of engagement rates, implying that followers and influencers share a close connection and rapport. 

4. Influencer Posts: 2021 Vs. 2022 
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The number of influencers' posts increased by 6.67% in 2022 compared to 2021. Overall, influencers produced 43.3M posts in 2021 which increased to 46.1M in 2022. The data shows that YouTube influencer marketing in the country continues to expand through its strategy of sharing YouTube Shorts alongside long-form videos.

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Top 10 Influencers with the Highest Engagement Rate

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1. FFUNTV (@ffuntv, 13.6M subscribers) 
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Ffuntv's main content creation theme is an ice cream challenge, experimenting with different varieties of fruits, vegetables, and beverages. The channel’s YouTube Shorts went viral for their unique recipes with a twist, generating over 9.25% of engagement rate. In addition, Ffuntv’s distinctive style of blending ice creams attracted GenZ (50.9%), Millennials (41.82%), and GenX (7.27%). The channel’s estimated reach and impressions are 25.86M and 4.02M, respectively. 

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2. RedOne ( @redone, 1.36M subscribers) 
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Nadir Khayat, better known by his stage name RedOne, is a singer, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. Currently, he holds the creative entertainment executive position at FIFA. Redone is considered one of the most influential record producer artists in the contemporary world. His popularity captivates followers worldwide.  Primarily, his audience base comprises GenZ and Millennials, generating over a 7.20% engagement rate. He has worked with many high-profile artists, notably Lady Gaga, Akon, Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, One direction, Khaled, and many others, leading the music industry. Redone’s YouTube content is about his music productions and lifestyle, with estimated reach and impressions of 11.88M and 408.00K, respectively.

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3. Hunain (@Hunain, 1.57M subscribers) 
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Hunain is a freelance VFX artist and Youtuber. The dinosaur ( T-Rex ) is the main character in his content creation. His niche was producing different situational crossovers like T-Rex vs. Thanos, T-Rex, and Jurassic park. He created only limited T-Rex videos, but considering the quality of content, his channel generated an estimated reach and impressions of 11.75M and 471.00K, respectively. Hunain's creative way of featuring an extinct animal attracted GenZ (42.02%)  and Millennials (53.62) followers generating a 2.47% of engagement rate. 

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4. Dad builds a house (@dadbuildsahouse, 733K Subscribers)
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The YouTube channel - Dad builds a house - shows a fast-paced and advanced way of building a home. The channel’s primary audiences are Millennials (63.53%), GenX (23.53%), and  80% male followers. Their artistry and simple way of building complicated constructions generated a 4.49% engagement rate. The step-by-step process of construction videos is good at helping amateurs to understand the complex process easily. Their estimated reach and impressions are 8.35M and 219.30K, respectively.

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5. DJ MK (@djmk1, 592K subscribers) 
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DJ MK is a famous DJ and record producer  in Arabic Hip Hop. His YouTube shorts and Albums are favorites among GenZ and millennials, with over 10.8% of engagement rate.  His edgy way of mixing tracks and albums is famous among GenZ and millennials. DJ MK also collaborated with Hossam Al Rahal, expanding the reach of Arabic Hip Hop. His YouTube channel’s engagement rate is 10.80%, and estimated impressions are 173.70K. 

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6. Shamma Hamdan( @shammahamdan, 790K subscribers) 
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Shamma Hamdan is an Emirati singer who began her artistic career after winning second place in Arab’s Got Talent program. Shamma has performed many singles like “Yatamai”, “Habib Al-Sammer”, and many others. Her forte in music captivated GenZ and Millennials, comprising 88.23% of the audience. She conquered Arab audiences with her classical guitar and pure vocals, with an estimated reach of 4.16M and estimated impressions of 236.70K. According to affable.ai data, her total engagement rate is 3.58%. 

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7. Deepesh Zo (@deepesh__zo, 12.1M subscribers) 
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Deepesh Zo is a content creator primarily focused on motivational videos and love stories. His long-form and short-form videos gained massive followers, comprising 59.52% of males and 40.48% of females. His motivational content generated 1.71% of the total engagement rate. Deepesh Zo’s YouTube channel has reached an estimated 2.80M and estimated impressions of 3.60M. 

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8. Anas Elshayib (@AnasElshayib, 4.38M subscribers) 
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Anas Elshayib is an Actor and YouTuber best known for his self-named YouTube channel. His feed primarily includes adventures, vlogging, and daily life, filled with challenges and pranks. His content attracted GenZ and Millennials, comprising 64.77% females and 35.23% males. Anas’s YouTube channel generated a 5.51% engagement rate with an estimated reach and impressions of 3.39M and 1.30M, respectively. 

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9. Lamis Kan ( @lamiskan, 904K subscribers) 
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Lamis Kan is a pop music performer, actress and social media personality known for songs such as “Mesayatara” and “Habet Fayroz”. Her audience is mostly GenZ and Millennials, generating 8.14% engagement per video. Kan’s YouTube content is mainly focused on her music videos and lifestyle.  Her latest release captivated millions of music admirers worldwide with an estimated reach of 6.56M and estimated impressions of 270.30K. 

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10. XDubai (@XDubai, 434K subscribers) 
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XDubai’s concept for their content is to make videos on thrill seekers, the adventurous, and the action sports enthusiasts in Dubai. They draw the world's energy by collaborating with local and international sporting brands. The creations of XDubai captivated all generational audiences from  GenZ to GenX. They  encourage everyone to participate in the best sporting activities and events in Dubai, generating a 6.98% engagement rate.  XDubai’s estimated reach and impressions are 3.69M and 130.20K, respectively.