UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism Issues Guide to Collective Management of Music Rights

Key Takeaways

• The UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism has issued its Guide to the Collective Management of Music Rights (Version 1.1), effective 1 December 2026.
• The Guide establishes a mandatory licensing framework for the use of music in commercial settings, including restaurants, hotels, retail outlets, malls, fitness centres, aviation, and broadcasting.
• A detailed pricing matrix sets annual tariffs by sector, based on factors such as seating capacity, floor area, number of rooms, or annual revenue.
• Businesses that use music in their operations must obtain a licence from a Ministry-approved Collective Management Organisation (CMO) before 1 December 2026.
• Exemptions apply for educational institutions, government entities, national occasions, and private non-commercial celebrations.

Introduction

On 11 August 2026, the UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism (MoET) announced the publication of its Guide to the Collective Management of Music Rights (Version 1.1) (the “Guide”). The Guide builds upon the regulatory framework set out under the UAE Copyright Law and the UAE Copyright Law IRs[1], governing the collective management of music rights in the UAE, including the licensing of Collective Management Organisations (“CMOs”), the obligations placed upon them, and the tariffs payable by businesses that use music in their commercial operations.

The Guide takes effect on 1 December 2026, from which date licensed CMOs will begin collecting fees from businesses across a wide range of sectors.

Scope of the Guide

The Guide applies to:

• licensed CMOs within the UAE;
• all right holders wishing to join a CMO to manage their rights;
• entities and organisations that use protected works (i.e. Musical works and recordings of those musical works) and require licences (i.e., music users); and
• any other entity the Ministry considers applicable.

CMOs

A CMO must obtain a permit from the Ministry before commencing activity. The permit is valid for one year and is renewable. The Guide sets out details of the requirements for submitting the licence application, broadly reflecting the requirements set out under Article 15(3) Copyright Law IRs. 

CMOs are under various obligations under the Guide, reflecting and expanding upon those set out under the Copyright Law and Copyright Law IRs including (without limitation): 

• obligations to comply with specific provisions of the Copyright Law and Copyright Law IRs, as well as the terms of the licence granted to the CMO by the Ministry;
• not to manage any economic rights beyond the scope of the mandate granted to it by the rightsholder “and the agreements concluded” (presumably agreements with such rightsholders);
• to encourage rights holders to register their works with the Ministry. This is a somewhat surprising inclusion as in the UAE, copyright arises automatically upon creation in musical works and sound recordings, and it presently, registration is not common practice. It will be interesting to see whether, in practice, this does result in writers, composers, publishing companies, artists and record labels seeking to register their repertoires for protection;
• submit detailed annual reports to the Ministry (covering members, funds collected, employees, board composition, activities, litigation, contracts with foreign bodies, amounts distributed, objectives, and international memberships); and
• cap administrative expense deductions (from the total amounts collected) at 25% of total amounts collected. However, 10% of the total amounts collected must be allocated to support a Cultural Fund (an “independent development incubator intended to support national music production, promote the sustainability of cultural activity and empower musical talent within UAE society”) (the “Fund”). It appears that the 10% to be retained for the Fund forms part of the 25%, meaning that in actuality, the deductions the CMOs are allowed to retain is only 15%.

Pricing and Tariff Mechanism

The Guide introduces a detailed pricing matrix (set out at Annex 1 to the Guide) that establishes annual tariffs for the use of music across various sectors. Tariffs are calculated based on objective criteria relevant to each sector, such as seating capacity, floor area, or annual revenue.

The following table summarises the key tariff ranges:

Interestingly, there is an asterisk at the bottom of the Guide which provides that: “This tariff shall apply to all sectors and activities relating to copyright and neighbouring rights, including concerts and comparable events.” The asterisk is not attached to any of the specific tariffs, so the implications of this statement for those running live events in the UAE remains unclear. 

Exemptions

The following uses are exempt from tariff collection:

• educational and academic institutions;
• government entities;
• uses in connection with national occasions;
• private celebrations of a non-commercial nature; and
• any other uses or categories the Ministry exempts by resolution.

The Cultural Fund

Key features of the Fund include:

• a separate bank account must be maintained by each CMO to deposit the amounts collected for the Fund ;
• the Fund is managed by a Fund Management Committee, chaired by a representative of the Ministry of Culture, with representation from MoET, the CMO, and two independent experts;
• objectives of the Fund include empowering music creators, strengthening the international presence of Emirati music, developing knowledge and skills infrastructure, promoting cultural diversity, and enhancing the sustainability of cultural activity.

Supervision and Sanctions

MoET exercises full supervisory authority over CMOs, including:

• the power to conduct on-site inspections;
• receiving and handling complaints from users and rightsholders;
• the ability to amend CMO licence conditions during the licence term; and
• imposing administrative sanctions or revoking permits for non-compliance, in accordance with Article 15(7) and (15) of the Copyright Law IRs.

Next Steps 

All affected businesses should:

• identify whether they fall within the scope of the Guide;
• assess the likely tariff applicable to their operations using the pricing matrix;
• engage with licensed CMOs before 1 December 2026 to secure the necessary licences;
• ensure adequate record-keeping of music usage to support compliance; and
• review existing music licensing arrangements to avoid duplication or gaps.

Our dedicated Entertainment and Media team regularly advise clients across all areas of the music licensing ecosystem.