TikTok-enabled SMBs add Dhs1.1b to UAE economy

TikTok unveiled its UAE Economic Impact Report at the World Government Summit, which recently concluded its 2026 edition with the largest international participation in the Summit’s history, bringing together 6,250 government leaders and experts from around the world under the theme “Shaping the Governments of the Future.”

TikTok-enabled small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) added Dhs1.1 billion to the UAE economy and supported more than 7,000 jobs, underscoring the platform’s growing role in driving economic value and employment.

The report examines TikTok’s contribution to the UAE’s economic, creative, and social development. Titled “The TikTok Effect: Enabling the UAE’s Dynamic Digital Economy”, the report was announced in the presence of Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications. Its findings highlight TikTok’s expanding role in supporting entrepreneurship, enabling the creative economy, and contributing to human capital development.

The report, developed in partnership with Redseer Strategy Consultants, finds that TikTok plays a significant role in empowering small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and creators in the UAE. Based on Redseer estimates, over 10,000 SMBs started their business because of TikTok, and more than 70,000 local SMBs are active on the platform.

Beyond economic impact, the platform supports skills development, cultural expression, tourism discovery, and digital wellbeing, with a majority of users reporting learning and personal or professional skill gains through TikTok. Overall, the report demonstrates TikTok’s impact on the UAE’s digital economy, creative ecosystem, and inclusive growth ambitions. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, affirmed that the UAE has emerged as a global leader in the digital economy and a hub for innovation, driven by a forward-looking vision that prioritises digital ecosystem development and the adoption of advanced technologies as core pillars of economic growth.

WAM