The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region now hosts 263,000 monetized social media influencers, representing a roughly 75% increase since 2023, according to new data from influencer marketing intelligence platform Qoruz, per Campaign ME. The growth reflects the region’s evolving digital landscape across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
This regional growth outpaces global creator economy expansion, which Goldman Sachs projects will increase from 67 million creators worldwide in 2025 to 107 million by 2030, representing a 10% compound annual growth rate.
Lifestyle and travel creators lead the expansion, growing 87% from 31,000 in 2023 to 58,000 in 2025. Fashion and beauty creators follow closely with an 89% increase over the same period. These categories outpace the overall market growth, indicating shifting consumer interests in the region.
Qoruz defines “creator or influencer” in this research as monetized content producers with more than 1,000 followers across social platforms.
Unexpected Growth in Niche Categories
While lifestyle and fashion categories maintain dominance, several niche sectors show substantial growth. Finance and business influencers increased by 62%, addressing topics such as personal finance, startups, and artificial intelligence for regional audiences.
Health and fitness creators grew 76% since 2023, particularly in urban Saudi and Emirati communities. Arts and entertainment influencers experienced an 85% increase, reflecting regional trends in identity, cinema, music, and storytelling optimized for platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts.
Category Growth Metrics (2023-2025)
The research provides specific growth data across all influencer categories:
Lifestyle and travel: 31,000 to 58,000 (87% growth)
Fashion and beauty: 28,000 to 53,000 (89% growth)
Food and culinary: 22,000 to 32,000 (45% growth)
Arts and entertainment: 14,000 to 26,000 (85% growth)
Health and fitness: 13,000 to 23,000 (76% growth)
Parenting and family: 12,000 to 22,000 (83% growth)
Tech and gadgets: 9,000 to 15,000 (66% growth)
Finance and business: 8,000 to 13,000 (62% growth)
Gaming: 7,000 to 11,000 (57% growth)
Others/Niche: 6,000 to 10,000 (66% growth)
The GCC influencer market distinguishes itself through multilingual, multi-ethnic creators operating in highly digitalized, brand-conscious markets. Campaign planning in the region often involves strategic ethnicity considerations to connect with specific audience segments.
UAE-based brands frequently engage Indian-origin creators to reach South Asian expatriate audiences, while Saudi campaigns predominantly feature Arab creators to maintain cultural and linguistic authenticity.
Creator-led content now reaches more than 62% of GCC consumers regularly, with more than 35% of shoppers reporting that such content directly influences their purchasing decisions, according to the research.
“In the GCC, creators are not just entertainers, they have become cultural narrators,” says Priya Vivek, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships at Qoruz. “We are seeing a strong shift in how creators express modern Middle Eastern identity.”
Strategic Brand Collaborations
The research indicates a transition from campaign-based partnerships to deeper, long-term collaborations between brands and creators. Companies increasingly recognize influencers as strategic partners in developing consumer narratives.
“What’s emerging in the GCC is a creator economy that’s both strategic and expressive,” notes Aditya Gurwara, Co-Founder of Qoruz. “There’s often this perception that influencer marketing in the region is still at an early stage, but that’s far from the truth.”
Future Trajectory
The GCC creator economy continues to evolve from experimental marketing to a structured industry. The next growth phase appears focused on strengthened creator-brand alignments, diverse content formats, and localized storytelling.
According to the research, the regional influencer landscape now emphasizes sustained influence development that reflects the GCC’s identity and aspirations on the global stage, moving beyond trend-based content.
The data suggests that creators in categories like parenting and lifestyle gain traction by making everyday topics more relatable to regional audiences. This localization of content represents a significant shift in how brands approach regional marketing strategies.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region now hosts 263,000 monetized social media influencers, representing a roughly 75% increase since 2023, according to new data from influencer marketing intelligence platform Qoruz, per Campaign ME. The growth reflects the region’s evolving digital landscape across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
This regional growth outpaces global creator economy expansion, which Goldman Sachs projects will increase from 67 million creators worldwide in 2025 to 107 million by 2030, representing a 10% compound annual growth rate.
Lifestyle and travel creators lead the expansion, growing 87% from 31,000 in 2023 to 58,000 in 2025. Fashion and beauty creators follow closely with an 89% increase over the same period. These categories outpace the overall market growth, indicating shifting consumer interests in the region.
Qoruz defines “creator or influencer” in this research as monetized content producers with more than 1,000 followers across social platforms.
Unexpected Growth in Niche Categories
While lifestyle and fashion categories maintain dominance, several niche sectors show substantial growth. Finance and business influencers increased by 62%, addressing topics such as personal finance, startups, and artificial intelligence for regional audiences.
Health and fitness creators grew 76% since 2023, particularly in urban Saudi and Emirati communities. Arts and entertainment influencers experienced an 85% increase, reflecting regional trends in identity, cinema, music, and storytelling optimized for platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts.
Category Growth Metrics (2023-2025)
The research provides specific growth data across all influencer categories:
The GCC influencer market distinguishes itself through multilingual, multi-ethnic creators operating in highly digitalized, brand-conscious markets. Campaign planning in the region often involves strategic ethnicity considerations to connect with specific audience segments.
UAE-based brands frequently engage Indian-origin creators to reach South Asian expatriate audiences, while Saudi campaigns predominantly feature Arab creators to maintain cultural and linguistic authenticity.
Creator-led content now reaches more than 62% of GCC consumers regularly, with more than 35% of shoppers reporting that such content directly influences their purchasing decisions, according to the research.
“In the GCC, creators are not just entertainers, they have become cultural narrators,” says Priya Vivek, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships at Qoruz. “We are seeing a strong shift in how creators express modern Middle Eastern identity.”
Strategic Brand Collaborations
The research indicates a transition from campaign-based partnerships to deeper, long-term collaborations between brands and creators. Companies increasingly recognize influencers as strategic partners in developing consumer narratives.
“What’s emerging in the GCC is a creator economy that’s both strategic and expressive,” notes Aditya Gurwara, Co-Founder of Qoruz. “There’s often this perception that influencer marketing in the region is still at an early stage, but that’s far from the truth.”
Future Trajectory
The GCC creator economy continues to evolve from experimental marketing to a structured industry. The next growth phase appears focused on strengthened creator-brand alignments, diverse content formats, and localized storytelling.
According to the research, the regional influencer landscape now emphasizes sustained influence development that reflects the GCC’s identity and aspirations on the global stage, moving beyond trend-based content.
The data suggests that creators in categories like parenting and lifestyle gain traction by making everyday topics more relatable to regional audiences. This localization of content represents a significant shift in how brands approach regional marketing strategies.
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