Local media reported yesterday that Saudi Arabia approved its first law requiring social media celebrities to obtain licenses for marketing and promotional ads.
The General Commission For Audiovisual Media has introduced a new licence that enables social media celebrities to provide advertising services through social media platforms, according to Majid Bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, Minister of Commerce and Acting Minister of Media of the Kingdom.
According to the minister, the move is intended to regulate the advertising and digital content sectors. SR 15,000 will be charged for the three-year licence.
Saudi individuals who practice this activity are encouraged to obtain a licence before October 1 in order to avoid any legal consequences and financial penalties.
As per the new regulation, the ads must appear on the social media account registered with the commission and linked to the license.
If the ad is written or spoken, the marketer should also announce it is an advertisement.
Saudi Arabia banned non-Saudis from posting ads on social media without a license in June, with violators facing a possible five-year prison sentence and a fine of up to SR5 million.
In an announcement, the commission said it had monitored "violations by numerous non-Saudi advertisers on social media platforms."