16 August 2026 21:00 |
آخر تحديث:
16 August 21:03 2026
رسوم لاستخدام المصنفات الموسيقية تجارياً داخل المنشآت
الخلاصة
الإمارات تطبق رسوم ترخيص موسيقى تجارية من 1 ديسمبر 2026 لحماية الحقوق؛ تأييد للمبدأ وتحفّظ على التوقيت مع دعوة لتدرج وتسهيلات للصغار
The United Arab Emirates is set to regulate the use and broadcast of music in commercial establishments by implementing new licensing fees, effective from 1 December 2026. This initiative aims to organise the music market and enhance the protection of authors’ and creators’ rights. The regulatory framework announced by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism provides clear guidelines for calculating annual fees, establishing minimum and maximum limits based on the nature of the business and its size.
This system will impact various sectors, including hospitality, entertainment, retail, fitness, media, and aviation. Discussions among professionals in tourism and retail focus on the timing of these changes and the potential financial implications for operational costs, rather than the principle of safeguarding music rights, which is widely regarded as legitimate. Experts argue that regulating commercial music use is a positive step, clarifying the relationship between businesses and rights holders, and strengthening the position of the music industry and creative content within the economic framework. However, they suggest that the timing deserves careful consideration, particularly as restaurants, cafes, hotels, and entertainment venues are working to manage costs and maintain competitive pricing amid changing consumer behaviour in tourism and spending.
Call for Gradual Implementation
Hotel managers have expressed that this decision reflects the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of creators, including those in the music sector. Nevertheless, they emphasize that the industry is still in the process of recovering from recent events that have negatively impacted regional tourism and hotel occupancy. They urge for a delay in implementation or suggest a phased approach that aligns with the gradual recovery of demand over the coming months, allowing establishments time to adapt to these new obligations.
They have pointed out that the fees will represent an added operational expense, which could compel some businesses to integrate these costs into their service prices, potentially affecting demand and the pricing of bookings made by travel agencies on behalf of clients.
The fee structure will vary according to the nature, size, and manner of music usage; for instance, restaurants and cafes will be assessed based on seating capacity, while retail shops and centres will be charged based on business area. Hotels will have fees correlating to the number of rooms and their star rating. Establishments offering DJ services and nightclubs will incur higher fees due to the nature of their musical use.
Support for Small and Medium Enterprises
Professionals from affected sectors stress that a phased implementation may be the most balanced option, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, as it would provide them with a transitional period to incorporate the fees into their budgets while familiarising themselves with the new requirements. They also advocate for a tiered fee system that considers the size and type of the business, including discounts or incentives for smaller entities. Additionally, they suggest a transparent mechanism for identifying affected categories, calculating fees, collecting payments, and distributing revenues to rights holders. They assert that levying fees on commercial music use ensures that creators receive fair compensation for the exploitation of their work, a practice common in many global markets, while stressing that successful implementation requires consideration of each activity’s benefit from musical content and its capacity to bear the costs.
Clear Legal Framework
Legal experts noted that the system takes into account the varied sizes and types of enterprises, and that the provisions for public performance licensing in the UAE are based on Federal Decree Law No. 38 of 2021 regarding authors’ and related rights, as well as Cabinet Decision No. 47 of 2022. They highlighted that the guidelines require collective management organisations to obtain an annual license, with fixed fees that can only be altered with the ministry’s approval, which retains oversight and enforcement authority. Importantly, governmental and educational entities, as well as national and personal events, are exempt from these fees. They clarified that these amounts are in exchange for licenses to publicly use protected works in commercial settings, emphasising that personal subscriptions to streaming platforms do not grant restaurants, shops, or hotels the right to play music to the public, as personal listening rights differ legally from commercial public performance rights.
It is important to note that this system is not unique globally; similar licensing practices are already in place in countries like the UK, US, France, Germany, Canada, and Australia, where commercial establishments pay for the use of protected music in public.