What is the Mawthooq licence?
Mawthooq (meaning "trusted" in Arabic) is the licence that allows individuals to publish advertising content on social media in Saudi Arabia. It is issued through the Mawthooq platform of the General Authority for Media Regulation (GMedia), the body previously known as the General Commission for Audiovisual Media, or GCAM. The scheme was introduced in 2022 to organise a fast-growing influencer market, protect consumers and give brands and creators clearer contractual ground.
For brands, the practical point is simple: if you pay or otherwise compensate a person to promote your products, services or events on their social media accounts in Saudi Arabia, that person should hold a valid Mawthooq licence. Working with unlicensed creators exposes both sides to regulatory risk and can damage your brand's reputation.
This article is a practical overview for marketers, not legal advice. Rules are updated from time to time, so always confirm the current requirements on the official Mawthooq platform before you contract.
Who needs a Mawthooq licence?
According to the authority's published guidance, the licence applies to individuals – Saudi citizens, residents and foreign investors – who advertise brands, products, services, events or commercial activities through social media. The platforms named include X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.
In December 2024 the authority also clarified that advertising with influencers, whether they are based in Saudi Arabia or visiting the Kingdom, requires a Mawthooq licence. Non-Saudi applicants face additional requirements, such as holding the relevant commercial registration and advertising office licence, and earlier guidance stated that foreign influencers should be represented by licensed advertising agencies. If you plan to bring a GCC or international creator into a Saudi campaign, check their status well before the shoot date.
Common exemptions
Not every post needs a licence. Published guidance and summaries of the rules list several situations that generally fall outside the requirement, including:
- Advertising by government entities.
- A person promoting their own products or services on their personal account, without a third-party advertising agreement.
- Sharing or mentioning other accounts without any payment or compensation.
- Certain age-appropriate sponsorships of under-18s in education, sport and culture.
Exemptions are narrow and depend on the details. If a post is part of a paid or reciprocal arrangement with a brand, assume a licence is needed unless the authority's guidance clearly says otherwise.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | What we verified |
|---|---|
| Issuing body | General Authority for Media Regulation (formerly GCAM), via the Mawthooq platform |
| Who it covers | Individuals publishing paid advertising on social media: citizens, residents and foreign investors |
| Platforms named | X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook |
| Validity | Three years, with renewal available before expiry |
| Minimum age | Applicants must be at least 18 |
| Disclosure | Advertising content must be clearly identified as an advertisement |
Licence fees and penalties are set by the authority and can change, so check the official platform for current figures rather than relying on older articles.
Disclosure deserves particular attention. In practice, that means a clear advertising label in the caption or on screen from the start of a video, not a hashtag hidden at the end of a long caption. Agree the exact wording in Arabic and English during briefing, and check it at the approval stage so nothing goes live without it.
A brand checklist before you sign an influencer
- Ask for the licence details and confirm the licence is valid and in the creator's own name.
- Check the expiry date against your full campaign period, including any reposts or paid usage.
- For non-Saudi creators, confirm how they are licensed and whether a licensed agency must represent them.
- Write disclosure into the brief: every sponsored post must be clearly labelled as advertising.
- Agree usage rights: how long and on which channels your brand may reuse the content in paid ads.
- Keep records: contract, licence copy, approved scripts and final links in one shared folder.
- Review content against Saudi norms and sector rules, especially for health, finance, food and real estate.
How Mawthooq changes influencer strategy
Licensing has made the Saudi influencer market more professional. Brands now tend to work with fewer, more carefully selected creators, sign clearer contracts and expect proper reporting. A few practical shifts we see in campaign planning:
- Quality over volume. A small group of licensed creators who genuinely fit your audience usually beats a long list of one-off posts.
- Longer partnerships. Three- to six-month relationships build credibility and simplify compliance checks.
- Content reuse. With the right usage rights, the best creator videos become paid Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram ads.
- Measurement. Unique links, codes and platform data replace follower counts as the main success measure.
Our social media agency service for Riyadh includes creator shortlisting, licence checks, briefing and reporting. For brands focused on the western region, our Jeddah social media service follows the same process.
Making influencer content work harder
Licensed creators are only part of a campaign. To turn their reach into results, connect posts to landing pages, lead forms or online stores, and support the best content with paid media. Our digital marketing team plans influencer activity alongside paid social and search, while our lead generation service makes sure enquiries are captured and followed up. A2Z Digital works with brands in Saudi Arabia remotely from our Dubai and Cairo offices.
Next step
Planning an influencer campaign in Saudi Arabia? Message us on WhatsApp at +971 55 570 4233 or email info@a2zdigital.ae for a free growth audit. We will review your plan, flag compliance questions to confirm with the authority and suggest the right creator mix for your goals.