Today at its flagship advertiser event, Brandcast, YouTube announced it will begin rolling out Veo 3, Google’s most powerful AI video generation model, on YouTube Shorts for free to select countries in MENA over the coming weeks.  The announcement comes as new GWI data reveals a significant, unique audience on the platform, with 61% of YouTube Shorts users in Saudi Arabia and 54% in the UAE reporting that they do not use Instagram Reels.

New AI Powered tools for creators & features for brands: 

Underscoring its commitment to the region, YouTube announced the availability of new AI-powered tools for creators:

• Veo 3 in Shorts: Google’s most powerful video generation model, which creates stunning, high-definition video, will begin rolling out to select creators in MENA in the coming weeks on YouTube Shorts. The launch in MENA will be English-first with plans to expand to more creators and languages in the future.
• Auto Dubbing: YouTube plans on expanding access to its AI-powered translation feature across MENA, which is currently available from Egyptian Arabic to English for 51,000 Egyptian creators helping them reach global audiences.
• Creator Partnerships Hub and Open Call will be coming to brands across MENA in 2026 to help them streamline their collaboration with creators, while identifying the best fit for their campaigns.

New Data Highlights YouTube creators’ role in shopping decisions:

The event highlighted a shift in viewer behaviour, with a survey by Kantar, indicating that viewers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE rank YouTube as the #1 platform when they want to research, vet, or make a decision about a brand, product, or service, outperforming competitors including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), and Snapchat.

Interestingly, more and more people are turning to video reviews compared to other formats. A Kantar survey found that 60% of surveyed GenZ viewers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE say that they would rather watch a video product review than read a written product review or listen to audio. A SmithGeiger study in MENA also found that 61% of surveyed Gen Z agree they are less likely to return their purchases when they use YouTube in their shopping research.

“YouTube has been the launchpad for the creator economy across MENA for over a decade” said Tarek Amin, YouTube’s Regional Director for the Middle East, Turkey & Africa. “We’re building the future of streaming, commerce and entertainment on YouTube. By combining the authentic trust of our creators with powerful AI models like Veo 3, we are offering brands in the region an unmatched ability to drive culture and commerce with audiences they can’t find anywhere else. MENA is a global force in content creation, and we are just getting started.”