Setting the stage: A prelude from the UAE Ministry of Economy
On 10 April 2025, the UAE Ministry of Economy, under the leadership of HE Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, announced the latest drive in the UAE's push to meet and exceed international standards in the protection, commercialisation, enforcement and management of intellectual property rights with the launch of the UAE's first music collecting society – Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA).
The MoE has issued a license to EMRA to allow it to be responsible for the collection and management of royalties for the music industry, arising from public performances and broadcasts of music, and from entities which make commercial use of musical works.
This is a long-hoped for development for the music industry locally, and internationally. In the words of the MoE at the launch "...it is a national achievement in order to protect and support intellectual property rights, and the rights of the creative industries...it will promote creativity...and attract talent...to empower the music and musicians of the UAE...".
It has been expected, with recent law changes in 2021 making further provisions for a collecting society. It is now to become a reality with the issuance of the licence to EMRA.
This follows the launch of the UAE's first not-for-profit copyright management association for authors and publishers in March 2022 – the Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association.1
To date, rights owners have been relying on a mix of commercial agreements with commercial partners to obtain royalties, relying on copyrights to try and enforce their rights to secure royalty payments, or working with UAE rights management companies, who act as the local licensee for royalties management.
With the establishment of EMRA, it will provide a platform through which the UAE's music industry – including artists, producers, composers, lyricists, etc, will be able to receive their royalties through this centralised Collective Management Organisation (CMO). Similarly, for the international music industry, it will provide a CMO through which international CMOs can manage royalties arising within the UAE.
In preparing for the launch of EMRA, the UAE sought and received support from a number of international music industry organisations such as The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), The Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM), The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), and others, in order to ensure EMRA applies global best practices.
At the launch ceremony, EMRA signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding with local broadcasting companies, including Arabian Radio Network (ARN), Abu Dhabi Media Network, Dubai Media Incorporated, and Anghami, to show its intention to work closely with the music broadcasting industry in the UAE from its launch.
For many years, local and international rights owners have experienced difficulties in effectively managing their royalties collection in the UAE. EMRA is expected to provide the mechanism to streamline the management of royalties on a local and international scale for the music industry, as it builds to work with CMOs around the wider region and the world to collect royalties for broadcasts and performances in the UAE and globally. It may be some months before the system is fully operational, but the news of the launch of EMRA is a welcome prelude for the UAE and global music industry.
Footnote
1. The Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association
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