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- UAE Rolls Out Commercial Music Fees; Saudi PIF Pivots From LIV Golf; Eagle Hills Previews Croatian Luxury Resort
UAE Rolls Out Commercial Music Fees; Saudi PIF Pivots From LIV Golf; Eagle Hills Previews Croatian Luxury Resort
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Thursday, August 13, 2026
Happy Thursday everyone!
Creative economy regulations, sovereign sports portfolio adjustments, and European resort expansions are driving corporate updates across the Middle East. The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism introduced a commercial music licensing fee framework effective December 2026, requiring venues to pay annual license fees for public music playback. In global sports finance, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is winding down direct funding for LIV Golf after committing over $5 billion to the league, even as PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan met with Donald Trump at Trump National Bedminster. Concurrently, Eagle Hills founder Mohamed Alabbar shared a preview of The Bristol Bol, a luxury coastal hotel development on Brač Island in Croatia.
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UAE Sets Commercial Music Licensing Framework to Protect Creator Revenues
What Is It About
The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism issued Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026, introducing a mandatory commercial music licensing fee system starting December 2026. The regulations apply to restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, fitness centers, radio stations, and airlines using copyrighted music for commercial purposes. Collection entities Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation will issue 1-year renewable licenses and distribute royalties to artists, while funneling 10% of collected fees into a new Cultural Support Fund for Music.
Covering Commercial Venues: The framework applies to hotels, restaurants, cafes, malls, fitness centers, and airlines playing recorded music.
Setting Non-Commercial Exemptions: Educational institutions, government entities, and private non-commercial events are exempt from annual licensing fees.
Funding Local Production: 10% of collected license fees will go directly to a Cultural Support Fund to back local music production.
Why It Matters
Establishing formal royalty collection systems aligns the UAE’s creative economy with international copyright standards, protecting financial returns for composers and record labels. Clear licensing rules ensure local and international artists receive fair compensation when their works are played in commercial settings. Setting up standardized fee structures provides legal clarity for businesses while supporting the broader goals of the We the UAE 2031 economic strategy.
Standardizing Business Compliance: Venue operators gain clear guidelines for legal music playback without facing copyright disputes.
Supporting Regional Artists: Royalty collection mechanisms create predictable income streams for local musicians and publishers.
What’s Next
Emirates Music Rights Association and Music Nation will publish detailed fee schedules based on venue capacity and business category before December 2026. Joint committees from the Ministry of Economy and Culture will establish oversight guidelines for the new Cultural Support Fund.
Publishing Tiered Rates: Collection agencies will release specific annual fee brackets for hospitality and retail operators.
Opening License Portals: Business owners will submit annual music permit applications ahead of the December implementation date.
Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads
Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:
After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.
The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.
“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”
Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.
Saudi PIF Shifts Strategy Away From LIV Golf Capital Commitments
What Is It About
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is scaling back future capital allocations for LIV Golf, stating that long-term funding requirements no longer match its current investment strategy. The fund had previously invested over $5 billion to launch and expand the professional golf league. Despite the funding shift, PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan was pictured alongside Donald Trump at the LIV Golf event held at Trump National Bedminster, as the league seeks external commercial backers to fund future operations.
Why It Matters
Scaling back direct funding for LIV Golf reflects a broader shift by PIF to focus capital allocations on domestic Vision 2030 projects and higher-yield assets. Moving from initial venture funding to external commercial backing tests whether the breakaway golf league can build a self-sustaining financial model. Establishing long-term profitability without direct sovereign support remains crucial for the league's survival in professional sports broadcasting.
Refocusing Sovereign Wealth: Adjusting fund allocations prioritizes domestic infrastructure and industrial investments over international sports subsidies.
What’s Next
LIV Golf executives will negotiate with prospective private equity buyers and corporate sponsors to replace state funding before the 2027 season. Financial managers will structure contract settlements for top-ranked tour players as the operational transition takes effect.
Eagle Hills Expands European Portfolio With Croatian Luxury Resort
What Is It About
Eagle Hills founder Mohamed Alabbar unveiled a preview of The Bristol Bol, a luxury hotel development situated on Brač Island in Croatia. Abu Dhabi-based Eagle Hills operates master-planned real estate projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Croatian coastal hotel represents the company's latest expansion in Southern Europe, adding to its growing international portfolio of waterfront destinations and urban regeneration projects.
Expanding Coastal Destinations: The Bristol Bol brings luxury hospitality infrastructure to Croatia’s Adriatic coastline.
Why It Matters
Developing coastal hospitality assets in Croatia aligns with Gulf real estate firms expanding their portfolios across high-growth European tourism markets. Buying and building prime waterfront properties allows developers like Eagle Hills to capture growing international travel demand across Southern Europe. These cross-border investments help developers diversify revenue streams outside traditional Gulf real estate markets.
What’s Next
Eagle Hills hospitality teams will finalize interior fit-outs and operational staffing schedules ahead of the property's official opening date. Marketing divisions will launch booking campaigns targeting international leisure travelers across Europe and the Middle East.
Completing Site Construction: Contractors will finalize structural handovers and landscaping across the coastal hotel property.
Opening Reservation Portals: Hospitality managers will begin accepting room reservations for the upcoming summer season.
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🦄 World of Startups
ChatFeatured, Canada-based AI startup, raised $2M in a pre-seed funding round from BY Venture Partners (UAE/Lebanon) and other global investors
Doctorbook, Syria-based healthtech platform, raised $16K in a pre-seed funding round from a group of angel investors, valuing the startup at $200K
Carbar, Australia-based car subscription platform, is merging with Carasti, UAE-based car subscription business operating across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Singapore, at a combined pre-raise valuation of $74M
Fincart, Egypt-based eCommerce enablement platform, raised $2.8M in a seed funding round
