YouTube Shopping Adds Amazon in the Gulf, Egypt and India
Gulf and Egyptian creators can join from 500 subscribers and Indian creators can tag Amazon too, but nobody has published commission rates.
On 26 October, YouTube said it is “launching the YouTube Shopping affiliate program in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, with Amazon as our first affiliate partner.”
Amazon is the first retailer. Amazon announced its India expansion as well, in its own post.
So, if you qualify, you can now earn on Amazon tags in all four markets.
The Middle East launch
Javid Aslanov, YouTube’s head for MENA, announced it on Google’s regional blog post about the launch. Tags work in long-form videos, Shorts and livestreams.
Amazon is the only retailer for now.
Who qualifies? The floor is 500 subscribers inside the YouTube Partner Program, which is half the 1,000 subscribers that YouTube’s standard Partner Program requires, according to YouTube’s help page.
The National’s guide to the UAE launch lists the rest:
- three public uploads in the last 90 days
- 3,000 public watch hours in the past year, or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days
- the Shopping affiliate requirements on top, which you can check under Earn in YouTube Studio
On TV, a QR code.
There’s AI-assisted tagging too. It spots products on screen and suggests the link, so you don’t have to tag every item by hand.
Then there’s the part I’d underline for Arabic channels with viewers abroad. Through Universal Shopping Tags, you can earn when viewers in other markets buy, from the US to Japan.
YouTube says more than 40 million logged-in users across five MENA countries ran shopping searches on the platform in June.
That’s two more countries than this launch covers, so not every searcher you could reach is in the program yet.
Amazon tags reach India
Amazon is now a retailer in the YouTube Shopping affiliate program in India, according to Amazon India’s announcement. Your buyers check out on Amazon.in.
To join, open YouTube Studio and follow these steps:
- go to Earn
- find the YouTube Shopping affiliate program under Programs
- select Join Now
But Net Influencer’s report on the India rollout points to a step people will miss.
The US version of the program requires an active Amazon Influencer or Associates account, and India’s account rules aren’t spelled out, so check before you apply.
On Pinterest, you connect your Amazon Storefront once and the link is added whenever you tag an Amazon product on a Pin.
Two Amazon numbers for context:
- Amazon says its Influencer Program in India has hit 2 lakh creators, double last year.
- It says creators helped close to 40 million customers shop on Amazon.in this year.
Why it matters
Already earning from Amazon links in your description?
If you run a review channel in the Gulf, the YouTube Shopping affiliate program puts your Amazon link on the video itself, next to the product, while your viewers are still watching.
I’d expect that to beat a description link. Still, nobody has shared numbers for these markets yet.
What does a sale pay? Nobody has published commission rates for these launches. And The National notes that refunds can take back commissions you’ve already earned.
Is your channel small? In Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Egypt, the 500-subscriber floor is the news for you, because small channels can start earning on tags.
Check your Earn tab today.
Then tag the product videos that already get your views, starting with the one that has the most viewers.
Common Questions
How many subscribers do I need to join YouTube Shopping affiliate in Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Egypt?
- You need to be in the YouTube Partner Program with at least 500 subscribers, three public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 public watch hours in the past year or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days.
Do Indian creators need an Amazon account to tag Amazon products on YouTube?
Probably, but check. The US version of the program needs an active Amazon Influencer or Associates account, and the sources I read don’t spell out India’s account rules. Amazon’s own steps start in YouTube Studio under Earn.
What commission does Amazon pay on YouTube Shopping tags in the Middle East?
Unknown so far. Neither Google’s launch post nor The National gives commission rates for Amazon in the YouTube Shopping affiliate program, and refunded orders reduce what a creator earns.
