Creators HQ and Amazon Ads Name First Amazon Creators Foundry Cohort
Fifteen UAE creators join a six-month program offering Amazon advertising credits, Golden Visa nominations and global selling support.
Karim El-Sayed Karim El-Sayed covers company news, policy and regulation across the UAE and wider MENA for Anecdoted, with a focus on how new rules and licences reshape how startups operate. karim@anecdoted.com
Creators HQ and Amazon Ads have named the first cohort of the Amazon Creators Foundry, a six-month program built to help UAE-based creators and entrepreneurs scale their product brands on Amazon.ae and, for those who qualify, expand internationally through Amazon's Global Selling program, which gives sellers reach across more than 20 Amazon stores worldwide.
Fifteen creators make up the inaugural group, several of them among the region's best-known digital personalities. The program was first announced in January 2026 at the 1 Billion Followers Summit. It targets people who have already built public profiles, engaged communities and product businesses of their own. Participants bring experience in content creation, audience engagement and entrepreneurship; Amazon supplies business support, e-commerce infrastructure and advertising tools to help them find more customers.
The cohort is Anas Bukhash, Noor Stars, Rayan Shaded, Shamsa Al Dhaheri, Azza Zarour, Saoud Alkaabi, Sara Monika Rewienska, Anthony Omenya, Yara Aziz, Saeed Al Nuaimi, Adel Nassar, Bana Idriss, Jules Trass, Kris Fade and Mohanad AlHattab. Their businesses cover fragrance, skincare, haircare, fashion and accessories, food and beverages, and card games.
What participants get over six months
Creators in the program receive dedicated business support to build their presence on Amazon.ae, with eligible participants preparing for expansion abroad. The support package announced includes:
- US$10,000 in Amazon Sponsored Ads cashback
- Up to US$100,000 in Amazon Demand-Side Platform (DSP) advertising incentives
- A nomination for the UAE Golden Visa
- Membership in Creators HQ
- A booth at the 1 Billion Followers Summit
The advertising credits are intended to raise brand visibility, draw in new customers and support sales.
Alia Al Hammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and Deputy CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, said the initiative reflects the UAE's transformation in the content creator economy and in e-commerce. Turning creators' talents into commercial ventures with global reach, she said, reinforces the country's position as a hub for digital media talent. She added that Creators HQ is using partnerships with large global companies and platforms to give creators the tools to reach international markets and build sustainable businesses, and linked the selected entrepreneurs' projects to the national economy and its shift toward digital talent.
Rayan Karaky, Managing Director of Amazon Ads for EMEA and Southeast Asia, said the projects and talent chosen for the Foundry reflect the strength of the UAE's creator economy and the ambition of its entrepreneurs, and that the selected creators have a clear sense of how to serve their communities. Amazon, he said, will give accepted participants technical infrastructure, advertising and advanced logistics support, covering product listing, fulfillment activation and cross-border selling from the UAE through Global Selling, with the aim of helping new brands reach hundreds of millions of shoppers.
The Foundry builds on tools Amazon already offers independent brand owners: customized online storefronts, brand protection through Amazon Brand Registry, advertising, Fulfillment by Amazon for end-to-end logistics, and performance analytics. Creators HQ's network and Amazon.ae's commercial capabilities are meant to work together to speed up growth in the UAE and beyond.
The fifteen businesses now start six months of selling on Amazon.ae, with international expansion open to those that qualify.
