September 17, 2025 | Dubai, UAE: For the first time in seven years, social media influencers have emerged as the Most Distrusted Profession in UAE according to Insight Discovery’s annual reputation survey, marking a dramatic shift in public sentiment toward digital content creators across the Emirates.

Survey Results Show Major Shift in Public Trust

The seventh annual “Worst Reputation in the UAE” study, conducted by Insight Discovery, found that 21 per cent of surveyed UAE residents ranked influencers as having the worst reputation, overtaking credit card issuers and recruitment firms, which had dominated the rankings for most of the past six years. Telemarketers and call centres followed closely at 19 per cent, with credit card issuers at 13 per cent, recruitment firms at 11 per cent, and real estate agents at 8 per cent.

people standing office holding hands together

Social media influencers have emerged as the Most Distrusted Profession in UAE , according to Insight Discovery’s seventh annual “Worst Reputation in the UAE” survey conducted in August 2025. This significant change reflects growing public dissatisfaction with transparency and accountability within the influencer industry.

Root Causes Behind the Trust Crisis

Nigel Sillitoe, CEO of Insight Discovery, described the results as “a clear wake-up call for the industry,” noting that audiences are growing tired of certain influencer behaviours and becoming more conscious of risks linked to unregulated online advice. The rise of finfluencers who promote unregulated investment schemes and make outlandish claims has been identified as a major driver of distrust among UAE residents.

Syrian-Canadian content creator Lana Kaati, who has over 51,000 followers and has been creating content for a decade, expressed little surprise at the findings. “The quality of content has dropped in recent years,” she explained, noting that many newcomers treat influencing as “quick cash, gifts, or just a fun side gig” rather than creating meaningful community impact.

Kaati highlighted how many influencers rely on pre-written agency texts without conducting proper research, calling this practice “very damaging” to the industry’s credibility and contributing to their status as the Most Distrusted Profession in UAE. UAE national Hajar Hassan echoed these concerns, pointing to the gap between influencers’ online personas and reality, describing how their “perfect lives are often curated and exaggerated purely for social media”. This disconnect between projected authenticity and commercial reality has been a key factor in making influencers the Most Distrusted Profession in UAE , according to recent survey findings

Government Response and New Regulations

The UAE government has responded to these trust issues by implementing comprehensive licensing requirements for content creators. As of May 2025, the UAE Media Council introduced mandatory licensing for influencers earning from their content, including a dual-license system requiring both business and media permits.

The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) launched the region’s first “finfluencer” license specifically targeting financial content creators who offer investment advice or promote financial products. This licensing regime aims to rebuild trust and protect consumers from potentially harmful financial advice.

Penalties for non-compliance can reach up to AED 1 million, targeting the practices that have made influencers the Most Distrusted Profession in UAE. The new regulations cover both UAE residents and visitors creating promotional content within the country, and the government has waived license fees for the first three years to encourage compliance while establishing professional standards.

Impact on the Digital Economy

The survey results reflect broader demographic differences in trust levels across UAE communities. Westerners, Arab expats, and Emiratis were most critical of influencers as the most distrusted profession in UAE, while Asian residents expressed stronger concerns about telemarketers at 23 per cent. These varying perspectives highlight the complex relationship between cultural backgrounds and digital content trust.

The UAE’s influencer advertising market, projected to reach nearly $97 million by 2030, faces significant challenges in rebuilding public confidence as influencers continue to be the Most Distrusted Profession in UAE. The new regulatory framework represents the government’s commitment to professionalising the creator economy while maintaining the UAE’s position as a digital innovation hub.

Moving forward, the combination of stricter regulations, professional licensing requirements, and increased public awareness may help restore trust in the influencer industry. However, content creators must demonstrate genuine transparency, ethical practices, and authentic engagement to overcome their current reputation as the most distrusted profession in UAE. The success of these regulatory measures will ultimately determine whether influencers can rebuild their standing with UAE audiences and establish sustainable, trustworthy digital content practices.