https://communicateonline.me/ : YouTube has announced a series of new AI-powered tools and creator features for the Middle East and North Africa, spanning content creation, audience engagement, monetization and protection against deepfakes.

The announcements were made as part of YouTube’s Made on YouTube event, where the platform outlined “the next chapter of innovation for creators, artists and viewers across discovery, creation, fandom and creator businesses.”

YouTube said more than 600 million logged-in viewers watched live content, including archived material, on average each day in August 2026, while more than 40% of YouTube Live watch time came from international audiences.

The platform also highlighted the rapid growth of short-form scripted content, saying microdramas on YouTube generated more than 6.5 billion views in the first half of 2026, with watch time increasing by more than 50% year over year.

In MENA, YouTube said it reached more than 20 million people aged 18 and above in Saudi Arabia, more than 45 million in Egypt, more than 20 million in Morocco and more than 7.5 million in the UAE in September 2025.

The company is expanding its AI toolkit for creators with AI comment moderation, which can automatically hold comments that are highly similar to comments a creator has previously held. Creators will retain “full transparency and control” through a moderation report summarising the comments held on their behalf.

YouTube is also expanding its likeness-detection technology to mobile, alongside a new spoken-voice detection model designed to provide “an additional signal alongside facial matches,” improving detection capabilities.

Another planned feature is real-time audio dubbing for YouTube Live. The platform said it will pilot the feature with a limited group of creators in the first quarter of 2027, initially supporting English and Spanish.

For Shorts creators, YouTube is introducing a conversational editing tool that will be context-aware and dynamically determine which editing tools to use on a draft, while allowing creators to make manual edits at any point.

Its Ask Studio AI assistant is also coming directly to the YouTube Studio mobile app. The tool helps creators “understand video performance, generate new ideas, and more,” with the mobile rollout scheduled globally this fall.

Creators gain more

YouTube is adding new ways for creators to engage audiences and generate revenue. Dynamic thumbnails will allow select creators to upload up to three thumbnails for a video, with the system matching images to specific viewer segments.

Members-only Communities will give creators with channel memberships an exclusive space for their most loyal fans, while Live Showdowns will allow creators to merge streams for timed, friendly head-to-head competitions designed to drive fan engagement and revenue.

YouTube is also expanding its Creator Partnerships programme to 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, giving brands greater access to creator content.

The company said an upcoming shopping integration with Ask Studio will allow creators to “quickly craft tailored responses to brand briefs, build proactive pitches, and get tips to customize your Media Kit to match a brand’s unique goals.”

For viewers, YouTube is expanding Shorts into episodic formats through Shorts Series, with features including custom thumbnails and sequential playback.

The platform is also introducing GIFs in comments on mobile and enabling viewers to respond to YouTube comments directly through connected TVs using a remote or voice-to-text.

YouTube Music is meanwhile testing “Ask YouTube for Music”, an agentic AI capability designed to help listeners discover artists, receive podcast recommendations and refine their music recommendations. A new podcast discovery experience using audio generative AI capabilities is also set for testing later this year.

The announcements come as YouTube continues to expand its reach across the region, including on connected TVs. In September 2025, the platform said it reached more than 12 million people aged 18 and above on connected TV in Saudi Arabia, more than 7 million in Egypt and more than 6 million in Morocco.