DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced a fee for playing music in cafes, hotels, malls and other commercial venues.
UAE authorities said a licence fee for the commercial use of music will come into effect from December and will apply to cafes, hotels, malls and other commercial establishments.
According to the authorities, the music licence will be valid for one year and will have to be renewed annually.
Educational institutions, government institutions and non-commercial events will be exempt from the fee.
Authorities said the new system has been introduced to protect the copyright rights of singers.
They added that action will be taken against those who play music commercially without obtaining the required music licence.
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