Facebook launches Creator Studio with AI to help creators analyze their audience

A new tariff plan has been introduced in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to regulate the local music market and raise awareness about protecting the rights of authors, creators, and music companies. These new fees will take effect on December 1, 2026.

The annual fee for restaurants and cafes starts at 1,500 dirhams. Establishments with up to 50 seats will pay 1,500 dirhams annually; for venues with 51 to 100 seats, the amount will be 2,700 dirhams, and for 101–200 seats—4,800 dirhams. The total cost for establishments with more than 201 seats is capped at 6,000 dirhams, with an additional charge of 20 dirhams per extra seat.

Higher rates apply to restaurants and cafes equipped with DJs or those operating as entertainment/nightclubs. Here, the fee is 2,500 dirhams for up to 50 seats, 3,500 dirhams for 51–100 seats, and 6,500 dirhams for 101–200 seats, plus an additional charge of 20 dirhams for each seat over 201. The maximum limit for this category is set at 8,000 dirhams per year.

Shops and commercial complexes that play background music will be subject to fees based on floor area rather than seating capacity. Establishments with an area of up to 300 square meters will pay 1,700 dirhams annually, while those with areas from 301 to 700 square meters will pay 3,400 dirhams. An additional 60 dirhams will be charged for every extra 25 square meters beyond this threshold, with a maximum annual sum not exceeding 20,000 dirhams.

Large shopping malls fall into a separate category where fees are calculated on common areas, not individual premises. Shopping centers must pay 625 dirhams for the first 100 square meters of common area plus 50 dirhams for every additional 25 square meters, with an annual ceiling of 50,000 dirhams.

The tariffs for restaurants, cafes, and retail trade are part of a broader pricing matrix that covers fitness centers, hotels, radio and television broadcasters, and premium airlines.

Fitness centers will pay 1,700 dirhams for an area up to 300 square meters, plus 5 dirhams for each additional square meter, with a limit of 6,000 dirhams per year. Hotels and floating hotels are priced by the number of rooms depending on their star rating: from 50 dirhams per room for one- and two-star properties to 150 dirhams per room for four- and five-star hotels, with a maximum annual limit of 25,000 dirhams for the largest group of rooms.

Radio stations will pay between 1% and 3% of annual revenue depending on whether they broadcast general or predominantly music programming, while TV channels pay between 0.25% and 1%, subject to a minimum payment of 1,700 dirhams. Premium airlines providing in-flight entertainment will pay according to a sliding scale tied to the number of passenger seats, with an annual limit of 45,000 dirhams.

Regulatory Framework

This tariff schedule is integrated into a broader management system introduced by the ministry to regulate licensed Collective Management Organizations (CMOs). These organizations are structures where composers, songwriters, performers, producers, and publishers transfer their rights for the collection and distribution of royalties.

According to this guideline, which is based on Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021 on copyright and related rights and Cabinet Resolution No. 47 of 2022, licensed CMOs are required to obtain an annual permit from the ministry, which can be renewed yearly. They are prohibited from changing the price matrix approved by the ministry without prior written consent.

Government bodies, educational and academic institutions, national celebrations, and non-commercial private events are exempt from these fees.

Furthermore, the system provides for the creation of a Cultural Fund, financed by allocating 10 percent of the 25 percent share collected before distributing income among CMO members. This fund, overseen by a joint committee representing the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, and independent experts, will provide financial, technical, and artistic support to musicians and the promotion of Emirati music internationally and regionally.

The ministry retains full supervisory control, including the right to conduct on-site inspections, review the financial reports of CMOs, accept complaints from rights holders and users, and impose administrative fines or revoke permits in case of non-compliance.

In 1972, then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai presented White Rabbit milk candies as a state gift to visiting US President Richard Nixon. More than half a century later, this Shanghai sweet is undergoing a new journey abroad, and this journey is happening through its packaging.

Earlier this month, a user on X posted two photos. One showed the White Rabbit candy in its familiar red-blue-white wrapper, and the other showed the paper unfolded and laid flat. The user noted: 'It is an absolute masterpiece of graphic design...'

Within days, this post garnered about 6 million views and 265 thousand likes. Comments quickly filled with images of tattoos, T-shirts, phone cases, and White Rabbit wrappers saved in notebooks.

These two moments demonstrate different aspects of how Chinese culture spreads. If White Rabbit was initially presented as a diplomatic gift, now ordinary people are opening, sharing, and reinterpreting it.

The Discovered Design

For many Chinese people, the excitement abroad was unexpected. What was praised as a design discovery was merely the wrapper of a children's candy—one that was previously folded into school textbooks to preserve the faint milky aroma, or thrown away after eating the candy.

Now, this item, deeply rooted in the cultural consciousness of the Chinese people, has entered a different sphere where people value it, collect it, and make it their own. This is a very encouraging development.

White Rabbit adopted its current name and rabbit design in 1959, replacing an earlier Mickey Mouse design used by the Shanghai confectionery factory. Its wrapper received a national packaging award in 1983 and has been used ever since.

When unfolded, it resembles a miniature poster. A white rabbit sits in the center against a red background. Rows of small blue-and-white rabbits run along the sides, and Chinese and English characters occupy the remaining space.

Zhang Di, a professor at Peking University who studies transcultural content dissemination, told The Straits Times that the visual language of this design does not require special cultural knowledge to understand and is aesthetically accessible to different cultures. Viewers may be attracted to the image even before they learn its history.

The history adds another layer of meaning to the image. In China, White Rabbit evokes memories of an era of candy shortages, when it was a special treat during family gatherings and holidays, and its milky taste and chewy texture delighted young children. In contrast, today's young consumers abroad often encounter it in a different context. It seems fresh to them precisely because its classic design has stood the test of time: it is a specimen of commercial art untouched by the polished uniformity of many modern packages.

Its handmade quality can also attract attention. In an era where artificial intelligence can create a polished image in seconds, the hand-drawn rabbit and old-fashioned letters carry the imprint of a specific designer and era. Wu Weihua, a professor at the China University of Communications, believes that vintage designs with cultural depth can resonate in an era increasingly filled with AI-generated content.

In the Seventy-Two Wonders tourist area in Zhangjiajie, it is common to see a young girl interacting with foreign guests. Eight-year-old Li Anqi, a native of Zhangjiajie, enjoys acting as an English-speaking guide.

She introduces international tourists to Tianmen Mountain, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, and traditional Chinese culture. For her, this is a wonderful opportunity to present the voice of her hometown to the world.

Zhangjiajie, located in the northwestern part of central China, Hunan Province, is known for its unique quartz sandstone pillars, mist-shrouded peaks, and deep gorges that inspired the floating 'Hallelujah Mountains' in the popular film 'Avatar.'

In the first half of 2026, Zhangjiajie welcomed 699,200 inbound tourists, bringing $79.41 million in foreign currency revenue to the city. Thanks to its warm and hospitable attitude, the city continues to attract more international visitors.