With the UAE cabinet issuing a resolution to set the minimum age for social media use at 15 years, all eyes are on whether other nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council will issue similar regulations on children's access to online platforms.
The UAE resolution allows social media platforms to progressively implement the new standards through a transitional period of up to 12 months in order to ensure technical and regulatory readiness.
Children under 15 in the UAE are now prohibited from creating or using personal accounts on social media platforms and shall not be permitted to access their full features. Those aged 15 to 16 must be provided with regulated and safe access to social media, subject to age-appropriate content classification, restricted interaction and usage time as well as parental controls.
Will other GCC nations also ban social media for children under 15?
Among GCC nations, Bahrain reportedly has a proposed law to ban children under 15 from creating social media accounts. It has already been reveiwed by the Shura Council's woman and child affairs committee. For those aged 15 to 18, the draft legislation also requires digital platforms to regulate usage through specific safeguards to reduce exposure to harmful or inappropriate material.
Saudi Arabia has implemented rigorous parental control frameworks, with the Saudi General Authority for Media Regulation strictly monitoring online content and algorithms to protect minors from harmful or age-inappropriate exposure. However, the kingdom has also focused on digital literacy, preserving access to educational and technological development.
While Qatar is also yet to ban social media for minors, it has enforced Federal Decree Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety, making platforms and caregivers legally responsible. Social media platforms are restricted from collecting personal data of children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. It mandates "privacy by default" settings, content filtering, and blocks access to online gambling for minors.
Kuwait currently relies heavily on corporate parental-control solutions rather than legal age prohibitions.
