Snapchat+ offers new features for paid users

The new features include Custom Story Expiration, which will let subscribers set Snaps on their story to expire after one hour or up to one week. (Supplied)
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Updated 26 October 2022
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Snapchat+ offers new features for paid users

  • Changes to story, sound and color functions
  • Rise in Saudi content creators, says local head

DUBAI: Snap Inc. has introduced over 12 features for its paid subscription service, Snapchat+.

After being tested in July, the service was rolled out to users around the world and has amassed over a million global subscribers.

“Globally, more than 1 million Snapchat users have signed up for Snapchat+ so far, and we’re encouraged by their continuous interest in the additional features and functionalities that Snapchat+ offers,” said Abdulla Alhammadi, regional business lead in Saudi Arabia at Snap Inc.

The new features include Custom Story Expiration, which will let subscribers set Snaps on their story to expire after one hour or up to one week, Custom Notification Sounds, which will allow users to set specific notification tones for different friends, and Custom Camera Color Borders for users to cast their chosen hue on screen as they capture content.

Snapchat+ will also feature three new exclusive Bitmoji backgrounds for the upcoming holiday season.

Alhammadi told Arab News: “In Saudi Arabia, we see a real understanding of Snapchat’s full value proposition, whether in communication, entertainment, commerce, or elsewhere. With a highly engaged audience, we are amongst the most popular platforms in the Kingdom, reaching over 90 percent of people aged 13 to 34. It is, therefore, truly exciting to roll out the new features of Snapchat+ in a unique market like Saudi Arabia.”

“These features will only help push the creative boundaries of Snapchatters and empower them to use the platform to create new experiences,” he added.

From December, Snap will also allow users to gift their friends a subscription from within the app.

“Snapchat+ is a perfect stocking stuffer for the budding digital creator or selfie-loving friend in your life,” Alhammadi said.

Users in Saudi Arabia can subscribe to Snapchat+ for SR16.99 ($4.52) a month, SR94.99 ($25.27) for six months, and SR172.99 ($46.02) for a year.


TikTok names 2025 MENA Awards nominees ahead of Dubai ceremony 

Updated 12 December 2025
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TikTok names 2025 MENA Awards nominees ahead of Dubai ceremony 

  • Awards celebrate 66 creators across 11 categories, spanning food, sport, education, entertainment, fashion, and beauty 
  • Ceremony will take place during the 1 Billion Followers Summit on Jan. 8 

LONDON: TikTok has announced the nominees for its 2025 MENA Awards, an annual showcase of the creators, trends and cultural moments that shaped the region’s online conversation over the past year. 

For the first time, the awards will be held in Dubai during the 1 Billion Followers Summit in January, which is one of the world’s largest gatherings of digital creators. 

“We’re proud to celebrate the return of the TikTok Awards in MENA, a moment dedicated to spotlighting the remarkable creativity emerging from our region and the creators who continue to inspire creativity and bring joy to millions every day,” Kinda Ibrahim, regional general manager of operations, TikTok Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, said. 

This year’s TikTok Awards MENA will highlight 66 creators across 11 categories, spanning food, sport, education, entertainment, fashion, and beauty, alongside four cross-cutting prizes: Creator of the Year, Visionary Content Award, Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Changemaker of the Year. 

TikTok said the shortlisted accounts reflect how MENA creators drove global conversations in 2025, from viral sounds and challenges to issue-based campaigns and long-form storytelling that traveled beyond the region’s borders.  

The platform said the awards are an opportunity to recognize creators whose work has helped define the platform’s mix of humor, lifestyle, music, and social commentary in Arabic and other languages. 

The ceremony will also include performances by regional artists whose tracks have underpinned major TikTok trends this year, with the full lineup due to be confirmed later in December. 

A full list of nominees is available on TikTok MENA channel. Public voting for the awards is now open and runs until Dec. 23, with winners set to be announced at the summit on Jan. 8.