LONDON: Meta, previously known as Facebook, has expanded its paid verification service, Meta Verified, to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The service, available on Facebook and Instagram, provides users with enhanced account support, including the blue check mark, exclusive features, and increased visibility.
Subscription to Meta Verified will cost users $14.99 in Saudi Arabia and 46.99 Emirati dirhams ($12.80) in the UAE.
To sign up, users must meet certain eligibility criteria including activity requirements, be 18 years of age or older, and be able to provide a government ID that matches the information on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The move is designed to provide a new revenue channel for the company, which has previously been free for most of its services.
Meta Verified launched in the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand in February, and Meta has since expanded to the Middle East as part of its global rollout.
When Meta first launched the service, it pledged to provide value to users of all types, including creators, businesses, and members of the community.
The company’s introduction of a subscription service follows in the footsteps of social media rivals such as Snap, which recently launched its own subscription service, and Elon Musk, who revamped Twitter’s subscription service Twitter Blue to offer a range of additional features, including the blue check mark.
