YouTube, the world's largest online video community, announced that it would extend its "YouTube Partner Program" to users in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE during a press conference on Sunday.

The YouTube Partner Program provides creators with resources and opportunities to improve skills, build fan bases, and earn revenue from their YouTube channels.

The step came after YouTube developers saw a significant surge in content and website traffic emerging from those countries.

"YouTube has seen dramatic increases in Egypt," said Haitham Yehia, YouTube partnership development manager for the Middle East and North Africa Sunday.

"Opening up the YouTube Partner Program in Egypt is a great step to help content creators develop their skills and provide original local content," explained Yehia.

The most important aspect of the program is that it allows "monetising content," meaning that users would generate income according to the number views of each uploaded video.

The programme was previously limited to companies, and has achieved some success during the past two years, most notably with Q-Soft Company, the producer of comedian Bassem Youssef's political satire show "Al-Bernameg", which has since moved to television channel CBC and has gained a mass following.

Other Egyptian digital media production companies such as Qabila and DiSalata were also part of the partnership programme.