UAE Implements Stringent Regulations on Telemarketing

UAE Implements Stringent Regulations on Telemarketing

The UAE government has enacted stringent regulations on telemarketing via phone calls, instituting new controls and mechanisms. Violators will face administrative penalties, including warnings and fines up to Dh150,000.

Effective mid-August 2024, violators will be subject to graduated administrative penalties ranging from warnings to fines up to Dh150,000. Additionally, violators may face severe sanctions such as partial or complete suspension of activities, license revocation, removal from the commercial registry, termination of telecommunications services, and prohibition from using telecommunications services in the country for up to one year. These regulations mandate that marketing companies must obtain prior approval from the competent authority before conducting telemarketing activities.

Individuals are prohibited from making marketing calls using phones registered in their names; all marketing calls must originate from phones registered under the licensed telemarketing company. Marketing calls are restricted to the hours between 9 AM and 6 PM and are strictly prohibited to numbers listed on the Do Not Call Registry (DNCR).

According to the law, if a consumer declines a service or product during the initial call, no follow-up call is permitted. A maximum of one call per day is allowed if the consumer does not answer or ends the call. To protect consumer rights, the law permits consumers to file complaints with the competent authority regarding any violations of these telemarketing regulations.

In May, the Cabinet approved a decision to regulate cold calling. The latest measures by the Ministry of Economy and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) aim to protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing practices and to enhance the overall quality of marketing activities within the UAE.