Cold call crackdown goes into effect as firms face AED 150k fines

Telemarketing regulations related to cold calls have officially come into effect in the UAE.

The new rules look to balance consumer privacy and include the following:

• Calls cannot be made outside the hours of 9am and 6pm.
• Companies are required to obtain explicit permission from authorities to carry out marketing calls.
• Calls cannot be made on the same day a consumer has declines or ended a phone call.
• Calls cannot call a consumer once again if they reject the product/service.
• Calls cannot be made from a personal phone number, and only from a number registered under the licensed company.
• Marketers cannot contact consumers whose numbers are registered in DNCR.

Speaking to the ARN News Centre, Her Excellency Safeya Al Safi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Control and Commercial Governance Sector at the Ministry of Economy said, “[The decision] came after we received a lot of complaints from consumers, regarding the annoying telecommunications they are receiving on daily basis.”

“It took us around two years to negotiate it with other company authorities within UAE, both federal and local, and then we came up to the final Cabinet Decision no. 56 of 2024, which will regulate the telecommunication practices,” she added.

Companies found in breach of any rules may be subject to a fine of up to AED 150,000, suspension of operations, cancellation of the license, and marketing services being blocked for up to a year.

"The resolutions require companies, in their marketing of products and services through phone calls, to exercise due care and diligence to avoid disturbing the consumer and to adhere to the highest standards of transparency, credibility and integrity,” the Government Media Office said.

Customers can issue complaints to federal or local authorities that licensed the telemarketing company. If the company is related to a bank, the Central Bank is concerned and would be who the complaint is filed to. It it’s related to investment, then the complaint would be filed to Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA). Breaches related to workers using personal phone numbers, complaints should be filed to the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).

“We are taking it very seriously. Companies can start taking approval if they wish to do telecommunication for their marketing. But the enforcement will be taken seriously if they receive complaints from consumer, and through their investigation, they find that there are any breaches, they will immediately take the action,” Al Safi said.