The UAE government has tightened regulations on telemarketing, with violators facing administrative penalties, including warnings and fines of up to D150,000.
The UAE government has tightened regulations on telemarketing via phone calls, implementing new controls and mechanisms. Violators will face administrative penalties, including warnings and fines of up to Dh150,000.
According to the new regulations, gradual administrative penalties will be imposed on violators, ranging from warnings and fines up to Dh150,000. The violating company may face more severe measures such as partial or complete suspension of activity, license cancellation, removal from the commercial registry, cutting off telecommunications services, and deprivation of telecommunications services in the country for up to one year.
In May, the Cabinet approved a decision to regulate cold calling. The latest measures by the Ministry of Economy and the TDRA aim to protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing practices and enhance the overall quality of marketing activities within the UAE.
The new mechanism makes it imperative for marketing companies to obtain prior approval from the competent authority before engaging in telemarketing activities.
Individuals are prohibited from making marketing calls using phones registered in their names. All marketing calls must originate from phones registered in the name of the licenced telemarketing company.
Marketing calls are only permitted between 9am and 6pm and it is strictly prohibited to call numbers registered on the Do Not Call Registry (DNCR).
It is prohibited to call the consumer back if he refuses the service or product in the first call, and it is prohibited to call more than once a day if he does not answer the call or ends the call.
The consumer may file a complaint with the competent authority regarding violating marketing phone calls.
