Why This Matters Now

Enforcement is no longer theoretical. In August 2026 the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) reported that, as of June 2026, it had issued 3,301 violations against individuals, with fines totalling Dh19.19 million, and had disconnected 9,433 numbers linked to telemarketing violations (Khaleej Times report on the TDRA figures). The TDRA also repeated that personal numbers are for personal use only and must not be used for business promotion.

Dh19.19m
in fines issued to individuals for telemarketing violations, with 9,433 numbers disconnected, as of June 2026Source: TDRA figures reported by Khaleej Times and The National, August 2026

The timing matters for SMEs. The busiest promotional weeks of the year are coming: White Friday sales, National Day offers and year-end campaigns. That is exactly when owners ask their teams to “message everyone”, and when a well-meant WhatsApp blast from a salesperson’s own phone can turn into a fine and a suspended number.

What The UAE Telemarketing Rules Actually Cover

The rules come from Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 (the telemarketing regulations) and Cabinet Resolution No. 57 of 2024 (the penalties), in force since August 2024, with the Ministry of Economy overseeing them and the TDRA running the Do Not Call Registry (Middle East Briefing summary of the telemarketing rules). The main points for a small business:

  • Channels. Telemarketing covers marketing calls to landlines and mobiles, and also promotional text messages and marketing messages sent through social media applications.
  • Who it applies to. All companies operating in the UAE, including free zone companies, plus individuals marketing products or services.
  • Approval and numbers. Companies need prior approval before telemarketing, and marketing calls must come from local numbers issued by licensed telecom providers and registered under the company’s commercial licence.
  • Calling hours. Marketing calls only between 9am and 6pm.
  • Frequency. No more than one call a day, no more than two calls a week if the person doesn’t answer or ends the call, and no further call that day if they reject the offer (Khaleej Times guide to timings, fines and exemptions).
  • Do Not Call Registry. Numbers on the DNCR must not be called for marketing. Consumers join by texting “DNCR” to 2211.
  • Conduct and records. Ask whether the person wants to continue before pitching, no pressure tactics, tell people at the start if the call is recorded, keep records of marketing calls, train staff, and don’t share or sell personal data without consent.

Company fines range from Dh10,000 to Dh150,000 depending on the violation, with possible suspension of activity or licence cancellation. Calls the consumer asked for are not penalised.

Replying Is Not The Same As Marketing

Most of the automation small businesses rely on is a response to something the customer did. The regulations are aimed at unsolicited marketing, and they say firms are not penalised for calls the consumer requested. The rules don’t publish a list of automation types, so use this as a practical way to sort your workflows, not as legal advice.

Usually a reply or service message:

  • A missed-call text-back to someone who has just called your business number.
  • An instant answer to a website enquiry form, chatbot conversation or WhatsApp message the customer started.
  • Booking confirmations, appointment reminders, delivery updates and invoices.
  • A follow-up the customer asked for (“send me a quote on WhatsApp”).

Treat as marketing:

  • Offers and promotions sent to past customers or a contact list.
  • Re-engagement campaigns (“we miss you, here is 20% off”).
  • Anything sent to a bought, scraped or shared list. Don’t do this at all.
  • Repeated chasing after someone has said no.

The line can blur. A reply to a missed call that turns into a sequence of sales messages over two weeks has become marketing. Keep reply workflows short and useful, and move longer nurture sequences behind a clear opt-in.

The Personal Number Problem

This is where most fines land. Individuals may not make marketing calls from a number registered in their own name. Reported penalties start at a Dh5,000 fine with all numbers in that person’s name suspended until it is paid, rising to Dh20,000 and three months’ disconnection for a repeat within 30 days, and Dh50,000 plus a 12-month ban on telecom services for a further repeat.

In many UAE SMEs, the sales team still works from personal mobiles and personal WhatsApp. Apart from the regulatory risk, it means the business doesn’t own the conversation: when someone leaves, their chats and leads leave with them.

The fix is practical. Use a business number registered to your trade licence, connect it to the WhatsApp Business Platform under your company’s Meta account, and route calls and messages into one shared inbox and CRM with automations so the whole team can reply from the business, not from their own phones.

WhatsApp Has Its Own Rules Too

UAE law is only half of it. If you message customers through WhatsApp Business, Meta’s WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy applies as well:

  • Opt-in first. You need the person’s number and their permission to receive messages from your business. Meta’s opt-in guidance says it must clearly state that the person agrees to receive messages and clearly name your business.
  • Respect opt-outs and blocks. Meta requires businesses to honour all requests to opt out or block.
  • The 24-hour window. When a customer messages you, you can reply freely for 24 hours, and the window resets with each new message. Outside it, you can only start a conversation with an approved message template.
  • A route to a human. Automation is allowed, but you must offer a prompt, clear way to reach a person, such as a live agent, phone number or email.

WhatsApp also lets people block or report a business, and businesses whose quality stays low can have their messaging limited. So even where the law is unclear, unwanted promotional messages carry a direct cost.

A Compliant Follow-Up Setup For UAE SMEs

Speed still wins customers, as we covered in what missed calls really cost your business. You don’t need to slow down to stay compliant. You need the right structure:

  1. One business number on your trade licence. Calls, SMS and WhatsApp should come from the business, never from staff mobiles.
  2. Capture consent where the lead comes in. On your enquiry form, add an unticked box such as: “Yes, [Business name] can send me offers and updates by WhatsApp and SMS. I can opt out at any time.” Keep service messages and marketing as separate choices.
  3. Record consent in your CRM. Tag each contact with what they agreed to, when and where, so a campaign can only go to people who opted in.
  4. Separate reply workflows from marketing workflows. Missed-call text-back, enquiry replies and reminders run automatically. Promotions only go to the opted-in segment.
  5. Respect the clock. Keep marketing calls between 9am and 6pm, and schedule automated campaigns for sensible daytime hours too.
  6. Make opting out instant. A reply of “STOP” should remove the contact from marketing automatically, with no human needed.
  7. Cap the frequency. Mirror the call rules in your messaging: no repeated chasing, and stop after a clear no.
  8. Keep an audit trail and a human route. Your CRM should log calls and messages, and every automated chat should offer a way to reach your team.

Our WhatsApp automation service sets this up on a verified business number, with consent tags, opt-out handling and human handover built in.

Where Review Requests Fit

Asking a real customer for a Google review after a completed job is a normal part of service, and Google allows you to ask. Keep it clean: send one request from your business number, only to genuine customers, at the right moment, with a polite follow-up at most and an easy way to opt out. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews in Dubai includes WhatsApp and SMS templates that work this way, and our article on Google’s review policy for staff covers what your team must not do when asking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the UAE telemarketing rules apply to WhatsApp messages?

Legal summaries of Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 say telemarketing includes promotional text messages and marketing messages sent through social media applications, not just calls. Treat promotional WhatsApp messages as covered, and get consent before sending them.

Is a missed-call text-back allowed in the UAE?

A short reply to someone who has just called your business is a response to contact they started, not a cold marketing message, and the rules say consumer-requested calls are not penalised. Send it from your registered business number and keep it to helping them, not a sales sequence.

Can my staff message customers from their personal WhatsApp?

Not for marketing. The TDRA says personal numbers are for personal use only, and using them for business promotion can lead to fines starting at Dh5,000 and suspension of every number in that person’s name. Use a business number registered to your trade licence instead.

What hours can businesses make marketing calls in the UAE?

Marketing calls are allowed between 9am and 6pm, with no more than one call a day to the same person and no more than two a week if they don’t answer or end the call.