UAE Compliance Guide · Updated 8 July 2026

Is AI cold calling
legal in the UAE?

Yes — with strict conditions. Here is what Cabinet Resolutions 56 and 57 of 2024, the TDRA's Do-Not-Call Registry, and the UAE's recording laws actually require of anyone making sales calls — human or AI.

The short answer

AI calling is legal in the UAE, but it is regulated exactly like human telemarketing. The rules are technology-neutral: prior approval from your licensing authority, calls only between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, screening against the TDRA's Do-Not-Call Registry, mandatory call recording with notice, and dialing from a number registered to your company. Fines run from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000 per violation.

Written and maintained by the Lumaa team in Dubai · Last updated 8 July 2026 · Sources

The two resolutions that changed everything in 2024

UAE telemarketing is governed by Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 (the Telemarketing Regulations) and its companion Cabinet Resolution No. 57 of 2024 (the penalties schedule). Resolution 56 was issued on 10 June 2024, published in the Official Gazette on 28 June 2024, and came into force on 27 August 2024.

The scope is broad: the regulations apply to all companies licensed in the UAE — including free-zone companies — and to individuals. "Telemarketing" covers any phone call made to consumers to market a product or service.

Crucially for AI: neither resolution carves out or separately restricts automated or AI-generated calls. The definition of a marketing call is technology-neutral, so law firms treat AI voice-agent calls as falling under the same regime as human calls — same approvals, same hours, same registry, same fines. The UAE has no standalone federal AI statute; AI calling is governed by these telemarketing rules together with the Personal Data Protection Law, the Cybercrimes Law, and the non-binding UAE AI Charter (2024).

The seven obligations every calling operation must meet

  1. Prior approval. You must obtain approval to conduct telemarketing from your "Competent Authority" — the federal or local body that licenses your economic activity (not the TDRA). The Ministry of Economy oversees the general regime; sector regulators like the Central Bank handle their own industries.
  2. The 9am–6pm window. Marketing calls are only permitted between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm UAE time. (Marketing SMS follows a separate, older TDRA policy: prior consent, 7:00 am–9:00 pm.)
  3. DNCR screening. Numbers on the TDRA's Do-Not-Call Registry may not be called. Consumers join free by texting DNCR to 1012; registration takes effect immediately. Businesses screen lists through their telecom operator — e& provides DNCR access to business customers via its Business Online Portal.
  4. Identity and purpose disclosure. The caller must state the company's identity and the purpose of the call at the beginning of every marketing call.
  5. Recording, with notice. Companies must record their telemarketing calls and tell the consumer at the start of the call that it is being recorded.
  6. Your own registered numbers. Calls must be made from local UAE numbers registered under the company's own commercial licence. Using numbers not registered to the company is a fined violation, and marketing from personal numbers carries personal fines plus line suspension.
  7. Frequency limits, training, and records. If a consumer rejects the offer, no repeat call the same day; an unanswered or ended call may be retried at most once per day and twice per week. Staff must be trained on professional conduct and DNCR use, call records must be kept, periodic reports submitted, and the source of your number database disclosed on request.

The fines: AED 10,000 to 150,000 per violation

Cabinet Resolution 57 of 2024 sets escalating administrative fines. The headline rows:

Violation1st2nd3rd
Telemarketing without prior approvalAED 75,000AED 100,000AED 150,000
Calling a number on the DNCRAED 50,000AED 75,000AED 150,000
Trading or disclosing consumer data without authorisationAED 50,000AED 75,000AED 150,000
Calling from numbers not registered to the companyAED 25,000AED 50,000AED 75,000
Not disclosing company name or call purposeAED 10,000AED 20,000AED 30,000
Calling outside the 9am–6pm windowAED 10,000rising to AED 50,000 on repetition
Failing to train staff on conduct and DNCR useAED 10,000AED 25,000AED 50,000
Marketing calls from a personal number (individuals)AED 5,000 + line suspensionAED 20,000 + 3-month suspensionhigher fines + longer suspension

Beyond fines, regulators can issue written warnings, suspend telemarketing activity for 7 to 90 days, disconnect phone lines, and ultimately cancel the commercial licence. Penalty decisions can be appealed within 15 days; the authority must decide within 30 days. Consumers report violating calls to the TDRA — one published channel is texting REPORT plus the caller's number to 1012.

Recording and data: the three background laws

Inside the telemarketing regime the recording question inverts: recording is mandatory, and so is telling the consumer at the start of the call. The two duties travel together.

How Lumaa is built around these rules

Lumaa is an AI calling platform built in Dubai for UAE businesses, so the regulation's mechanics are design inputs, not afterthoughts:

Compliance questions we haven't covered here? Ask us on a demo call — or compare how UAE platforms approach this on our Dubai AI calling platforms comparison.

Common questions

Asked by every sales team
we talk to.

Is AI cold calling legal in the UAE?
Yes — regulated exactly like human telemarketing. Cabinet Resolution 56 of 2024 is technology-neutral: prior approval, 9am–6pm only, DNCR screening, mandatory recording with notice, and calls from your company's registered number.
What hours can we call?
Marketing calls: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm UAE time. Outside the window is a fined violation starting at AED 10,000. Marketing SMS runs on a separate TDRA policy (7am–9pm, prior consent).
What is the DNCR?
The TDRA's Do-Not-Call Registry (launched September 2022). Consumers text DNCR to 1012 to join free; companies must not call registered numbers and screen lists via their telecom operator. First violation: AED 50,000.
Do we need consent to record calls?
In telemarketing, recording is mandatory — and you must tell the consumer at the start of the call. Outside that regime, recording private conversations without consent is criminal under Penal Code Art. 431 and Cybercrimes Law Art. 44.

Sources

This guide is general information for sales and operations teams, not legal advice. Regulations change; verify current requirements with your legal counsel and your licensing authority. Figures reflect published sources as of 8 July 2026.

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