Dh19 million in fines and 9,400 numbers disconnected for cold-calling violations
If you have received a call from an unknown number that turned out to be telemarketing, spam or simply unwanted, you are not alone. The UAE's Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority has announced that it has issued fines totalling more than Dh19 million ($5.17 million) and 9,433 numbers have been disconnected for misuse since the launch of a clampdown on telemarketers in…
The UAE's Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority has imposed fines exceeding Dh19 million ($5.17 million) and disconnected 9,433 numbers due to violations of telemarketing regulations since August 2024. The regulations, implemented two years ago, mandated telemarketing permits and limited calls to the hours of 9am to 6pm.
Telemarketers are prohibited from making follow-up calls on the same day if a consumer declines or ends the call. Companies face fines up to Dh50,000 and up to a 12-month suspension of phone services for repeat offenses.
The authority advises against using personal phone numbers for telemarketing or promotional activities and reminds callers to report violations via social media posts. The rules permit the use of automated systems for telemarketing if consent is obtained at the start of the call. Residents are encouraged to report violations.
According to the authority, 92,748 numbers have been reported and 3,301 violations detected since the regulations were introduced following Cabinet Resolutions 56 and 57. The TDRA has simplified keeping phone numbers private and reducing unwanted calls through a dedicated registry. Individuals can opt out of authorized telemarketing campaigns by sending a text message with the letters DNCR to 2211, adding their phone numbers to the Do Not Call Registry.
Residents can report unwanted spam calls by sending the caller's number in the format 05XXXXXXXX to 2211.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
