Cold calling is legal in the UAE only under strict rules: since 27 August 2024, Cabinet Resolution 56 of 2024 requires prior approval, company-registered local numbers, calls between 9am and 6pm only, and no calls to anyone on the Do Not Call Registry (DNCR).
Is cold calling legal in Dubai and the UAE?
The rules for marketing calls, in short
In summary, Cabinet Resolution 56 of 2024 on telemarketing expects any company making marketing calls in the UAE to do the following (this is our summary, not the resolution's wording; read the full text for the detail):
- Get prior approval from the competent authority before running marketing calls.
- Call from local numbers registered to the company's licence, not personal mobiles.
- Call only between 9am and 6pm.
- Never call numbers on the DNCR, the UAE's Do Not Call Registry.
- Say who you are and why you're calling at the start of the call.
- Record calls and tell the person the call is being recorded.
- Don't call back after someone says no. Unanswered calls are limited to once a day and twice a week.
- Ask whether the person wants to continue before you start pitching.
As we read the resolution, automated calling systems are allowed as long as they follow the same rules.
What happens if you break them
Penalties are set out in Cabinet Resolution 57 of 2024. Fines apply to breaches such as calling outside permitted hours or calling DNCR-listed numbers, and they rise with repeat offences. See the resolution for the amounts.
Real estate has already seen enforcement. In 2022, Dubai's RERA suspended nine brokers for three months over cold calling and fined one firm AED 50,000, as reported by Gulf News.
Cold calls vs calling back someone who enquired
A cold call goes to someone who never asked to hear from you. A callback goes to someone who just enquired about your listing on a portal, your website or an ad form. Buyers are likely to treat these differently: many people screen unknown callers, while someone who enquired a minute ago can reasonably expect a call about that listing.
Whether a callback to an enquiry counts as a "marketing call" under Resolution 56 hasn't been clearly settled, so the safe approach is to treat callbacks with the same care: call inside 9am to 6pm, identify your company and the listing up front, and announce any recording.
How to win leads without cold calling
- Call back every enquiry within 60 seconds, inside calling hours. Shabda's AI calls each new lead back about the listing they enquired about. You decide how the agent introduces itself.
- Set calling hours per campaign. You set the calling hours for each campaign; leads that arrive outside them are queued for the next opening, and Shabda can follow up on WhatsApp.
- Qualify on the first call and book the viewing. Budget, timeline, financing, area, purpose (live or invest) and a viewing slot, with a human handoff whenever needed.
- Spend on ads that bring real enquiries. Shabda optimises your Meta and Google Ads on real outcomes like qualified leads and booked viewings. It starts read-only, every change needs your approval, spend caps stay in place, and every change is logged with one-click undo.
Shabda costs less than AED 0.50 a minute.
Sources
- UAE Cabinet Resolution 56 of 2024 on telemarketing
- UAE Cabinet Resolution 57 of 2024 (penalties)
- Gulf News (2022): cold calling costs nine Dubai property brokers a 3-month suspension
FAQ
Is cold calling illegal in Dubai real estate?
It isn't banned outright, but it's tightly regulated. Marketing calls need prior approval, registered company numbers, a 9am to 6pm window and a DNCR check. Calling outside those rules can bring fines and, for brokers, RERA action.
What are the permitted calling hours in the UAE?
In summary, Cabinet Resolution 56 of 2024 allows marketing calls between 9am and 6pm only.
What is the DNCR?
It's the UAE's Do Not Call Registry. Marketing calls to numbers on it are banned, so any calling list has to be checked against it first.
Can I call a lead who enquired on Property Finder or Bayut?
A person who enquired about your listing is a different case from a cold contact, but the law doesn't spell out how callbacks are treated. Keep callbacks inside 9am to 6pm, identify your company and the listing at the start, and announce recording. Check with a UAE lawyer for your specific setup.
Can I use an AI to make calls in the UAE?
As we read Resolution 56, automated calling systems are allowed, provided they follow the same rules on approval, hours, DNCR, identification and recording. Check with a UAE lawyer for your setup.
Reach every enquiry without cold calling
See how Shabda calls back, qualifies and books viewings for UAE real estate teams.
This page is general information, not legal advice.