Financial institutions licensed in the UAE — spanning banks, insurers, reinsurers, and related entities — must overhaul their telemarketing practices within 90 days under a new regulatory framework issued by the Central Bank of the UAE.
Circular No. 2032/2026 formally introduced the Telemarketing Regulation, which takes effect upon publication in the Official Gazette. The 90-day compliance window runs from that date, and institutions are required to brief their boards of directors on the new rules at the next scheduled meeting.
The Central Bank framed the regulation as a consumer protection measure, designed to set minimum standards for telephone-based marketing of financial products and shield customers from unsolicited contact and privacy violations. An intent to develop such a framework had been signaled in October 2025.
Among the more operationally significant requirements is the obligation to secure prior explicit consent from customers before placing telemarketing calls. Institutions must also maintain access to a “Do Not Call” registry at all times and are prohibited from contacting anyone who has previously refused or opted out. Calls must stop immediately upon a customer’s request.
Telemarketing activity is restricted to between 9am and 6pm UAE time. The regulation also governs the use of automated dialing systems and artificial intelligence tools in outreach campaigns, and mandates strong IT controls and security policies for handling personal data.
On staffing, telemarketers must complete a minimum of 15 hours of training and demonstrate adequate knowledge of the products and services being marketed. They must operate through approved communication channels — authorized landlines, mobile numbers, official email addresses, and registered accounts — and institutions must display their full registered trade name and ensure caller identification is visible, not concealed.
Board-level sign-off is required before any telemarketing activity can begin, with certain cases also requiring prior approval from the Central Bank itself. Robust age verification mechanisms must be in place to ensure marketing targets are of legal age.
