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At a media briefing yesterday, the Ministry of Economy reviewed the obligations of companies licensed in the country when making marketing calls, including providing comprehensive training on the ethics of professional conduct for company marketing personnel, establishing communication channels for consumers interested in receiving marketing information, and not using telephone numbers that are not registered or owned by the company when making calls, in addition to keeping records of calls made.
It also reviewed the work controls for companies that market their products and services through telemarketing, the most prominent of which is that no marketing techniques may be used to exert unreasonable pressure on consumers to convince them of the products or services offered, which she stressed would apply to all companies licensed in the country, including those located in free zones.
The ministry lists 18 administrative offences and imposes fines of between Dh10,000 and Dh150,000 on companies that fail to comply with decisions regulating telemarketing, depending on the type, nature and frequency of telemarketing. Individuals face fines of between Dh5,000 and Dh50,000 for violations.
Organizing Telemarketing
Specifically, the Ministry of Economy reviewed the country’s efforts in the field of regulating telemarketing products or services and the details of the Cabinet Resolution (No. 56) of 2024 on regulating telemarketing, and (No. 57) of 2024 on violations and administrative penalties for violations pursuant to the Decision of the Council of Ministers.
Speaking about administrative penalties and fines for businesses and individuals at a media briefing held at the ministry’s headquarters in Dubai yesterday, the decision specifies 18 categories of violations and administrative penalties for businesses ranging from AED10,000 to AED150,000, while fines for individuals range from AED5,000 to AED50,000, depending on the type, nature and repetition of the violation.
promise
The ministry clarified the obligations of licensed companies in the country when making marketing calls, including obtaining prior approval from the competent authorities to conduct marketing activities, providing comprehensive training to company marketing personnel on professional ethics when making marketing calls with consumers, and not making calls to consumers listed in the Do Not Call Register (DNCR) for the purpose of promoting products or services before using local telephone numbers issued by the country’s licensed telecommunications companies.
The obligations established by Resolution No. 56 of 2024 also include recording all marketing calls according to the forms prepared by the competent authorities, in order to ensure the provision of a minimum amount of data and information on marketing activities carried out through marketing calls, rather than simply destroying them after the expiration of the period established by the competent authorities, and recording marketing calls and informing the consumer of this recording at the beginning of the call, and that the company complies with the Code of Professional Conduct, in addition to complying with the prescribed days for calling (from nine in the morning to six in the evening) at the beginning of the marketing calls, the company commits to identifying itself and stating the purpose of the call at the beginning of the marketing call, and to reveal the source of obtaining the telephone number and consumer data upon request from the competent authorities, and not to use telephone numbers registered or owned by the company without permission to make marketing calls in the country of origin.
rule
These decisions regulate the working mechanism of companies that market their products and services by telephone, prescribing several controls that marketing companies must follow, including not using any marketing techniques that create undue pressure on consumers to convince about their products or services offered, and avoiding deception and misleading calls when marketing their products or services.
It also includes not calling the consumer back if the consumer declines the product or service during the first call, or if the call is not answered or the call is hung up more than once a day and up to twice a week, and asking the consumer questions including whether he wants the call to be completed before starting marketing, advertising and promotion of the product or service being offered.
Free Zone
“The provisions of the cabinet decision will apply to all licensed companies in the country, including those located in free trade zones. It or one of its employees, as well as individuals, make marketing calls, as natural persons are not allowed to make marketing calls for products or services they provide in their areas. Using fixed or mobile phone numbers licensed in their name by telecommunications companies licensed in the country,” said Safiya Hashem Al-Safi, acting assistant undersecretary for business control and governance at the Ministry of Economy, in a press release.
• These decisions will apply to all companies licensed in the country, including those located in free zones.
• Natural persons are prohibited from making marketing calls from licensed telephone numbers in their names.
Fines from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
Engineer Mohammed Al-Ramsi, Deputy Director of Digital Government at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and Telecommunications Sector, said that the role of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in regulating telemarketing involves two issues, the first is the development and maintenance of the Do Not Call Registry, and the second is about the marketing practices of individuals, explaining that individuals who use personal numbers that are not authorized to make marketing calls will be fined by the authority starting from AED 5,000 for any violation, and 50,000 if repeated.
He added that the authority has launched the Do Not Call Registry, the so-called (DNCR) system, which gives recipients the right not to receive marketing calls from certain sectors or all sectors.
He pointed out that if a natural person, in his name or on behalf of his representative, makes a marketing call for a product or service using a fixed or mobile phone number licensed in his name, he will be fined AED5,000 and disconnected from all fixed or mobile phone numbers registered in his name until payment is made, increasing the fine to AED20,000 and disconnecting all fixed or mobile phone numbers registered in his name for three years. If the same violation is committed within 30 days from the date of signing the first administrative penalty, a fine of AED50,000 will be imposed and a ban on obtaining services from any licensed telecommunications company in the country for 12 months. Within thirty days from the date of the second administrative penalty.
The role of “Securities and Commodities”
Dr. Maryam Butti Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Securities and Commodities Authority, said that the authority’s supervision will focus on the marketing calls made by companies licensed by it in the direct marketing of their products and services, as well as the supervision of these companies. The companies that provide these marketing services on behalf of companies licensed by the authority will monitor their compliance with the control measures contained in the decision of the Council of Ministers through all possible supervisory means.
She added that the Authority will provide a portal for the public, be it investors or other members of society, to submit complaints when they receive marketing calls in addition to the Cabinet decision and any other regulations issued by the Authority.
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