Mohammed bin Rashid issues Decree on regulation of advertisements in Dubai

In his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued Decree No. (6) of 2020 regarding the regulation of advertisements in the Emirate of Dubai. The new Decree seeks to regulate the advertisement sector and promote closer interaction between governing bodies and the advertisement industry. Broadly, the new Decree seeks to preserve the visual appearance and beauty of the city and ensure advertisements harmonise with the design of buildings. The Decree also seeks to uphold public and traffic safety and monitor advertisements to prevent misinformation and violations of public order, morals and customs.

The new Decree is applicable to all advertisements in the Emirates of Dubai, including private development zones and free zones.

According to the Decree, it is strictly forbidden for any entity to display advertisements in Dubai without obtaining prior permission from competent authorities. Authorities responsible for providing permission in their respective jurisdictions include Dubai Municipality, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Department of Economic Development, the authority managing a private development zone, the authority managing a free zone, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Maritime City Authority.

According to the Decree, Dubai Municipality, in collaboration with other concerned entities, will develop a sets of guidelines detailing all the procedures, requirements and technical specifications for obtaining advertisement permits.

All applications for advertisement permits must satisfy the requirements outlined in the guidelines. After obtaining the permit, the applicant must fully comply with the specifications in the permit, including the dimensions, timeframe, advertisement method and all other procedures and technical specifications outlined in the guideline.

Pursuant to the Decree, advertisements cannot be placed on historic buildings, places of worship, graveyards, traffic lights and signs, government buildings, trees, restricted areas, military areas, residential buildings and any other location restricted by authorised entities.

Once the authorised period for displaying the advertisement is over or the contract has expired, the advertising company must remove the ad and restore the location to its original state.

The Decree also specifies the fines and penalties for violations. The violator can appeal in writing to the Director General of the concerned government entity within 30 days of the date of the fine notification.

The Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai will issue the bylaws required to implement this Decree, which annuls Local Order No. (30) of 1986 Regarding Supervision of Advertisements in the Emirate of Dubai and any other legislation that contradicts or challenges its articles. The new Decree will be published in the Official Gazette and will be effective 3 months after the date of its publication.