Updated for 2026. Checked on 8 October 2026. By Rachel Seif, CEO, TheBuzihub.
Advertising regulations in the UAE depend on who is advertising, what is being sold and where the ad runs. A federal permit covers the people who promote on social media, and Dubai's sector regulators add their own approvals for property and health advertising.
TheBuzihub plans paid and social campaigns for UAE brands and wrote this map as a practitioner's reference for that planning. It is marketing-practitioner guidance, not legal advice: confirm any live campaign with the regulator or with qualified counsel.
It supports our UAE-wide marketing services and search and display campaign management, covering approvals rather than strategy.
The federal layer: the social-media advertiser permit
At federal level, this map starts with the social-media advertiser permit. Law firm Pinsent Masons reports that it was introduced under Federal Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023 on the Regulation of Media, and that it is now issued by the National Media Authority (NMA), which replaced the UAE Media Council in December 2025.
The permit attaches to the person or account doing the promoting. The National reported in July 2025 that it applies to anyone showing promotional content on social media, paid or not.
The same report said ads may only be published through an account registered and linked to the permit, and that the holder may not let anyone else advertise through it.
Pinsent Masons describes the application as made through the NMA's online portal. It lists three conditions: the applicant is at least 18, holds a UAE trade or freelancer licence that permits media or advertising activity, and has a police certificate of good conduct.
The National also reported two exemptions: people promoting their own products, services or companies through a personal account, and under-18s taking part in educational, athletic, cultural or awareness activity.
For a brand, the permit changes casting. The number is shown on the creator's profile, and companies were told to work only with licensed people. Pinsent Masons' advice to brands is to ask for proof of the permit before engaging or paying anyone.
The same advice suggests a contract clause that requires the creator's NMA permit number. Pinsent Masons adds that marketing agencies producing content or managing advertising may also need their own licence or registration.
Visiting creators need one too: The National reported a visitor permit valid for three months, applied for through a licensed advertising or talent management agency. Pinsent Masons reported the registration deadline as 31 January 2026, so a 2026 campaign should assume the permit applies.
The permit is not the only check. Pinsent Masons notes that sectors including health, finance, real estate and education may need approvals from their own authorities before posting, which is what the map below sets out for Dubai property and health.
How disclosure is handled day to day sits with creator campaign planning and #ad disclosure. The paid side of Meta is its own discipline, covered under Meta campaign set-up and management.
Speak with our digital experts about the approvals your next campaign needs: tell us what you plan to run and where. We plan the campaign around the approvals it needs; sign-off stays with the regulator and your counsel.
The approvals map: one table, sector by sector
Each row is a rule and an approval. The property and health rows cover Dubai only.
| Sector | Jurisdiction | Rule or approval | Issued or enforced by | What the ad or campaign must carry | Source, checked 8 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid or unpaid social promotion | Federal (UAE) | Advertiser permit under Decree-Law 55/2023 | National Media Authority | Permit held by the account; number shown on the profile | Pinsent Masons; The National |
| Property | Dubai | Real Estate Ad Permit, applied for through Trakheesi | Dubai Land Department | An issued e-permit for the ad, covering 14 ad types including electronic ads | DLD service page |
| Health | Dubai | Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media (ST-21, v1.1) | Dubai Health Authority | Medical Director approval; no banned absolute claims; MOHAP ad licence number on the facility account | DHA standard |
Three neighbouring rule sets are deliberately not rows. Consent for email and messaging is covered in email consent and data law, country by country, law-firm promotion in the rules on promoting law firms, and promotion by financial firms in the DIFC in DFSA financial-promotion rules for DIFC firms.
Property ads in Dubai: the Trakheesi permit
The Dubai Land Department's Real Estate Ad Permit lists 14 kinds of advertising. They include newspaper, SMS, outdoor, electronic and classified ads, plus promotional campaigns, open house events and project launches.
The applicant logs into the Trakheesi system, fills in the request and uploads a copy of the advertisement form. A DLD employee reviews it, the applicant pays, and the permit is issued as an e-certificate. The DLD lists the service time as one working day.
A broker applying for most of these permits must also attach a copy of the marketing contract with the property owner. That contract is between the broker and the owner, so a marketing agency has to ask the broker for it early.
The other documents depend on the format. A project launch event needs the site tenancy contract or a no-objection letter from the hotel, and a real estate seminar needs the hotel booking letter plus a note on the topics to be covered.
Exhibitions run on a longer clock. The DLD wants every document at least one month before the exhibition date, allows only preliminary reservations during it, and bars showing Dubai off-plan properties that are not registered with its Escrow Account Department.
What changes in the ad brief is sequencing. Treat the permit as a pre-launch step: request an ad permit at least a working day ahead of launch, with the contract already on hand, and start exhibition paperwork a month or more out.
If the ad is a video, lock the final cut before requesting the permit, and schedule digital video ads and social media commercials around that date. The marketing itself, from audience to enquiry, sits in lead generation for Dubai developers and brokers.
Health ads in Dubai: the DHA social-media content standard
The DHA's Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media (code ST-21, version 1.1) took effect on 3 October 2022, with a revision date of 3 August 2027. It applies to every DHA-licensed health facility and healthcare professional that advertises on social media.
Three clauses shape a clinic's content calendar:
- Clause 5.2: the facility's official account must show the medical advertisement licence number issued by the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
- Clause 5.3: professionals, influencers or staff who name the facility or its location should have the Medical Director approve the content.
- Clause 6.10: any patient shown needs documented consent.
Clause 6.11 bans absolute and exaggerated wording. Its list includes "the best", "the only", "safest", "magic", "miraculous", "100%", "has no side effects", "get money back", "pioneer" and "immediate results".
Appendix 2 adds 14 categories of prohibited content. Among them: treatments that guarantee full recovery, testimonials without written consent, and before-and-after images without a disclaimer that results vary.
Creator shoots carry their own clauses. Under clause 5.5, the facility is liable for content filmed on its premises, whether it runs on the official account, a professional's account or an influencer's personal account. Clause 6.7 asks facilities and professionals paid to promote a product or service to document the relationship and disclose it to patients.
Clause 7.2 adds a design-stage check: no DHA or other government logo or name may appear in social content without explicit written approval.
Abu Dhabi and federal health advertising rules are not mapped here. The growth side sits in patient acquisition for UAE clinics. The standard also bars negative statements about other providers, which shapes review monitoring and reputation response.
Connect with our specialists today if a regulated launch is on your calendar: send us the brief and the approvals it touches. We plan the media; the permit holder and, for clinics, the Medical Director approve the content.
Building the approvals step into a campaign timeline
Treat approvals as a scheduling task: request each one before the creative is locked, not after.
- Name the permit holder for each asset. The creator holds the advertiser permit, the developer or broker holds the property permit, and the facility answers for health content.
- Collect proof before contracts are signed. Ask each creator for their permit number and check it is shown on the profile, as Pinsent Masons advises.
- Add a review round to every regulated brief. Health content goes to the Medical Director, and property creative goes to Trakheesi, with the owner contract attached when a broker applies.
- Lock copy only after sign-off. Plan for a late edit to go back for review, and leave slack for one round.
- Archive what ran. The DHA standard asks facilities to archive posts with their edits and formats, and says its Health Regulation Sector may audit them from time to time.
- Re-check the map every quarter. The body that issues the advertiser permit changed in December 2025, and the DHA standard is due for revision in August 2027.
Health education has its own clause: the DHA standard lets facilities and professionals promote public health information as part of a public health campaign or public health activities (clause 6.9.1). Where a sector's rules allow it, editorial calendars built on educational articles and guides can run alongside the paid plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Advertising Regulations in the UAE
Do I need a permit to advertise on social media in the UAE?
Usually, yes. Reporting by The National and Pinsent Masons says anyone posting promotional content on social media needs an advertiser permit, whether or not they are paid. People promoting their own products or a company they own were reported as exempt, as were under-18s in educational, athletic, cultural or awareness activity. Ask creators for proof first.
Who issues the UAE advertiser permit now that the Media Council has been replaced?
The National Media Authority. Pinsent Masons reported that the NMA replaced the UAE Media Council in December 2025 and now issues the advertiser permit introduced under Federal Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023. Older guides still name the Media Council, so confirm the current process with the NMA directly.
Does a Dubai property ad on Instagram need a Trakheesi permit?
The Dubai Land Department's Real Estate Ad Permit lists electronic advertisements among its 14 covered ad types, and applications go through the Trakheesi system. Read that as covering online property ads, including social media, and confirm the specific format with the DLD. Brokers also need a copy of the marketing contract with the property owner when they apply.
Which words are banned in DHA social media ads for clinics?
Clause 6.11 of the DHA standard bans absolute and exaggerated terms, including "unique", "the best", "the only", "safest", "magic", "miraculous", "100%", "has no side effects", "get money back", "famous", "pioneer" and "immediate results". The list is not exhaustive, so treat any superlative as a risk. Before-and-after images also need a disclaimer that results vary between patients.
Do these Dubai rules apply in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah?
Not automatically. The Trakheesi permit and the DHA standard are Dubai instruments, and this page does not map the other emirates' property or health rules. The advertiser permit is federal: Pinsent Masons describes it as mandatory for anyone in the UAE who creates promotional content online, and visiting creators need a visitor permit. Confirm local rules before running outside Dubai.
How often do UAE advertising rules change, and when was this page last checked?
Often enough to re-check every quarter. Pinsent Masons reported that the NMA replaced the Media Council in December 2025 and extended the permit deadline from October 2025 to 31 January 2026. The DHA standard has a scheduled revision date of 3 August 2027. This page was last checked against its sources on 8 October 2026; confirm anything you act on.
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Put the approvals in the plan, not after it
A permit requested after the creative is finished can push back the launch date.
Get a free consultation on your next regulated campaign: book a planning call. We will talk through which approvals it touches and when each is due. How we work and who writes these guides is on its own page.
Sources: DLD Real Estate Ad Permit service page; DHA ST-21 v1.1; Pinsent Masons and The National on the advertiser permit. Check each primary source before acting.