Despite every tool residents use to silence them, spam calls remain one of the most persistent nuisances in the UAE. Now the government is stepping in with hard consequences: a new cabinet decree imposes strict UAE cold calling fines and establishes clear obligations for telemarketing companies operating in the country.
The Cabinet Decree That Changes Cold Calling in the UAE
The UAE cabinet issued a decree aimed at controlling cold callers, defining the practices and legal obligations of companies operating in the telemarketing space. Under the new rules, financial penalties will be imposed consistently by both federal and local authorities for any violation.
The law sets permitted calling hours, bars companies from contacting numbers registered on the Do Not Call Registry (DNCR), and requires all outreach to come from registered, identifiable numbers. Fines for violations range from AED 5,000 to AED 150,000, with penalties escalating for repeat offences.
Residents Recount Their Most Frustrating Encounters
For many people in the UAE, the problem goes far beyond the occasional sales pitch.
Dubai resident Allaine Galvez had to endure months of calls from a persistent forex trading salesman. "At the time, I was searching for jobs. He reached me over the phone and asked me whether I needed money from his foreign exchange trading platform. But I did not have any money as I didn't have a job," she told Khaleej Times.
The calls did not stop there. The salesman began calling from different numbers — now asking whether she had secured a job yet and was ready to invest.
Mitchel Cervales, a 27-year-old expat in Dubai who previously worked in a cold calling role, understands the pressure from both sides. "It's a tough task for me, or for anyone who does not want to face harsh criticism when they pick up the phone and receive several calls over the day," Cervales said after leaving the position.
Eric Saguil, another UAE resident, described the volume of unsolicited calls as overwhelming. "Seven out of ten random calls will be from a forex trader, banker, or salesman," he said, noting how disruptive the constant interruptions can be when trying to get work done.
How to Block Unwanted Calls Right Now
Although the full legislation is not yet in force, residents already have two practical options to protect themselves.
The Kashif initiative, run by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), requires companies to display their registered business name on caller ID — so residents can see who is calling before they pick up. All private companies and institutions in the UAE must use the feature when contacting customers.
Residents can also register on the UAE Do Not Call Registry (DNCR), a national directory that bars companies from making promotional or telemarketing calls to listed numbers. Registration is free and available through the TDRA.
Together, these tools give UAE residents meaningful control over who can reach them — even before the new fine structure takes full effect.
