SMS compliance in United Arab Emirates

The rules that apply to business SMS sent to numbers in United Arab Emirates, with the source for each.

Quiet hours

Marketing SMS only 07:00-21:00 local time; transactional/OTP 24/7.

Source: TDRA Regulatory Policy on Unsolicited Electronic Communications

Consent

Prior opt-in consent required for marketing SMS; opt-in proof must be uploaded to TDRA Consent Management System (from Oct 2025).

Source: Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021 (PDPL)

Opt-out

Every marketing SMS must include an opt-out mechanism; opt-outs processed promptly.

Source: Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021 (PDPL) / regulator rules

Prohibited content

Blocked: gambling/betting, alcohol, adult/dating, political and religious content, content offensive to public morals or Islam, phishing/fraud, unlicensed financial/crypto offers, URL shorteners.

Source: Operator content policies / national advertising law

Data protection law

Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021 (PDPL). Supervisory authority: UAE Data Office.

Source: Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021 (PDPL)

Sender ID rule

Registration with both e& and du mandatory; max 11 chars incl. 'AD-' prefix for promotional; SID must match company name/trademark; numeric SIDs not allowed.

Source: Operator/regulator registration rules

Other

TDRA DNCR; promotional SIDs 'AD-' prefix; promotional SIDs only for UAE-licensed entities.

Source: Regulator/operator rules

This summary is guidance, not legal advice. Last verified 23 October 2026.