UAE Central Bank Finalises Telemarketing Rules for Financial and Insurance Firms

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UAE moves to regulate financial telemarketing, raising compliance stakes for insurance and retail sales teams.

The CBUAE board approved a dedicated Telemarketing Regulation in December 2025, targeting all licensed financial institutions including insurers and brokers.
Cabinet Resolutions 56 and 57 of 2024 established a national Do Not Call Register and penalty framework applying across all UAE-licensed companies.
Financial firms must obtain board-level approval before launching any telemarketing campaign and secure explicit customer consent.
Permitted calling hours are restricted to weekdays 9am - 6pm and weekends 12pm - 5pm, with no calls on public holidays.
Telemarketing staff require a minimum of 15 hours training before making calls, covering privacy, product knowledge and DNCR compliance.
Insurance brokers and cross-border financial promoters face the most significant operational changes under the new regime.

Consumer Protection Framework Tightens for Licensed Financial Institutions

The UAE is implementing a comprehensive consumer protection framework that will reshape how licensed financial institutions conduct outbound marketing. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has moved to operationalise federal telemarketing rules through sector-specific regulations, placing particular emphasis on the national Do Not Call Register (DNCR) - a centralised database protecting consumers from unsolicited contact.

For insurance brokers, banks and payment providers, CBUAE regulatory oversight now extends to every marketing call, SMS and social media message. The reforms reflect the UAE's broader push to align financial services conduct with international consumer protection standards while deterring aggressive or misleading sales practices.

Federal Telemarketing Rules Now in Force

Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 and the accompanying penalty framework under Resolution No. 57 took effect in August 2024. These federal rules apply to all UAE-licensed companies, including those in free zones. The resolutions define telemarketing broadly to cover phone calls, SMS messages and social media outreach used to market products or services.

Central to the framework is the DNCR, managed by federal authorities. Companies must check this register before contacting consumers and respect opt-out requests. The Ministry of Economy has stated the rules aim to deter breaches and enable data sharing on complaint volumes across government bodies. Natural persons are expressly prohibited from conducting telemarketing without appropriate licensing.

CBUAE Regulation Adds Sector-Specific Requirements

The CBUAE's Telemarketing Regulation, approved by the board in December 2025, builds on the cabinet-level rules with detailed requirements for banks, insurers, finance companies, exchange houses and payment service providers. As reported by Al Tamimi and Company, the regulation applies to all "Licensed Financial Institutions" under the Central Bank Law - a deliberately broad definition.

Gulf News reports that institutions must obtain written board approval before launching any telemarketing campaign. The CBUAE also reserves discretion to require prior Central Bank approval for specific campaigns. Firms must maintain internal do-not-call lists synchronised with the national DNCR and capture evidence of explicit customer consent before initiating contact.

Strict Calling Windows and Disclosure Standards

The regulation prescribes permitted calling hours:

Monday to Friday: 9:00am to 6:00pm
Saturday and Sunday: 12:00pm to 5:00pm
No calls on official public holidays

Institutions must also honour any specific contact-time preferences registered by individual customers. Standardised scripts are required to ensure clarity. Callers must immediately disclose the purpose of the call and identify the institution at the start of each conversation - addressing longstanding consumer complaints about opaque or misleading sales pitches.

Training Requirements for Telemarketing Staff

The draft regulation mandates a minimum of 15 hours training before staff can make marketing calls. Training must cover customer privacy obligations, professional conduct standards, product knowledge and DNCR procedures. When products are updated or new offerings launched, staff must undergo retraining to ensure they understand features, risks and conditions.

Compliance units within licensed institutions bear direct responsibility for adherence. The CBUAE is empowered to impose administrative measures, regulatory sanctions and financial penalties where breaches occur. Data protection failures linked to telemarketing activities may attract additional penalties under existing cybersecurity laws.

Impact on Insurance Brokers and Distributors

Legal advisers view the regulation as particularly significant for insurance brokers and financial product distributors who have historically relied on outbound calling for customer acquisition. Al Tamimi and Company identifies several compliance workstreams these firms must address:

Mapping all outbound marketing activities and channels
Verifying telemarketing is covered by existing licence permissions
Segregating telemarketing teams from advisory or underwriting functions
Capturing and evidencing customer consent
Integrating internal lists with the national DNCR
Redesigning scripts to meet disclosure standards

Cross-Border Promoters Face New Risks

Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025 on the Central Bank Regulation of Financial Institutions defines "communication" broadly to include telephone calls, emails and digital messages. This captures marketing directed at UAE residents even when sent from outside the country. Gibson Dunn notes that unlicensed foreign firms promoting financial products to UAE residents via telemarketing or digital channels now risk falling within CBUAE's regulatory perimeter.

For international insurance brokers, asset managers and fintechs, the combination of Cabinet Decisions 56 and 57, the new CBUAE Law and the Telemarketing Regulation means that even lead-generation activity may trigger licensing or registration requirements. More assertive enforcement is expected where institutions breach the rules or unlicensed entities continue marketing into the UAE.