The Regulations for Sending SMS in the UAE

This guide will walk you through the UAE’s SMS regulations, including mandatory sender ID registration timing restrictions, and how you can leverage SMS Marketing and SMS API solutions to reach your audience effectively.

There are separate SMS Regulations for local and international clients.

To send SMS legally in the UAE, local entities must comply with guidelines issued by the UAE's TRA (Telecommunications Regulatory Authority)

• As per the new regulation of TRA, a company based on a local entity should have an enterprise account on the operator portal.
• For the message to be delivered successfully, the SenderID must be registered through the Etisalat or DU portal.
• Alpha SenderID needs to be registered on all U.A.E. networks.
• Make sure all promotional mobile marketing communication SMS can only be sent with SenderIDs starting with the prefix “AD-“ followed by the name of the SenderID.
• A promotional SMS is sent by a brand to customers who’ve opted in to receive promotional messages.
• Promotional communications are not permitted between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Ensure The sender ID and content match the use case for both transactional and promotional SMS.
• For medical centers, a Ministry of Health approval copy is mandatory.
• Ensure that the contact name and address sign are the same in all documents and that the documents are properly authorized.
• Ensure the SenderID character length is within the character limit of 11
• The Allowed Special Characters are dash (-), underscore (_), dot (.), single-quote (), ampersand (&) space ( )
• The expected time for approval is 5–10 business days

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• Alpha SenderID needs to be registered on all U.A.E. networks.
• All promotional mobile marketing communication SMS can only be sent with sender IDs starting with the prefix “AD-“ followed by the name of the sender ID.
• Ensure to provide a scanned and signed NOC on the company letterhead.
• Ensure the Trade License will be valid for at least 2 months.
• Generic and Numeric sender IDs are not supported.
• The Allowed Special Characters are dash (-), underscore (_), dot (.), single-quote (), ampersand (&), and space ( ).
• The estimated time for approval is 10–15 business days.

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There are no fees for Sender ID registration in the UAE, but you should still plan for timelines and document requirements. For full transparency and cost details, check our SMS API Pricing.

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Whether you're a local business or an international enterprise, complying with regulations for sending SMS in UAE is the first step. But it's not just about compliance—it's about connecting effectively.

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