Short answerA business website in the UAE touches three sets of rules. Online sellers must follow Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on trading by modern technological means, which according to published summaries requires licence, address and contact details and a complaints channel. Consumer protection law requires invoices in Arabic. The personal data law, Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021, requires consent to process personal data. This is general information, not legal advice.
A boutique owner in Al Quoz adds a shop to her Instagram page and a contact form to her website. Within a week she has orders, customer phone numbers and a few questions she cannot answer: does she need to show her licence, does the invoice need Arabic, and what may she do with the numbers? This page collects what the official sources say.
If you sell online: the e-commerce law
Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on trading by modern technological means is the main federal law for online trade. Published summaries describe it as covering websites, platforms, mobile apps and social media. According to those summaries, a digital trader must publish information about the trade licence from the competent authority, the address, contact numbers and the website, must provide a complaints channel that is always available and a way to follow up a complaint, must not give false information, and must issue digital invoices. Summaries also note that implementing regulations add detail, so check the current text.
If your business sells through a website, a social page or an app, show your licence details, address and contact numbers on the site, and make the complaints route easy to find. Your licensing authority can tell you which licence activity covers online trade.
Invoices and product information: the consumer protection law
The UAE Government portal describes Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on consumer protection, amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 5 of 2023. Suppliers must give the consumer a dated invoice that shows the trade name, address, the goods or service, the price and the quantity. The portal says the invoice must be in Arabic, and the supplier may add other languages. It also says e-commerce businesses must provide product information in Arabic.
The portal states that suppliers who fail to provide clear information and labelling, or who advertise misleading prices, face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to AED 2 million. That is a good reason to keep prices on your website accurate and current. If a customer has a complaint, the portal lists the Ministry of Economy and the emirates' economic departments as places to complain.
Personal data: the data protection law
Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the protection of personal data came into force on 2 January 2022. The UAE Government portal says it covers the processing of personal data carried out fully or partly through electronic systems, inside or outside the UAE. It prohibits processing personal data without the owner's consent, with exceptions, and gives people the right to ask for corrections and to restrict or stop processing. It also sets requirements for sending personal data across borders.
A contact form, a booking form and website analytics all handle personal data. Say plainly on the form what you collect and why, ask for consent where it is needed, and write a privacy page in simple words. Keep the messages you receive in one place, and delete what you no longer need.
Advertising rules in your sector
Some sectors have extra rules for advertising. Health advertising is regulated by the health authorities. Property advertisements in Dubai need a permit through the Dubai Land Department's system. We wrote about both in the journal: clinic websites and patients and estate agency websites in Dubai.
What a website from MM² does for you
We never invent reviews, awards or customer numbers on a customer's website, and we show your contact details where customers look first. The legal wording that applies to your licence is yours to confirm with your adviser.
Check this week
- Is your licence number or licence details shown where the law or your authority requires them?
- Are your address, phone number and a complaints contact easy to find?
- Are the prices on your website current and clear?
- Do your invoices carry the trade name, address, price and quantity, and are they in Arabic?
- Does each form say what you collect and why, and do you ask for consent?
Questions
Do invoices in the UAE have to be in Arabic?
The UAE Government portal says the invoice must be in Arabic and that the supplier may add other languages. It also says e-commerce businesses must provide product information in Arabic.
Which law governs online selling in the UAE?
Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on trading by modern technological means governs e-commerce, together with the consumer protection law and the personal data law. Check with your licensing authority which rules apply to your licence.
Does my website need a privacy policy under UAE law?
Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 prohibits processing personal data without the owner's consent, with exceptions. A clear privacy page that says what you collect, why and how people can ask for corrections is the sensible way to be open about it. Ask a lawyer for the wording that fits your business.
Do I have to show my trade licence number on my website?
Published summaries of the e-commerce law say digital traders must make their licence details, address and contact numbers available to the public. Ask your licensing authority what applies to your activity.
What are the penalties for misleading prices?
The UAE Government portal says suppliers who advertise misleading prices face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to AED 2 million.