What the regulator expects from brands
Most coverage of the Advertiser Permit talks to creators. The National Media Authority's own Advertiser Permit guide has a separate section for "advertising entities", meaning brands and agencies that hire people to advertise. When contracting a natural person, they must:
- contract only with a permit holder listed in the regulator's public database;
- make sure the permit holder complies with all conditions;
- avoid dealing with unauthorised visiting advertisers;
- sign a written agreement with the advertiser and give the regulator a copy on request;
- preserve national identity and cultural heritage, for example by using Emirati talent or people fluent in the Emirati dialect.
Advertising and talent agencies must also keep records for 3 years: names of contracted permit holders, copies of the ads they published, and client documents such as commercial licences.
At the launch in July 2025 the regulator also called on companies to engage only with licensed people. The permit has been mandatory since 1 February 2026; our Advertiser Permit guide covers the creator side.
The 10-point check before you pay
Our own checklist. Each line maps to a rule in the guide or the Executive Regulation.
| # | Check | How | Rule behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Permit number exists | Ask for it in writing; look for it on the profile | Holder must display the number on all accounts |
| 2 | The number is on the account that will post | Open that exact account, not their "main" one | Ads only through the registered account |
| 3 | Name matches | Permit name = person on the contract = person on camera | No third parties may use the account |
| 4 | Expiry after the last post date | Ask for the issue date; residents' permits run 1 year | Expires if not renewed within 30 days |
| 5 | Resident or visitor | Ask for visa status | Visitors need a Visitor Permit via an approved agency |
| 6 | Visitor: which agency filed it | Get the agency name and its contract with the creator | Agency carries legal responsibility |
| 7 | Trade licence behind the permit | Ask for the licence; activity should be e-media / social media marketing | Permit requires a valid commercial licence |
| 8 | Sector approval, if you are in property, health, finance, education or food | Get the approval before the shoot | Art. 33(10) Executive Regulation |
| 9 | Tax registration | Ask for a TRN if they will invoice VAT | Guide: holders must register for tax |
| 10 | Under 18? | Guardian's licence and age-appropriate product | Additional conditions for ages 15–18 |
Points 2 and 8 are the easiest to miss: a creator can hold a permit and still post from a second, unregistered account, and a creator's permit never replaces a clinic's or developer's sector approval.
Six clauses to put in the contract
- Permit warranty. The creator states the permit number, the registered account handles and the expiry date, and warrants they will stay valid until the last deliverable plus any usage period.
- Account restriction. Content is published only from the listed registered accounts.
- Disclosure. Every post carries an explicit ad label and discloses the commercial relationship, as Article 20(2) of the Media Law and Article 33(7) of the Executive Regulation require. See our ad disclosure guide.
- Approved claims only. The creator publishes only claims the brand approved in writing; no "best", "No. 1" or medical promises.
- Payment condition. Payment is due only after the permit check passes and the post is live with the label. If the permit lapses, the brand can pause.
- Takedown and records. The creator removes content within an agreed time if the brand or regulator asks, and both sides keep the contract and copies of the posts. Agencies must keep these records for 3 years anyway.
Law firms such as Pinsent Masons advise writing the permit number into the contract. The guide adds that the regulator can ask to see the agreement, so keep it signed and findable.
What it costs if you skip it
Under Cabinet Resolution 42/2025:
- advertising on social media without a permit: warning, then AED 20,000, then AED 50,000;
- advertising after the permit expired: AED 10,000, then AED 20,000;
- an ad without the sector authority's approval: AED 10,000;
- breaching Article 33 (misleading claims, no label): AED 20,000, then AED 50,000.
The full list is in our media law fines table.
What nobody tells you
- The visible cost is not the fine, it's the content. If a creator's account is suspended or the post is taken down, the reel you paid for disappears with it. Get the raw files and usage rights in the contract.
- Visitor permits are short. Three months, extendable once to six. A visiting creator booked for a winter campaign may be out of permit by spring. Summaries put the visitor fee at AED 500 for 3 months; the official fee table in the guide did not render for us, so confirm it.
- The guide favours Emirati talent. The line about national identity and the Emirati dialect sits in the brands' obligations. It is not a quota, but it signals what the regulator wants to see.
- Your own staff are different. An employee promoting their employer is exempt from the permit, real estate brokers excepted. A "brand ambassador" on a fee is not an employee.
Vladimir Chernyshev, GM: ask for the permit number in the first message, before you talk rates. The check takes minutes, and a creator who holds a permit has no reason not to share it. If the answer is vague, treat it as a no.
Not sure whether your campaign needs permits at all? Run it through our permit checker.
