One decree, several gatekeepers
Decree No. 6 of 2020 says no one may display an advertisement in Dubai "without first obtaining a Permit", and it applies everywhere in the emirate, special development zones and free zones such as DIFC included. Its definition of an advertising medium is broad: boards, fences, pillars, balloons, aircraft, vehicles, boats, stickers, maps, leaflets. It excludes newspapers, magazines, websites, radio, TV and cinemas, which the federal Media Law covers instead.
The decree does not create one permit office. It splits the job by location, as summarised by Dubai Media Office: Dubai Municipality, RTA, DED (now DET), free zone and development zone authorities, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Maritime City Authority.
Who issues your permit
| Where the ad is | Who issues the permit | Typical cases |
|---|---|---|
| Any vehicle, road right of way, metro, bus, taxi | RTA | Car wraps, logo on company vans, billboards along roads |
| Shop façade or inside a mall, showing the outlet's name and trade mark; leaflets; stickers | DET (formerly DED) | Shop signs, flyers, window stickers |
| Inside a free zone or special development zone (e.g. Dubai Media City, Internet City, DIFC) | The zone's authority, e.g. DDA | Building signs, banners, billboards in TECOM areas |
| Billboards, building wraps, rooftop signs elsewhere | Dubai Municipality (advertising section) | Unipoles, megacoms, electronic screens |
| Aircraft and drones carrying ads | Dubai Civil Aviation Authority | Aerial banners |
| Boats and marine | Dubai Maritime City Authority | Yacht branding at sea |
Sources: Decree 6/2020, Dubai Media Office, DDA. RTA, Dubai Municipality and DET also published a joint Out of Home manual with zones, density and safety rules for contractors.
Official fees
Vehicles (RTA), as published by Khaleej Times, plus AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee, 3 to 7 days:
| Vehicle advertising | AED |
|---|---|
| Logo and company name on front doors | 250 a year |
| Full wrap, light vehicle or bus up to 16 seats | 1,000 a year |
| Partial wrap, light vehicle | 500 a year |
| Full wrap, pick-up or cooler truck | 1,500 a year |
| Event advertising on a light vehicle | 2,500 a week |
| Advertising company, mobile billboard vehicle or trailer | 50,000 a year |
Billboards (Dubai Municipality), from Executive Council Resolution 18 of 2013, plus up to 10% by district:
| Medium | AED |
|---|---|
| Unipole / minipole / megacom | 250 per sq m per side per year |
| Mupi | 5,000 per unit per year |
| Electronic screen | 1,000 per sq m per year |
| Construction-site fence | 200 per sq m per year |
| Fixed commercial billboard | 100 per sq m per year |
| Aircraft advertising | 1,000 per day |
Inside DDA free zones (DDA), per year, plus AED 20: building wrap, rooftop sign, billboard AED 5,000; podium or roof parapet sign AED 2,500; flags AED 1,500; window sticker AED 1,000; ground-floor shop sign AED 500.
Shop signage and print (DED/DET), from Executive Council Resolution 13 of 2011: name board on façade AED 350; signboard permit AED 250; print ads AED 250; brochures AED 500; electronic signs AED 100 per sq ft (AED 1,000 to 2,000).
Fee tables from 2011 and 2013 may have been updated in the authorities' systems. Use them for budgeting, then confirm.
Worked example: a clinic's van and street sign
A clinic in Al Barsha wraps one delivery van fully and puts its name on the façade:
| Item | AED |
|---|---|
| RTA full wrap, light vehicle, 1 year | 1,000 |
| RTA knowledge and innovation fee | 20 |
| DET name board on façade | 350 |
| Permit fees | 1,370 |
| DHA approval of any health claim on the van | separate |
Printing, the wrap itself and design are separate costs. Health, property, finance, education and promotion ads also need the sector regulator's NOC; DDA, for example, lists NOCs from RERA, DHA or the Ministry, SCA, KHDA and DET for those categories.
Arabic: the 50% rule
Under Decree 6/2020, Arabic is the main language of an outdoor ad: at least 50% of the space, at the top or on the right, and free of errors. It doesn't apply to websites, press or TV. Our guide to Arabic language requirements covers the consumer-law side.
What nobody tells you
- The permit is for the exact design. A permit covers the dimensions, period and method approved. A new creative on the same billboard can need a new approval.
- Removal is billed to you, with a surcharge. If you don't take down an ad when required, the authority removes it at your cost plus 25%, with a minimum of AED 2,000 (Decree 6/2020).
- Stickers count. Window stickers, car stickers and leaflets are advertising media under the decree. Unauthorised car stickers can be fined AED 500.
- A raffle prize car needs two permits. Showing a prize car on the pavement needs an RTA pavement permit, and RTA asks for the DET raffle permit first; see our giveaway permit guide.
Vladimir Chernyshev, GM: for a small business the van wrap is often the cheapest outdoor medium in Dubai: AED 1,000 a year in permit fees for a moving billboard. Shoot the visuals so they read at a distance, and put the Arabic in from the start rather than squeezing it in at print stage.
