Practical summary for planning a website, not legal advice. Laws and their implementing rules change; check with a UAE lawyer for your situation.
Which data protection law applies to your company?
| Where your company is licensed | Law that usually applies | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland or most free zones | Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (PDPL) | In force since 2 January 2022. As of mid-2026 its executive regulations had still not been issued |
| DIFC | DIFC Data Protection Law No. 5 of 2020 | Own regulator (DIFC Commissioner of Data Protection) |
| ADGM | ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021 | Own regulator (ADGM Office of Data Protection) |
Because the PDPL's implementing regulations are still pending, details such as fines and deadlines are not settled. That is not a reason to wait: the law itself applies, and a clear privacy policy plus sensible consent is cheap to get right now.
What should a UAE privacy policy cover?
Short on time? Our free UAE privacy policy generator builds a policy from your answers in two minutes.
- Who you are: company name, licence authority, contact for privacy questions.
- What data you collect: form fields, WhatsApp clicks, analytics, cookies.
- Why: answering enquiries, sending quotes, improving the site.
- Who receives it: hosting, email, CRM, analytics providers, and in which countries.
- How long you keep it, and how people can ask for access or deletion.
Which company details should the website show?
- Legal company name exactly as on the trade licence.
- Licensing authority (for example DET, DMCC, IFZA, RAKEZ) and licence number.
- A UAE phone or WhatsApp number and an email address.
- Your VAT registration number (TRN) on invoices; showing it on the site is optional but builds trust.
- Prices for consumers including 5% VAT.
Which sector rules apply?
| Sector | Extra website rules |
|---|---|
| Real estate (Dubai) | Trakheesi permit number and DLD Madmoun QR code on every listing. See the Trakheesi checklist |
| Healthcare (Dubai) | DHA advertising rules: no superlatives or guarantees, consent for before/after images. See DHA rules |
| Financial services (DIFC) | DFSA rules on financial promotions |
| Influencer and staff social posts | Check the UAE Media Council advertiser permit rules for paid promotion on personal accounts |
What if you target customers in Europe?
The EU GDPR applies to companies outside the EU that offer goods or services to people in the EU (Article 3(2)). If your Dubai company actively sells to German, Austrian or Swiss clients, plan for a GDPR-grade privacy policy and cookie consent. Our German guide covers Impressum and Datenschutz for UAE companies.
UAE website legal checklist
- Privacy policy matching the law that applies to your licence.
- Cookie consent for advertising and analytics cookies.
- Company name, licence authority and number in the footer.
- Consumer prices including VAT.
- Sector rules: Trakheesi, DHA, DFSA as applicable.
- Forms that only ask for data you need.
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Every EmirateSites website ships with a privacy policy draft, cookie consent and licence details in the right places.
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Is a privacy policy required for a website in the UAE?
If your website collects personal data, for example through a contact form, WhatsApp button tracking or analytics, the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) expects you to tell people how you process it. A clear privacy policy is the standard way to do that. DIFC and ADGM companies follow their own data protection laws instead.
Do I need a cookie banner in the UAE?
The PDPL is consent-based for many types of processing, so if you use non-essential cookies such as advertising or analytics, asking for consent is the safe approach. If you target visitors in the EU, the GDPR and EU cookie rules apply and a consent banner is needed.
Must I show my trade licence number on my website?
There is no single federal rule for all websites, but showing your company name, licence authority and licence number is common practice and expected by banks, payment providers and many buyers. Regulated sectors such as real estate and healthcare have their own display rules.
Do prices on my website have to include VAT?
Prices advertised to consumers in the UAE are expected to be shown including VAT. For B2B prices, state clearly whether VAT is included.