The Central Bank sent a circular yesterday to licensed financial institutions in the state, including banks, insurance companies, reinsurance companies, and other financial institutions, accompanied by the Telephone Marketing System issued by the 'Central Bank', which will come into effect immediately after its publication in the Official Gazette, granting a 90-day period to ensure compliance with the system. 'Emirates Today' had reported on October 28, 2025, the Central Bank's intention to issue a comprehensive and detailed system for marketing banking products and services over the phone. According to Circular No. 2032/2026, which the 'Central Bank' sent and of which 'Emirates Today' obtained a copy, it states: 'The Central Bank hereby issues the Telephone Marketing System', attaching a copy of the system. The 'Central Bank' stated: 'The system aims to establish a regulatory framework that sets the minimum standards that licensed financial institutions must adhere to when engaging in telephone marketing activities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, protect consumers, enhance their trust, and prevent unwanted telephone marketing calls to ensure that consumers are not disturbed and to avoid violating their privacy.' The Central Bank added: 'The system will be published in the Official Gazette and will come into effect immediately after its publication, and to ensure compliance with the system, licensed financial institutions must take all necessary measures and arrangements to fully comply with the provisions of the system within 90 days of its entry into force,' and requested that the board of directors of the financial institution be briefed on the content of the system at the next board meeting. According to the key provisions of the system, 'the financial institution must obtain prior written approval from its board of directors or, in certain cases, from the Central Bank before conducting telephone marketing, and marketers must be trained and have completed at least 15 hours of training, ensuring they have sufficient knowledge of all the products and services offered.' According to the system: 'The financial institution must provide marketers with approved channels via telephone, including landline numbers, mobile phone numbers, official email addresses, and bank accounts, and the licensed financial institution must use the full registered trade name in telephone marketing, and the caller's identification information must be clear and not hidden.' The system also states that 'the licensed financial institution must obtain prior explicit consent from the consumer and apply strict processes to verify age upon obtaining consent to ensure targeting individuals who have reached the legal age in accordance with applicable laws.' The 'Central Bank' confirmed in its system that 'the licensed financial institution at all times must ensure that marketers have access to the do-not-call list to avoid contacting consumers listed on the list and not contacting a consumer who has opted out or refused in any manner to receive telephone calls, and marketing calls must be terminated and stopped immediately upon the consumer's request.' The system included provisions on the timing and frequency of telephone marketing, stating that it must only be between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM local time, as well as regulating the use of automated systems or artificial intelligence to conduct telephone marketing, in addition to applying strict security measures and procedures, policies, systems, and controls for information technology security to protect consumers' personal data. The system stipulates the training of marketers and ensuring they have completed at least 15 hours of training and have sufficient knowledge of all products and services.
