Dubai: With less than six months left in the year, the UAE is gearing up to introduce new laws and services that will affect the everyday lives of people, from the way you shop to how you travel.
To stay ahead and informed about these upcoming developments, here are four major changes happening in the next few months.
1. New telemarketing law: Effective August 27, 2024
Starting next month, you will receive fewer cold calls as the UAE’s new telemarketing law will come into effect. Announced by the Ministry of Economy and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) in June, these regulations aim to curb intrusive telemarketing practices and give you greater control over unwanted calls.
Under the new law, telemarketing calls will only be allowed between 9am and 6pm, reducing the likelihood of interruptions at inconvenient times. Companies must avoid using pushy sales tactics and cannot pressure or mislead you during calls.
If you reject a product or service, the company cannot call you again. Additionally, telemarketers cannot call you back on the same day if you decline or end the call.
These measures aim to create a more respectful and manageable telemarketing environment. For a detailed breakdown of the regulations, click here.
2. First national domestic payment card ‘Jaywan’: September 2024
Starting in September, banks in the UAE will begin issuing the country’s new payment card, Jaywan. Jaywan will function as both debit cards issued by banks and pre-paid cards from local exchange houses, giving users a domestic payment system, like Mastercard or Visa.
As reported by Gulf News, by the end August, more than 90 per cent of Point-of-Sale terminals in the UAE will be able to process payments using a Jaywan card. Already, around 95 per cent of ATMs in the country have been tuned up to process any Jaywan-based card withdrawal or related services and the ability to use Jaywan for ecommerce transactions will also be added shortly.
3. New Salik gates: November 2024
Be prepared for two additional Salik gates while driving in Dubai, which was announced earlier this year by the Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The toll gates will distribute traffic across the city’s entire road network, reducing traffic congestion and volume, but also encourage people to use public transport options, like the Dubai Metro, public buses, and marine transport.
The two gates are set to be fully operational by November 2024. According to RTA, the location for the new toll gates will be:
• Business Bay Crossing, on Al Khail Road.
• Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road, between Al Meydan and Umm Al Sheif streets.
4. GCC Unified Visa – expected by end of 2024
The introduction of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) unified Gulf tourist visa, named ‘GCC Grand Tours,’ is expected by the end of 2024.
This initiative, approved in November 2023, will allow travellers to visit all six GCC countries with a single visa, enabling tourists to spend more than 30 days in the region. An official launch date has yet to be announced, but the system is planned to be rolled out by the end of the year.
