The UAE Federal National Council has ratified the Digital Economy and Artificial Intelligence Content Regulation Law — the GCC’s first comprehensive federal regulation governing AI-generated media, data broker operations, and platform liability for synthetic content. The law, which enters into force on 1 September 2026, establishes mandatory labelling requirements for AI-generated images, video, and text published on UAE-licensed digital platforms and imposes registration and transparency requirements on data brokers handling UAE resident personal information.
Key Obligations for Businesses
From 1 September 2026, all UAE-licensed digital publishers, social media platforms, news organisations, and advertising networks must clearly label content that was substantially generated or modified by AI tools — using a standardised “AI-assisted” or “AI-generated” disclosure format approved by the UAE Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). Failure to comply carries administrative fines of up to AED 5 million per violation and licence suspension for repeated breaches.
Data Broker Registration Regime
Data brokers — companies that collect, aggregate, and sell personal data — must register with the TDRA Data Broker Register by 1 March 2027. Registration requires disclosure of data sources, data categories held, and recipient categories. UAE residents will gain the right to request data broker deletion of their personal information, mirroring rights under the EU GDPR. The TDRA estimates 340 companies operating as data brokers in the UAE will need to register. For B2B companies using UAE consumer data for marketing, the law requires a review of data sourcing contracts before Q1 2027.
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Primary source: the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, which owns the UAE’s digital-economy portfolio.
