Print and Electronic Media license Dubai fall under various government-owned groups. Most importantly the National Media Council (NMC) is the main regulating authority in UAE.

Dubai is a place of expats from different countries, with different languages. Therefore, the mass media is essential to get important information.

The major kinds of media in the UAE are print, radio, television, the internet, and social media.

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Start A Media Company : The Print Media

It includes newspapers, magazines, books, and journals. Al Etihad was the first Arabic language newspaper followed by Al Khaleej. Khaleej Times was the first English daily in UAE. There are 7 Arabic and 12 English newspapers.

Media groups in the UAE publish regional magazines as well. The first such magazine in the UAE was What’s On published by the Motivate Media Group.

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It has become the main medium for advertisements due to its increasing number of viewers.

Nowadays the readers want more information in less time. As a result, online media groups have grown affecting most of the traditional newspapers. They can get all the information on their mobile phones on the go.

However, print media is now using more images and visuals to get the reader’s attention. And there are still people in the older generation who prefer newspapers and radio.

The National Media Council (NMC)

The NMC regulates the print and electronic media in UAE. The NMC has its main office in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The individuals or the companies who engage in commercial activities online also need to get registered and get an Electronic Media license by the NMC. These activities include print media, advertising, news website, online publishing, and printing.

Along with the traditional print media, various digital media platforms also fall under the NMC.

The council has the following functions to perform:

• The issue of license to all publications
• The issue of press credentials to editors
• Review the content from imported the media
• Ensure there is no offensive or prohibited content
• Work with the concerned ministry to make laws for the media sector

The Electronic Media Regulation

One of the aims of NMC is to regulate the media sector to increase competition and reliability. The main reasons for regulating the media content are as follows:

• Firstly to ensure balanced, responsible, and impartial media content
• Secondly to ensure the privacy of individuals
• Thirdly to prevent any malicious or prohibited content
• And also to protect the readers and viewers from negative influence

The council does not regulate social media accounts, blogs, and personal pages that are not commercial in nature.

The Activities that need prior approval

• Firstly the electronic publishing and on-call printing
• Secondly the electronic advertisement
• Thirdly uploading audio and video material on the social media
• Fourthly the news publishing
• And any other activities described by the council

The Regulators of Media in UAE

The National Media Council (NMC) is responsible for making the laws related to the media. It also oversees the functioning of the media groups in the UAE.

Most importantly the NMC provides license to the media institutions. Thereafter it continuously follows up on the media content in the UAE.

In addition, the content imported from abroad also has to be reviewed by NMC. Therefore, it needs to work along with different Emirates.

The Local civic bodies also contribute to the media development.

The Laws for Media Regulation

Every media company in the UAE, both in the free zone and the mainland has to follow the standards as per the Federal Law no. (15) of 1980.

The law lays down the rules and guidelines for the following:

• The ownership of the publishing company
• The circulation of publications
• How to obtain a permit
• Importing newspapers and publications
• The prohibited material
• The penalties if rules are violated

The NMC Decision No. (20) of 2010

The NMC stated in this decision that the activities of all media houses must comply with the standards as per the Federal Law (15) of 1980.

In addition, the council also stated that the media firms have to keep records of all the materials produced in the last three months. They also need to submit the monthly reports to the Council.

The NMC Decision No. (35) of 2013

The NMC stated in this decision that all the advertisements must comply with the standards as per the Federal Law No. (15) of 1980.

Some of the guidelines are around not advertising alcohol, tobacco, and similar goods and services.

The Prohibited content in UAE

Some of the activities that are strictly prohibited on the media platforms are:

• The fake and misleading news
• The spreading rumors
• Defaming public officials or government

In case anyone comes across any of the prohibited content they can report it to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).

The Social Media

The UAE government uses social media accounts to interact with the public and provide feedback.

The Federal Law No. (5) of 2012 defines the rules for cybercrimes.

The new Federal Law No. (12) of 2016 is to protect the reputation and the privacy of an individual.

So, both the laws apply to anyone using social media.

The social media influencers in UAE have to obtain licenses. The NMC charges AED 15000 for issuing the license.

The News Agency in UAE

Wakalat Anba’a al Emarat (WAM), is the official news agency in the UAE. It provides news services in Arabic and English languages. Therefore, WAM is the source for the regional and the international media.

In conclusion, the UAE government not only monitors the media but also works towards the development of the sector. The print and the electronic media license in Dubai are regulated as per the international standards while also looking at the socio-economic needs of the region.

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