Choosing a business phone system in the UAE is mostly about who delivers the service. VoIP is a regulated telecom activity here: voice services come from the licensed operators, from providers working with them, or from providers approved by TDRA, and apps on TDRA’s approved list, such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, can be used. An approved app doesn’t make every setup compliant, though. Your UAE numbers and connection to the public phone network should come from a licensed operator or its authorised partner, not a foreign trunk provider.
This guide is for UAE SMEs and mid-size businesses replacing an old PBX, moving to Teams or Zoom calling, or adding a contact centre. It covers what is allowed, six things to confirm before you sign, call recording, outbound sales rules and how to decide between cloud and an on-site PBX.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Speak to a qualified UAE lawyer about your own obligations.
Key takeaways
- VoIP is legal in the UAE but regulated. Using an approved service needs no telecom licence; providing or reselling voice does.
- Teams and Zoom are on TDRA’s list of approved apps, but calls to ordinary landlines and mobiles depend on how numbers and trunks are supplied.
- Get it in writing who provides your UAE numbers and trunk, and where recordings and transcripts are stored.
- Recording a call without consent can be a criminal offence. Announce recordings and get clear consent.
- Outbound sales calls must follow Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024, including a Do Not Call Registry check and calling only between 9am and 6pm.
Is VoIP legal for businesses in the UAE?
Yes, but it is regulated. TDRA’s FAQs say VoIP services are telecommunications services and, where offered to subscribers, are regulated activities under the Telecom Law that require a licence or an exemption. Licensees, which in practice means e& (formerly Etisalat) and du, can provide VoIP, and third parties can provide it in collaboration with a licensee or with TDRA’s approval. TDRA also keeps a list of approved VoIP applications.
TDRA warns that using a VoIP service that isn’t provided by a licensee, delivered with one, or approved “may be” a criminal offence, and that licensees will most probably block illegal traffic. In practice that means an unapproved service may simply stop working.
The distinction that matters is using versus providing. Using an approved service doesn’t need a telecom licence. Providing or reselling voice services does. For most businesses the question isn’t “are we allowed to use VoIP?” but “is the service we’re buying delivered the right way?”
Can we use Microsoft Teams or Zoom as our phone system?
Microsoft Teams and Zoom are on TDRA’s published list of approved apps, so using them for meetings and internal calls is fine. Turning them into a full phone system, with calls to and from ordinary landlines and mobiles, is a separate step.
Teams Phone and Zoom Phone connect to the public phone network through options such as an operator-provided service or Direct Routing via a session border controller. The app being approved doesn’t make every connection behind it compliant. Your UAE numbers and the trunk to the public network should come from a licensed operator or its authorised partner.
That is why a cheap overseas SIP trunk quote deserves a second look. It isn’t automatically lawful here, and if the traffic is blocked you are left with a phone system that doesn’t work.
The checklist: 6 things to confirm before you sign
Take this list into every supplier conversation and ask for the answers in writing.
1. Is the platform approved, or delivered with a licensed operator?
Check whether the platform is on TDRA’s current approved list, or is delivered together with a licensed operator. The list changes, so check it on the day rather than relying on a sales deck.
2. Who provides the UAE numbers and trunk?
Find out exactly who supplies your UAE phone numbers and the connection to the public network, and whether you can keep (port) your existing numbers. If the answer is vague, or the trunk comes from outside the UAE, treat it as a warning sign.
3. Where are recordings, transcripts and CRM data hosted?
Ask where call recordings, voicemail, transcripts and linked CRM data are stored, and whether a UAE or GCC hosting region is available. Local hosting is required for health data and may be required by sector rules or government contracts.
4. Will the vendor sign a PDPL-ready data processing agreement?
Your phone provider processes personal data on your behalf. Ask for a data processing agreement that covers processor terms under the UAE PDPL, lists sub-processors and explains how cross-border transfers are handled.
5. Are there consent prompts, retention controls and access logs?
If you will record calls, check the platform can play a consent prompt, set retention periods per queue or user, and log who has listened to or downloaded recordings.
6. For sales teams: is there DNCR screening and calling-hour and retry control?
If your team makes outbound sales calls, check the platform can screen numbers against the Do Not Call Registry and enforce calling hours and retry limits automatically.
Can we record business calls in the UAE?
Only with consent, outside the cases the law allows. Article 431 of the UAE Crimes and Penalties Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021) makes it an offence to record or transmit a phone conversation without consent, except where the law permits. Penalties include imprisonment and a fine, and the court can order devices to be confiscated and recordings deleted.
Good practice is to:
- announce the recording at the start of the call;
- get clear consent;
- keep proof that consent was given;
- offer an alternative for callers who decline.
Don’t assume a short “this call may be recorded” message is always enough on its own. Explicit consent is the safer route, and it is worth confirming your approach with a lawyer.
A recording is also personal data, so the PDPL applies to how you store, secure and share it. Our guide to UAE PDPL compliance for your IT setup covers that side.
Rules for outbound sales calls
Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 on telemarketing applies to all companies licensed in the UAE, including those in free zones, that market through phone calls. It requires, among other things:
- prior approval for telemarketing from the competent authority;
- local numbers issued by a UAE-licensed telecom operator and registered under the company’s commercial licence;
- no marketing calls to numbers on the Do Not Call Registry (DNCR);
- identifying the company and the purpose at the start of the call;
- recording marketing calls and telling the consumer at the start;
- calls only between 9:00am and 6:00pm;
- no call-back after a consumer refuses, and no more than one retry a day and two a week if a call goes unanswered or is ended.
These rules shape your phone system choice as much as your sales script. A platform that can’t screen numbers, restrict calling hours or limit retries leaves the burden on your team.
Cloud (UCaaS) or keep a PBX: how to decide
A cloud phone system, or UCaaS, moves calling, voicemail, meetings and messaging onto a provider’s platform. It is usually easier to scale and suits hybrid working. An on-site PBX keeps the hardware in your office, under your own control and maintenance.
| Question | Points towards cloud | Points towards keeping a PBX |
|---|---|---|
| Is your PBX near end of support? | Yes | No, it has years of support left |
| Do staff work from home or several sites? | Yes | Mostly one site, desk-based |
| Do you live in Teams or a CRM all day? | Yes, integration matters | Little integration needed |
| Do you want predictable monthly costs? | Yes | You prefer to own the asset |
| Is your network ready for real-time voice? | Yes, or can be made ready | Not yet, and no budget to fix it |
Whichever way you go, check the network. Cloud calling needs enough bandwidth, quality-of-service settings that prioritise voice, and ideally a second internet line with automatic failover. Microsoft publishes target figures for latency, jitter and packet loss for Teams media that are a useful benchmark for any platform.
If you are also replacing a call centre, our comparison of cloud and on-premise contact centres goes into more depth, and our meeting room AV checklist covers the rooms where Teams or Zoom calls happen.
Common mistakes
- Buying on price per user without asking who provides the numbers and trunk.
- Forgetting number porting, and discovering late that existing numbers can’t move on your timetable.
- Turning on recording everywhere without consent prompts or retention limits.
- Ignoring the Wi-Fi. Calls on a congested wireless network sound bad on any platform.
How Softworx Services helps
Softworx Services is a systems integrator with a vendor-agnostic approach. Our CCaaS and UCaaS team designs and integrates communications platforms, and our Networks team makes sure the network underneath is ready for voice and video. Our Dubai office is at Saaha Offices, Downtown Dubai. We can help you compare options, ask suppliers the right questions and plan the move.
Frequently asked questions
Is VoIP banned in the UAE?
No. It is regulated. Services are provided by licensed operators, with them, or with TDRA approval, and apps on TDRA’s approved list can be used.
Can I use Microsoft Teams for business calls in the UAE?
Teams is on TDRA’s approved list. For calls to the public phone network, your numbers and connectivity should come through a licensed operator or its authorised partner.
Do I need a telecom licence to use a cloud phone system?
Not to use an approved service. Providing or reselling voice services needs a licence or an exemption.
Is it legal to record business calls in the UAE?
Only with consent, outside the cases allowed by law. Announce the recording, get clear consent and keep proof.
What are the rules for telemarketing calls in the UAE?
Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024: prior approval, a DNCR check, calls only from 9am to 6pm from a number registered to the company, and limits on call-backs and retries.
Does call data have to be stored in the UAE?
There is no general rule. Health data generally must be, and some contracts or sector rules may require local hosting.
Talk to Softworx Services in Dubai
Planning a new phone system or moving to Teams calling? Talk to the Softworx Services team in Dubai for a vendor-agnostic review of your options before you sign.
Sources
- TDRA FAQs, VoIP section: https://tdra.gov.ae/en/faqs
- TDRA statement on approved apps including Microsoft Teams and Zoom (Arabic), 30 March 2020: https://tdra.gov.ae/ar/media/tdra-statements/additional-apps-for-distance-learning
- Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 Concerning the Telemarketing Regulations, UAE Legislation portal: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2519/download
- DIFC Registrar guidance on Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024: https://assets.difc.com/v1/media/edge/images/dubaiintern0078-difcexperie96c5-production-3253/media/project/difcexperiences/difc/difcwebsite/documents/business-section-documents/operating-a-business/operating-business—handbook-fees/difc-cr-gl-04-rev01-guidance-on-telemarketing-regulations.pdf
- Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021, Crimes and Penalties Law (English text, FAOLEX): https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/uae244494E.pdf
- Legal 500, “Can You Record A Call In The UAE (And Use It In Court)?”: https://www.legal500.com/intelligence/united-arab-emirates/privacy/can-you-record-a-call-in-the-uae-(and-use-it-in-court)
- Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (PDPL), UAE Legislation portal: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1972
- Microsoft Learn, “Prepare your organization’s network for Teams”: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/prepare-network
- Microsoft Learn, “PSTN connectivity options” for Teams Phone: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity