Wholesale and retail trade
The largest single part of the non-oil economy in 2025, at 16.9% of non-oil GDP.[3]
- Order confirmations
- Delivery updates
- Back-in-stock alerts
INAEIndia to United Arab Emirates
WhatsApp Business API for UAE customers, sent from India
A clock 90 minutes behind India, two languages on every template and a rulebook still being finished: what changes when your WhatsApp messages go to +971 numbers.
- From New Delhi
- ≈2,330 km
- Dubai clock
- 1 h 30 min behind India
Drag or swipe to rotate. Use the arrow keys to rotate, plus and minus to zoom, and 0 to reset.
For Indian businesses with customers in the UAE, and UAE firms weighing an Indian provider: when to send on Gulf time, what the PDPL and the 2024 telemarketing rules do and do not settle for WhatsApp, which template languages to use and what each +971 message costs.
Timing
Gulf time runs 90 minutes behind India
Drag the send time to see where a broadcast scheduled from India lands on a working day in Dubai.
The UAE keeps one clock, Gulf Standard Time (UTC+4), with no daylight saving, so the gap to India never moves: one hour and thirty minutes, all year. A broadcast your team schedules for 11:00 IST reaches phones in Dubai at 09:30.
The shaded band is 09:00 to 18:00, the window Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 allows for marketing calls. The official briefing describes it for calls, and whether it reaches WhatsApp messages is not confirmed. It is still a sensible frame for promotional templates, and in India it runs from 10:30 to 19:30.
Utility messages are a different case. A delivery update or a booking confirmation is expected when the event happens, so send it then; keep offers and announcements inside the band.
India (IST)UTC+5:30
UAE · Gulf Standard TimeUTC+4
09:00–18:00 UAE, the hours set for marketing calls, on the IST clockshaded
It arrives at 09:30 in United Arab Emirates — inside 09:00–18:00 uae, the hours set for marketing calls. UAE · Gulf Standard Time is 1 h 30 min behind India today.
A record 2025, a revised 2026
The figures behind UAE demand, from the statistics centre, the IMF and the Central Bank, and the forecast that has changed since.
Real GDP grew 6.2% in 2025 and non-oil activity grew 6.8%, according to Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre data.[3]
Trade was the largest part of the non-oil economy in 2025 at 16.9%, ahead of finance and insurance (13.2%), construction (12.9%) and manufacturing (12.8%).[3]
The IMF's October 2026 World Economic Outlook expects the UAE economy to contract 3.9% in 2026 and to grow 7.7% in 2027, a rebound conditional on the Strait of Hormuz reopening and shipping normalising.[4]
The IMF's Middle East director said the UAE and Saudi Arabia have alternative export channels and buffers that let them absorb the shock better than Kuwait or Qatar.[5]
We Are Social and Meltwater's Digital 2026 research found more than 80% of people in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, taken together, active on WhatsApp, and named it respondents' favourite platform.[6]
Aani, the instant-payments platform a Central Bank subsidiary launched in October 2023, lets people pay using only a phone number, request money and pay merchants by QR code.[7]
Where UAE businesses already message customers
The largest parts of the non-oil economy, and the WhatsApp use cases that follow from each.
Banking, insurance and fintech
Finance and insurance were 13.2% of non-oil GDP and grew 10.4% in 2025; the DIFC counted 8,844 active companies at the end of 2025, up 28% on the year.[3],[8]
- OTPs and transaction alerts
- Policy renewal reminders
- Document requests
Construction and real estate
Construction was 12.9% of non-oil GDP and grew 11.1% in 2025; real estate grew 7.9%.[3]
- Lead qualification
- Viewing and site-visit scheduling
- Payment-plan reminders
Tourism and hospitality
Dubai received 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, its third record year in a row.[9]
- Booking confirmations
- Check-in details
- Concierge chat
Transport and logistics
Transport and storage grew 7.8% in 2025.[3]
- Shipment tracking
- Proof-of-delivery messages
- Collection reminders
Manufacturing and distribution
Manufacturing was 12.8% of non-oil GDP in 2025.[3]
- Dealer order intake
- Invoice reminders
- Dispatch notices
Compliance
What the UAE's rules settle, and what they leave open
The federal data law is in force without its regulations, the telemarketing rules are clear for calls, and the free zones run their own regimes. Here is each piece, with its source.
Point 1
Consent is the default, and marketing can be refused
Under the PDPL, processing generally needs the person's consent, with listed exceptions, and people can ask for correction and restrict or stop processing. DLA Piper notes they may object to processing for direct marketing, including related profiling. The law does not name WhatsApp, so applying it to a WhatsApp list is an interpretation.[10],[11]
Point 2
A supervisor still being settled
On 14 June 2026 the UAE announced a federal Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority reporting to the Cabinet, merging the AI Office, TDRA's digital-government sector and the UAE Data Office. Morgan Lewis notes the Executive Regulations are overdue and no private-sector supervisor is clearly designated.[12]
Point 3
Telemarketing: clear for calls, unconfirmed for WhatsApp
Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 took effect around 27 August 2024 and also binds free-zone companies: marketing calls only from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, prior approval, and asking consumers whether they want the call to continue. Law-firm summaries say it requires explicit consent and reaches marketing messages on social media apps; the official MoE and TDRA briefing describes phone calls only.[13],[14]
Point 4
The Do Not Contact Register
The TDRA runs a Do Not Contact Register, and companies must not contact registered numbers. Cabinet Resolution No. 57 of 2024 sets 18 violation types with fines of AED 10,000 to AED 150,000. Both belong to the telemarketing framework the official briefing describes.[13]
Point 5
Consumer and e-commerce law give a right to say no
Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection protects consumer data and, the government portal says, prohibits suppliers from using it for marketing. Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on e-commerce lets consumers choose whether to receive advertising by phone, email or social media platforms.[10],[15]
Point 6
DIFC and ADGM run their own regimes
The DIFC Data Protection Law (DIFC Law No. 5 of 2020) was amended by Amendment Law No. 1 of 2025, in force from 15 July 2025, adding a private right of action. ADGM applies its Data Protection Regulations 2021 through its own Office of Data Protection. The federal PDPL does not displace either regime.[16],[17],[10]
Point 7
WhatsApp's own policy asks for opt-in
Whatever the federal position, Meta's WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy lets a business message someone only after they have shared their number and opted in to receive its messages.[18]
- A summary of public guidance from the sources cited, not legal advice.
Arabic and English, approved one by one
Meta accepts UAE locales for both languages. Each version of a template is approved separately, so plan the pair before you submit.
Write both versions of each template, and record which language each contact chose when they opted in, so a broadcast goes out in the right one. Read each version in the preview before you submit; a phrase that works in English may need rewriting rather than translating.
Inside the 24-hour service window replies need no template, so agents can answer in the language the customer wrote in; each reply is still charged as a service message. InfiQ's own support team works in English and Hindi.
| Language | Meta code | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic (UAE) | ar_AE | Arabic-speaking customers in the Emirates; right-to-left |
| Arabic | ar | When one Arabic version must serve several Gulf markets |
| English (UAE) | en_AE | Business and expatriate audiences in the UAE |
Prices in ₹ and AED
What a +971 message costs
Plans start at ₹999 a month, with each delivered message charged by category at InfiQ's United Arab Emirates rate. Service replies have been charged per message since 1 October 2026.
Snapshot rates · as of 20 Oct 2026, 00:02 UTC
Lite
₹999 / month≈ AED 38.60 AED
₹833 / month, billed yearly≈ AED 32.18 AED
Growth
₹2,999 / month≈ AED 115.87 AED
₹2,499 / month, billed yearly≈ AED 96.55 AED
Enterprise
Custom volume pricing, custom SLA and dedicated infrastructure.
Per message to United Arab Emirates · United Arab Emirates
| Category | ₹ INR | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹5.0537 | AED 0.195 |
| Utility | ₹1.3811 | AED 0.0534 |
| Authentication | ₹1.3811 | AED 0.0534 |
| Service | ₹1.3811 | AED 0.0534 |
Per-message rates for all 47 markets, in ₹ and AED
| Market | Marketing | Utility | Authentication | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | AED 0.210₹5.4352 | AED 0.0884₹2.2874 | AED 0.0884₹2.2874 | AED 0.0884₹2.2874 |
| Bangladesh | AED 0.249₹6.4397 | AED 0.0126₹0.3254 | AED 0.0126₹0.3254 | AED 0.0126₹0.3254 |
| Brazil | AED 0.212₹5.4970 | AED 0.0231₹0.5981 | AED 0.0231₹0.5981 | AED 0.0231₹0.5981 |
| Chile | AED 0.302₹7.8162 | AED 0.0679₹1.7585 | AED 0.0679₹1.7585 | AED 0.0679₹1.7585 |
| Colombia | AED 0.0425₹1.0993 | AED 0.0027₹0.0706 | AED 0.0027₹0.0706 | AED 0.0027₹0.0706 |
| Egypt | AED 0.219₹5.6629 | AED 0.0122₹0.3167 | AED 0.0122₹0.3167 | AED 0.0122₹0.3167 |
| France | AED 0.292₹7.5588 | AED 0.102₹2.6393 | AED 0.102₹2.6393 | AED 0.102₹2.6393 |
| Germany | AED 0.464₹12.0088 | AED 0.187₹4.8386 | AED 0.187₹4.8386 | AED 0.187₹4.8386 |
| Hong Kong | AED 0.249₹6.4397 | AED 0.0883₹2.2867 | AED 0.0883₹2.2867 | AED 0.0883₹2.2867 |
| Hungary | AED 0.292₹7.5596 | AED 0.119₹3.0700 | AED 0.119₹3.0700 | AED 0.119₹3.0700 |
| India | AED 0.0365₹0.9435 | AED 0.0075₹0.1941 | AED 0.0054₹0.1402 | AED 0.0056₹0.1450 |
| Indonesia | AED 0.140₹3.6133 | AED 0.0849₹2.1979 | AED 0.0849₹2.1979 | AED 0.0849₹2.1979 |
| Iraq | AED 0.116₹2.9992 | AED 0.0268₹0.6943 | AED 0.0268₹0.6943 | AED 0.0268₹0.6943 |
| Israel | AED 0.120₹3.1045 | AED 0.0180₹0.4662 | AED 0.0180₹0.4662 | AED 0.0180₹0.4662 |
| Italy | AED 0.270₹6.9847 | AED 0.102₹2.6369 | AED 0.102₹2.6369 | AED 0.102₹2.6369 |
| Kazakhstan | AED 0.205₹5.3098 | AED 0.0611₹1.5824 | AED 0.0611₹1.5824 | AED 0.0611₹1.5824 |
| Kuwait | AED 0.269₹6.9671 | AED 0.149₹3.8671 | AED 0.149₹3.8671 | AED 0.149₹3.8671 |
| Malaysia | AED 0.292₹7.5644 | AED 0.0476₹1.2314 | AED 0.0476₹1.2314 | AED 0.0476₹1.2314 |
| Mexico | AED 0.135₹3.4877 | AED 0.0289₹0.7471 | AED 0.0289₹0.7471 | AED 0.0289₹0.7471 |
| Morocco | AED 0.141₹3.6425 | AED 0.0781₹2.0218 | AED 0.0781₹2.0218 | AED 0.0781₹2.0218 |
| Netherlands | AED 0.543₹14.0494 | AED 0.170₹4.3987 | AED 0.170₹4.3987 | AED 0.170₹4.3987 |
| Nepal | AED 0.249₹6.4397 | AED 0.0116₹0.2990 | AED 0.0116₹0.2990 | AED 0.0116₹0.2990 |
| Nigeria | AED 0.175₹4.5421 | AED 0.0228₹0.5898 | AED 0.0228₹0.5898 | AED 0.0228₹0.5898 |
| Oman | AED 0.116₹2.9992 | AED 0.0839₹2.1709 | AED 0.0839₹2.1709 | AED 0.0839₹2.1709 |
| Pakistan | AED 0.161₹4.1620 | AED 0.0510₹1.3200 | AED 0.0510₹1.3200 | AED 0.0510₹1.3200 |
| Peru | AED 0.239₹6.1843 | AED 0.102₹2.6392 | AED 0.102₹2.6392 | AED 0.102₹2.6392 |
| Poland | AED 0.124₹3.2105 | AED 0.0413₹1.0702 | AED 0.0413₹1.0702 | AED 0.0413₹1.0702 |
| Qatar | AED 0.116₹2.9992 | AED 0.0407₹1.0547 | AED 0.0407₹1.0547 | AED 0.0407₹1.0547 |
| Romania | AED 0.292₹7.5596 | AED 0.0983₹2.5436 | AED 0.0983₹2.5436 | AED 0.0983₹2.5436 |
| Russia | AED 0.272₹7.0520 | AED 0.136₹3.5173 | AED 0.136₹3.5173 | AED 0.136₹3.5173 |
| Saudi Arabia | AED 0.195₹5.0537 | AED 0.0363₹0.9401 | AED 0.0363₹0.9401 | AED 0.0363₹0.9401 |
| Singapore | AED 0.249₹6.4397 | AED 0.0544₹1.4072 | AED 0.0544₹1.4072 | AED 0.0544₹1.4072 |
| South Africa | AED 0.129₹3.3385 | AED 0.0323₹0.8369 | AED 0.0323₹0.8369 | AED 0.0323₹0.8369 |
| Spain | AED 0.240₹6.2161 | AED 0.0679₹1.7578 | AED 0.0679₹1.7578 | AED 0.0679₹1.7578 |
| Sri Lanka | AED 0.249₹6.4397 | AED 0.0068₹0.1759 | AED 0.0068₹0.1759 | AED 0.0068₹0.1759 |
| Turkey | AED 0.0370₹0.9587 | AED 0.0031₹0.0792 | AED 0.0031₹0.0792 | AED 0.0031₹0.0792 |
| Ukraine | AED 0.292₹7.5596 | AED 0.101₹2.6138 | AED 0.101₹2.6138 | AED 0.101₹2.6138 |
| United Arab Emirates | AED 0.195₹5.0537 | AED 0.0534₹1.3811 | AED 0.0534₹1.3811 | AED 0.0534₹1.3811 |
| United Kingdom | AED 0.216₹5.5795 | AED 0.0747₹1.9346 | AED 0.0747₹1.9346 | AED 0.0747₹1.9346 |
| North America | AED 0.0849₹2.1976 | AED 0.0115₹0.2989 | AED 0.0115₹0.2989 | AED 0.0115₹0.2989 |
| Rest of Africa | AED 0.0765₹1.9796 | AED 0.0136₹0.3516 | AED 0.0136₹0.3516 | AED 0.0136₹0.3516 |
| Rest of Asia Pacific | AED 0.286₹7.4057 | AED 0.0384₹0.9938 | AED 0.0384₹0.9938 | AED 0.0384₹0.9938 |
| Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | AED 0.292₹7.5596 | AED 0.0718₹1.8595 | AED 0.0718₹1.8595 | AED 0.0718₹1.8595 |
| Rest of Latin America | AED 0.251₹6.5048 | AED 0.0384₹0.9934 | AED 0.0384₹0.9934 | AED 0.0384₹0.9934 |
| Rest of Middle East | AED 0.133₹3.4490 | AED 0.0309₹0.7998 | AED 0.0309₹0.7998 | AED 0.0309₹0.7998 |
| Rest of Western Europe | AED 0.201₹5.2054 | AED 0.0580₹1.5019 | AED 0.0580₹1.5019 | AED 0.0580₹1.5019 |
| Other | AED 0.205₹5.3098 | AED 0.0262₹0.6769 | AED 0.0262₹0.6769 | AED 0.0262₹0.6769 |
Plan prices are monthly, in rupees, excluding GST; yearly billing is two months free. Messages are charged per delivered message on top of the plan, at the rate for the recipient’s country. Full details: InfiQ pricing. InfiQ invoices in rupees, with GST for Indian businesses. The dirham column is an indicative conversion for teams that report UAE revenue in dirhams.
Rates for every Meta market, plus plans and add-ons, are on one page.
See all plans and ratesOn InfiQ
What you run on InfiQ for UAE customers
The pieces that matter when the customers are in the Gulf and the team is in India.
- Consent records and opt-out enforcement
Each contact's opt-in source and time are recorded, STOP replies are enforced at platform level (even against later imports), and the audit trail exports.
With no single UAE e-marketing law and an unsettled supervisor, your own opt-in record is the evidence you can rely on: source, time and an opt-out that holds.
- Template manager and library
Draft, submit and track WhatsApp message templates for Meta's approval, starting from a library of 1,000+ ready templates in 27 categories.
Keep the Arabic and English versions of each template together and track Meta's approval of each one.
- Shared team inbox
One WhatsApp number answered by a team: 10 users on Lite and 25 on Growth, agent and manager roles, transfers, private notes, labels and canned replies.
A Dubai sales desk and a support team in India can answer one number, passing conversations between them with transfers and private notes.
- Broadcast campaigns
Send approved template campaigns to up to 2,00,000 contacts per broadcast, with segments, scheduling and delivery analytics.
Schedule promotions inside UAE working hours from India, to opted-in lists of up to 2,00,000 contacts per broadcast.
- Published per-market rates
InfiQ publishes its per-message rate for every Meta market in rupees, ex-GST, so the cost of messaging customers abroad is known before you send.
The UAE rate is published in rupees before you send, so a campaign to +971 numbers is costed in advance.
- Customer data hosted in India
InfiQ processes customer data in data centres located in India; website telemetry vendors are listed separately in the subprocessor list.
Customer data is processed in India. If your entity sits in the DIFC or ADGM, check what your own data law says about that before you sign.
Two ways in
Two ways in
Indian businesses can start today. Companies registered in the UAE start with a conversation.
Your business is in India
- 1.
Start the trial
A 7-day Lite trial, no card needed. Plans then start at ₹999 a month, invoiced in rupees with GST.
- 2.
Clear Meta business verification
Verify your Indian business with Meta. Go-live takes about two hours once Meta business verification is complete.
- 3.
Get Arabic and English templates approved
Submit each language version, and build the opt-in into checkout, booking forms or a click-to-chat link your UAE customers already use.
- 4.
Send inside the UAE working day
Schedule promotions for 09:00 to 18:00 Gulf time. Each message to a +971 number is charged at the UAE rate above.
Your business is in the UAE
- 1.
Start with sales, not the trial
InfiQ serves India-based businesses. For a company registered in the UAE, mainland or free zone, availability outside India goes through sales.
- 2.
Know what InfiQ is
An Indian Meta Business Partner that invoices in rupees, processes customer data in India and supports customers in English and Hindi on India time.
- 3.
Bring your data-law answer
Tell us whether your entity falls under the federal PDPL, the DIFC law or ADGM's regulations. It shapes what a contract has to cover.
City guides in the UAE
Questions businesses ask about WhatsApp in the UAE
Question: Does the UAE's 2024 telemarketing resolution apply to WhatsApp marketing?
Answer: It is not confirmed. Law-firm summaries of Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024 read it as covering marketing messages sent through social media applications, but the official Ministry of Economy and TDRA briefing describes phone calls only. Until that is clarified, treat a WhatsApp promotion as needing explicit consent, which Meta's opt-in policy demands anyway, and keep promotions inside the 09:00 to 18:00 window the resolution sets for calls.
Question: Do we need TDRA approval before sending promotional templates to +971 numbers?
Answer: Nothing we could verify says so for WhatsApp. The resolution requires prior approval for companies that market by phone, and the Do Not Contact Register and fines of AED 10,000 to AED 150,000 belong to that telemarketing framework. If your WhatsApp campaigns are run like a telemarketing operation, ask your UAE counsel whether approval applies to you.
Question: Is the UAE's federal data-protection law fully in force?
Answer: The law is; its rulebook is not. Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 has been in force since 2 January 2022, but its Executive Regulations had still not been issued as of June 2026, and in June 2026 the UAE Data Office's functions were merged into a new federal Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority. Who supervises the PDPL day to day is, for now, unclear.
Question: Which data law covers a DIFC or ADGM company's WhatsApp contacts?
Answer: Its own free-zone law, not the federal PDPL. DIFC companies follow the DIFC Data Protection Law No. 5 of 2020, amended with effect from 15 July 2025 to add a private right of action. ADGM companies follow the ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021, overseen by ADGM's own Office of Data Protection.
Question: Can UAE customers receive our templates in both Arabic and English?
Answer: Yes. Meta's template languages include Arabic, Arabic (UAE) and English (UAE), and each language version of a template is approved on its own. Send each contact the version in the language they chose when they opted in, and keep that choice with their consent record.
Question: What does each message to a +971 number cost on InfiQ?
Answer: It is charged at InfiQ's published UAE rate: ₹5.05 for marketing, ₹1.38 for utility, ₹1.38 for authentication and ₹1.38 for a service reply, in rupees and excluding GST. Service replies have been charged per message since 1 October 2026, and plans start at ₹999 a month on top of message charges.
Question: Can our Dubai sales desk and our support team in India answer one WhatsApp number?
Answer: Yes, through InfiQ's shared team inbox. Lite includes 10 users and Growth 25, with agent and manager roles, transfers, private notes and labels, so a conversation can pass from a salesperson in Dubai to an agent in India without the customer changing numbers. Allow for the 90-minute gap when you promise reply times.
Question: We are a Dubai company: can we sign up with InfiQ directly?
Answer: Talk to sales first. InfiQ serves India-based businesses: it invoices in rupees, processes customer data in India and supports customers in English and Hindi on India time, and it has no office or entity in the UAE. A UAE-registered company, mainland or free zone, can ask sales whether availability outside India covers its case.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. InfiQ's rates come from its published rate card. Page updated 2026-10-20.
- [1]Constitution of the United Arab Emirates, Article 7 · UAE Ministry of Justice (eLaws) · read 2026-10-20
- [2]Zone Asia/Dubai, 'asia' source file · IANA Time Zone Database (tzdb) · read 2026-10-20
- [3]UAE economy grows 6.2% in 2025 (30 May 2026) · GCC Business News, reporting FCSC data · read 2026-10-20
- [4]IMF cuts 2026 growth forecasts for Gulf economies due to prolonged Hormuz closure (13 Oct 2026) · The National, reporting the IMF World Economic Outlook · read 2026-10-20
- [5]Middle East and Central Asia Department press briefing, transcript (15 Oct 2026) · International Monetary Fund · read 2026-10-20
- [7]Al Etihad Payments launches Aani, an instant payments platform (16 Oct 2023) · Central Bank of the UAE · read 2026-10-20
- [8]Dubai International Financial Centre announces annual results for 2025 (5 Feb 2026) · Dubai Media Office · read 2026-10-20
- [9]Dubai's tourism industry achieves third successive record-breaking year (9 Feb 2026) · Dubai Media Office · read 2026-10-20
- [10]Data protection laws · UAE Government portal (u.ae) · read 2026-10-20
- [11]Data Protection Laws of the World: UAE (last modified 27 Jan 2025) · DLA Piper · read 2026-10-20
- [12]UAE establishes Federal Authority for Artificial Intelligence and Data (June 2026) · Morgan Lewis · read 2026-10-20
- [13]MoE and TDRA review regulatory legislation organising telemarketing companies in the UAE · Zawya (Ministry of Economy and TDRA press release) · read 2026-10-20
- [14]New telemarketing regulations introduced in UAE (Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2024) · Mondaq (law-firm summary) · read 2026-10-20
- [15]UAE Federal Law on Modern Trading by Technological Means · Reed Smith · read 2026-10-20
- [16]DIFC enacts amendments to Data Protection Law (2025) · Bird & Bird · read 2026-10-20
- [17]ADGM enacts its new Data Protection Regulations 2021 · WAM (Emirates News Agency) · read 2026-10-20
- [18]WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (updated 23 September 2026) · WhatsApp (Meta) · read 2026-10-20
Message the UAE from India, at the +971 rate
Indian businesses can start a 7-day Lite trial, no card needed. Registered in the UAE? Talk to sales about availability before you plan a rollout.
Route
IN → AE
Official WhatsApp Business Platform
