It’s imperative for your business that you connect with your potential customers. Outdoor commercial signboards and billboards are some of the best ways to get broad exposure. However, before you start on your advertising strategy, here are some pointers to bear in mind before you embark on your signage campaign:
- An application for any signboard must be submitted through registered signwriters.
- A sketch for the board must be developed before any application for permission is made.
- The application must include details of intended sign dimensions, location, content, etc.
- Adequate documentation of the company’s legal trading status must be provided. The trade name used in the advertisement must reflect that on the trading license.
The content must also be in line with the expectations of UAE society:
- Arabic language must comprise at least half of the written content, and be positioned on the right side of the board.
- Classical Arabic language must be used, free from spelling and grammatical errors.
- The content must comply with the standards and morality of Islam and UAE society.
It is important to also be mindful of the surrounding shops and buildings when making your application. The sign should fit within the aesthetic environment where it is intended to be erected. There are also some restrictions on how much space a billboard can use in relation to the shop frontage:
- The board should not overlap the shop area.
- The total area of the board must not be greater than that of the shop front.
No commercial signboards shall be erected without permission from the Dubai Department of Economic Development.
- Once given, if the company wishes to either change names or locations of the signage, a new permit must be requested.
- If a company’s trading license is cancelled, the signboard must be removed.
- The DED reserves the right to require any changes to the signboard as necessary. The company then has 15 days to comply, at which point the DED can forcibly remove the signboard at the company’s own expense.