Policy of Mandatory Requirements for STARFIT Project Advertising Materials in accordance with UAE Legislation (Advertising Requirements Policy in the UAE)

In accordance with Article 17 of Federal Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023 regulating media content and advertising in the UAE, the following media content standards have been adopted:

• To respect the Almighty, Islamic beliefs, monotheistic religions, and other beliefs, and not to insult them.
• To respect the system of governance of the State, its symbols and institutions, as well as the supreme interests of the State and society.
• To respect the internal and external policy of the State.
• To refrain from addressing topics that may harm the State’s external relations.
• To respect the cultural and civilizational heritage and the national identity of the State.
• Not to publish or distribute anything that undermines national unity and social cohesion.
• Not to incite sectarian, regional, or tribal strife, not to provoke violence, hatred, terrorist acts, and not to distribute materials contributing to discord in society.
• To adhere to the prevailing values of UAE society and take into account the requirements of public interest.
• Not to harm the legal, economic, judicial, or security system of the State.
• To respect privacy rules and everything related to the private life of individuals.
• 11. Not to publish or distribute anything that may incite the commission of crimes or encourage murder, rape, drug or psychotropic substance use.
• Not to publish, broadcast, or distribute expressions, images, drawings, or opinions that violate public morality, offend youth, or call for the adoption or promotion of subversive ideas.
• Not to publish, broadcast, or distribute false news, forged documents, or documents with false sources.
• Not to publish or distribute anything that may harm the national currency or the economic situation in the State.
• Not to spread rumors or misleading news.

According to Article 20 of Federal Decree-Law No. 55 of 2023:

• It is prohibited to publish any propaganda or advertising that violates the media content standards established by this Decree-Law, or that harms public interests directly or indirectly.
• All advertisers are required to include in all advertising materials an explicit and clear indication that it is an advertising material.

Violation of the provisions of the Decree-Law may result in administrative fines, closure of the media organization, or cancellation of the license/permit.

IAM (Internet Access Management Policy) is the policy of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority of the UAE (TDRA), which defines what online content is subject to blocking or restriction in the UAE.

According to this policy, UAE internet service providers are obliged to block websites and materials related to the following categories:

• circumvention of blocking;
• pornography, nudity, indecency;
• identity fraud, fraud, phishing;
• insults, slander, defamation;
• violation of personal privacy;
• offenses against the UAE and public order;
• support of criminal actions and skills;
• drugs;
• medical and pharmaceutical activity in violation of the law;
• violation of intellectual property rights;
• discrimination, racism, and insult of religion;
• viruses and malicious software;
• advertising or trading in prohibited goods and services;
• illegal communication services;
• gambling;
• terrorism;
• prohibited top-level domain zones;
• illegal activity;
• any content prohibited by court decision or under the law.

In addition to mandatory legal requirements, the UAE has official digital culture guidelines developed by the Government of the UAE (Ministry of Culture and Youth and the TDRA), namely:

• Remain loyal to the UAE and exemplify Emirati values and traditions in the digital space.
• Represent the UAE with dignity and promote its reputation in the digital world.
• Respect others, their privacy and intellectual rights, and refrain from bullying and harming their digital identity.
• Use the digital space to develop skills and stay up-to-date with changes in line with the UAE vision.
• Promote the values of solidarity, compassion, and positivity, and use social networks wisely.
• Protect personal information and the privacy of others.
• Verify the authenticity of published or received content and always rely on trusted sources.
• Be responsible in the digital space and comply with its rules and laws.
• Contribute to eliminating any content contrary to ethics and human values.
• Maintain physical and mental health by balancing between real and digital worlds.

In addition to advertising and digital culture requirements, the UAE has a separate Consumer Protection Law. Its provisions apply not only to the trade of goods but also to the provision of online services, including fitness courses and educational programs.
For Ambassadors, this means the obligation to comply with rules of transparency, honest advertising, protection of customer data, and providing accurate information about the product. Below are the key provisions that are mandatory for compliance:

1. Scope of Application (Art. 3)

• The law applies to all goods and services within the UAE, including free zones, as well as to e-commerce transactions if the provider (you) is registered in the UAE.
• This means that your online courses, even if the client is outside the country, fall under the law if the sale is made by a company registered in the UAE.

2. Basic Consumer Rights to Ensure (Art. 4)

• Truthfulness and completeness of information about the service (courses) — content, conditions, price.
• Data confidentiality: it is prohibited to use personal data for marketing without consent.
• Compliance with religious and cultural values when providing services.
• Possibility of quick and fair dispute resolution and compensation for proven damages.

3. Obligations of the Provider and Advertiser

Information and labeling (Art. 7, 25, 26)

• In e-commerce you must provide:
• company name, legal status, address, license;
• complete service description, contract conditions, payment, guarantees;
• data must be in Arabic (can be duplicated in other languages).
• In advertising — accuracy and absence of misleading information (Art. 17).

Price and invoice (Art. 8)

• The service price must be clearly indicated (in advertising and on the website).
• Deliberately misleading price advertising is prohibited.
• An electronic receipt/invoice with company name, address, type of service, price, and other data required by executive regulation must be issued.

Service quality guarantee (Art. 10, 15)

• You must guarantee that the service meets the declared quality.
• In case of a significant defect — refund or re-provision of the service at no additional cost.

License for promotions (Art. 18)

• Conducting promotions and discounts in the UAE requires prior licensing from the competent authority.

Ban on false advertising (Art. 17)

• It is prohibited to describe the service with false data or to advertise it in a misleading way.

Confidentiality (Art. 4(5), 25)

• It is prohibited to use customer data for advertising without their consent.
• Data storage and protection are mandatory.

4. E-Commerce (Art. 25)

• If you operate online, you must:
• provide all company and service details in Arabic;
• provide accurate service specifications;
• describe payment, return, and guarantee conditions.
• Transactions through unregulated (unlicensed) UAE providers are not protected by law, but if you are licensed — full liability applies.

5. Liability (Art. 29–30)

• For violations of key provisions (Art. 7, 8, 10, 17, 21) — fine up to AED 2 million or imprisonment up to 2 years.
• For violations related to promotions, cultural requirements, use of Arabic (Art. 18, 19, 20, 26) — fine up to AED 200,000 or imprisonment up to 6 months.

2. What is permitted for advertising in your field (examples):

3. What is prohibited (examples):

4. Age rating

5. Standard check before publication

• The content does not contain sexualized elements.
• Clothing is culturally acceptable for the UAE.
• For workouts involving women, the Principle of Modesty must be observed — clothing must cover shoulders, stomach, and knees.
• Information about workouts is accurate and verified.
• Age rating is indicated in the description or publication settings.
• All partners and bloggers are informed about the rules.

6. Prohibited content

Critical violations (fine up to AED 1,000,000):

• Religious norms:
• Demonstration of workouts in mosques or with the use of religious symbols.
• Demonstration of non-compliance with Islamic restrictions (for example, workouts during Ramadan without respectful context).
• National security:
• Background with images of government buildings or military facilities.
• Mention of political events in a sports context (for example, “training for protesters”).

Typical violations (fine AED 20,000–150,000):

• Moral norms:
• Clothing that is too revealing (minimum requirement — covered shoulders and knees for women).
• Demonstration of injuries/blood without warning and censorship.
• Disinformation:
• Claims without scientific evidence (“this exercise burns 1000 calories in 5 minutes”).

7. Mandatory content elements

• Advertising labeling:
• Marking #ad / #sponsored for integrations with sports nutrition, clothing, etc.
• Indication of product prices in AED (for example, “sports bra — 199 AED”).
• Warnings:
• Note before complex exercises: “Consult a doctor. High risk of injury!”
• Age markings for intensive training: “18+” or “For professional athletes”.
• Localization:
• Subtitles in Arabic for key instructions.
• Mention of local realities (for example, “training in 45°C heat”).

8. Protection of vulnerable groups

• Children:
• It is prohibited to show minors without the written consent of parents.
• Do not use children in dangerous exercises (weights, extreme loads).
• Personal safety:
• Blur faces of random people in public places (parks, gyms).
• Do not disclose locations of private fitness clubs without permission.

9. Additional requirements

• Music and audio:
• License for tracks (check via uaemc.gov.ae/music-license).
• Prohibition of songs with obscene language or offensive to the UAE texts.
• Scientific validity:
• References to studies for claims (example: “According to UAE Sports Medicine Journal, this reduces the risk of injury by 20%”).
• Ethics:
• Do not compare brands (“this protein is better than X”) without clinical evidence.

10. Checklist before publication

• Check content via the AI platform eMara (uaemc.gov.ae/ai-audit).
• Ensure that:
• There is no criticism of authorities, religions, or national symbols, and no violations of other content standards.
• Product prices are indicated in AED with VAT.
• All paid integrations are marked #ad.
• For workouts during Ramadan: add disclaimer (“Consider fasting. Drink water before sunrise!”).

You acknowledge and agree that you have read the advertising requirements in accordance with UAE law and this Policy.

The Company assumes that you have reviewed this Policy and agreed to its provisions, that you have studied and accepted the advertising requirements under UAE legislation.

The Company is not responsible for your legal capacity and eligibility to conduct activities, compliance with advertising laws in the UAE and/or in your country of citizenship, tax residency, or actual residence. All claims of regulators, fines, fees, penalties, and other expenses arising from the absence or invalidity of your documents (visas, licenses, permits, advertising layouts, and the advertising itself) or your non-compliance with applicable rules shall be settled by you independently with full compensation of possible losses to the Company.