UAE Online Reviews Law: What Businesses Can and Cannot Do

There is no single UAE online reviews law. Instead, three federal laws cover reviews from different angles: the Consumer Protection Law (Federal Law No. 15 of 2020, as amended) bans misleading commercial information, the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2023) covers deceptive promotion, and the Cybercrimes Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021) makes false, insulting or paid online content a criminal matter. Asking customers for honest reviews is allowed under all three.

Google's own rules sit on top. Google's Maps content policy applies in the UAE exactly as it does elsewhere, and in day-to-day practice it is Google's policy, not the courts, that decides whether a review stays on your Business Profile. This guide walks through each law in plain English, with what it means for a shop, clinic, salon or restaurant in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or anywhere else in the Emirates. For Google's side in full, see our Google review policy guide.

Four sets of rules matter: the Consumer Protection Law and its executive regulations, the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law, the Cybercrimes Law, and Google's content policy. Each one catches a different kind of behaviour.

Yes. None of the UAE laws above prohibits a business from asking a customer to leave an honest review. Google's Business Profile help page says you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code to leave a review, as long as the customer is signed in to a Google Account.

What the laws do care about is honesty and consistency. The Consumer Protection Law gives consumers a right to accurate information about goods and services. The safest pattern is to ask every customer in the same way, at the same point in the service, and let them write whatever they think. A printed Google Review Card or a counter stand that opens the review form on a tap or scan does exactly that: it puts the link in front of the customer and leaves the rating to them.

No. Google's policy prohibits reviews or ratings that have been paid for, directly or in kind, and bans offering payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for reviews. A free karak, a discount code or a prize draw entry for a review all fall inside that ban, and Google's help page describes incentivised reviews as strictly prohibited.

UAE law adds a second layer. The Consumer Protection Law's executive regulations treat a description as deceptive where a misleading claim, directly or indirectly, creates a false impression for the consumer, and advertisements must not be misleading. A star rating built from bought or staged reviews is a misleading impression of what customers actually think. Separately, Article 55 of the Cybercrimes Law targets anyone who receives or is promised a benefit in return for publishing false data online, which is how a paid reviewer is exposed. Our global guide on whether you can offer incentives for Google reviews covers the Google side in more depth.

Not as if they were ordinary customers. Google's policy prohibits reviews based on a conflict of interest, and lists current or former employment, contractual relationships and family or competitor ties as examples. Reviews from several accounts controlled by one person, or posted at that person's request, count as fake engagement.

From the UAE side, a business that fills its profile with reviews from its own staff is presenting false commercial information to consumers, which is exactly the behaviour the Consumer Protection Law and the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law are written to stop. Gulf News reports that the fraud law's 2026 executive regulations list misleading or deceptive promotion and advertising among the covered conduct, and that they extend to e-commerce.

That is where the Cybercrimes Law bites, and the UAE treats it seriously. In October 2026, The National reported that Dubai Police arrested a group accused of posting fake reviews on a company's Google Maps page after several rival shops formed groups to publish false and damaging comments. The head of the Social Media Crimes Section said customers may share their experiences but must not harm others, drawing a line between an honest negative review and comments that amount to insult or defamation.

Two cautions. First, an honest negative review is not a crime. Lawyers quoted by Khaleej Times and The National are consistent on this: a customer may describe poor service, a late delivery or a disappointing product, and criticism that focuses on the product or service rather than attacking a person is lawful. Second, these are criminal provisions that depend on the exact words used, so a complaint does not automatically mean an offence has been committed.

You cannot delete a Google review yourself, and trying to filter who gets asked is a policy breach. Google's policy bars merchants from discouraging or blocking negative reviews and from selectively asking happy customers to post. Google's help page also prohibits offering anything to a customer to change or remove a negative review.

The UAE angle is about the impression you create. If your profile, website or shop signage presents a rating that has been curated by removing or suppressing genuine negative feedback, that is a misleading claim about your business under the consumer protection regulations. The better route is a calm, public reply. Google's own advice is to apologise where appropriate, explain what you can and cannot do, and never share a reviewer's private information. Our guide to responding to Google reviews has wording you can adapt in Arabic and English.

Penalties depend on which law is engaged. The UAE Government portal states that suppliers who advertise misleading prices or false data, or fail to give clear information, face up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of up to AED 2 million under the Consumer Protection Law. The Ministry of Economy has said the law's regulations set out 46 types of violation with administrative fines from AED 100,000 up to AED 1 million, and that repeat offences can lead to licence cancellation.

The Anti-Commercial Fraud Law uses graduated administrative penalties under its 2026 regulations, with the Ministry able to notify online platforms so that misleading listings are withdrawn. And on top of all of this, Google can remove the reviews, restrict the profile and leave the business with nothing to show for the effort.

Two practical points come from the consumer protection regulations. First, suppliers must protect consumer data and must not use it for marketing without permission, so do not pull customer phone numbers from invoices or delivery apps to send review requests they never agreed to. A physical prompt at the counter, on the table or in the delivery bag avoids the issue, because the customer chooses whether to tap or scan.

Second, the regulations require advertising, website information and invoices to be in Arabic, with other languages allowed in addition. A review stand or card that simply says "Review us on Google" is a request rather than a promotional claim, but if your printed prompt also advertises an offer, make sure the Arabic version is there. Our guide to Google reviews for Dubai restaurants covers bilingual prompts in more detail. You can also browse every article in our review rules and compliance hub.