The 1980 UAE Press and Publications Law

The 1980 Press and Publications Law regulates matters and topics that may not be published. It is prohibited to:

• Publish any criticism directed at the President or the Rulers of the UAE.

• Publish material that contains incitement against or abuse of Islam or of the system of power in the UAE; or harm to the state’s higher interests or to the fundamental systems of society.

• Publish opinions that contain a breach of the sanctity of public morals and ethics, or that call for the adoption or promotion of destructive principles and ideas.

• Publish material that contains incitement to commit crimes, provoke hatred or spread discord among members of the community.

• Publish news about confidential official communications or military affairs without an explicit authorisation from the competent authorities.

• Publish texts of government agreements or treaties before they are published in the Official Gazette, without explicit authorisation from the competent authority.

• Malevolently publish distorted facts or reports of proceedings from public court sessions or meetings of regulatory bodies in the state.

• Publish material that disparages heads of Arab, Islamic or any other friendly states.

• Publish material that could disturb the country’s relations with any other Arab, Islamic or friendly state.

• Publish material including an affront to Arabs or distortion of Arab culture or heritage.

• Publish news about criminal investigations where the investigating judge has ordered investigations to remain confidential or if public prosecution has banned reporting on it.

• Publish reports, photographs or comments related to individuals’ private or family secrets, even if they are true, if that publication constitutes abuse to individuals included in the published material.

• Publish material that includes disclosure of private matters that may constitute an abuse to an individual’s reputation, fortune or trademark.

• Publish material aimed at threatening an individual or force them to pay funds or provide a service to others, or deprive them of their freedom to practise their functions.

• Malevolently publish false news, fabricated or forged documents, or any materials falsely attributed to others.

• Publish anything that could cause harm to the national currency or may stir confusion about the economic situation in the country.

• Publish releases or advertisements that contain phrases, pictures or drawings that contradict public morals or are misleading to the public.

• Publish adverts for medicines or pharmaceutical products without the authorisation of the competent authority at the Ministry of Health.

• Challenge the functions of a public officer, or any member of parliament, or any public servants in a way that contains defamation. A writer or reporter would not be held liable if they proved goodwill and that they had reasonable grounds to believe the defamatory facts they attributed to the person or persons mentioned in the report were true.

• Publish reports on any issues that involve more than one party without including a presentation of the views of all parties concerned directly.