UAE sales and promotions: what the big sale events and the raffles that come with them actually are

A seasonal sale and a mall raffle often show up together, on the same banner, in the same week. Under UAE rules they are two different things, licensed by different routes, and this guide keeps them apart rather than treating "a promotion" as one single category.

It is general consumer information, not legal advice.

Ordinary sales need a licence too

Cabinet Resolution No. 66 of 2023, the executive regulation of the Consumer Protection Law, licenses discounts and promotions together, in the same article, but as two separate obligations. A provider must obtain a prior licence before announcing a discount, and a separate prior licence before promoting goods or services, each from the competent authority, following that authority's own procedures. This is why a sale you see advertised is not just a retailer's own decision: it sits behind a licensing requirement, even for something as ordinary as a seasonal percentage off.

Competitions, prize draws and raffles are a different licensing track

Where a promotion includes a competition, a prize draw or a raffle, for example "spend a certain amount and be entered to win," the licensing route is generally different again. Across the UAE's seven emirates, this kind of promotion is typically licensed at emirate level, through that emirate's own Department of Economic Development, rather than through one single federal process. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a business running this kind of promotion needs a permit from its own DED, submitted with details of the prizes, the promotion's duration, and the organiser's trade licence.

Paid lotteries and commercial gaming sit under a separate federal regulator

Since 2023, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, GCGRA, has existed as the UAE's federal regulator for commercial gaming, covering licensed lotteries, casinos and related activities. This is a narrower, more tightly controlled category than an ordinary retail promotion: it covers things like a paid-entry national lottery, not a "spend and win" draw tied to a shopping trip.

What to check before taking part in any promotion

1. Read who is actually running it. A promotion's terms should name the organiser and, generally, reference the permit or licence it is running under.
2. Separate the sale from the promotion. A genuine percentage off is worth checking the same way any discount is worth checking: the before and after price, not just the headline number.
3. If cash prizes or a paid entry are involved, treat it with more caution, and check it is operating under a real licence, rather than assuming any prize draw is automatically fine because it is attached to a well-known shopping period.
4. Keep the terms and any entry confirmation, the same way you would keep a receipt for a purchase.

When the big sales happen

The UAE's retail calendar has several recurring sale periods: Dubai Shopping Festival, generally running across the turn of the year; White Friday, also called Black Friday or Yellow Friday depending on the retailer, in late November; National Day sales, around early December; and Dubai Summer Surprises, during the summer months. Ramadan and Eid sales move with the lunar calendar each year.

General consumer information only, not legal advice. Rules and regulations can change, so check the latest official guidance for your circumstances.