The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has confirmed to Campaign Middle East that is now reviewing the updated Dubai Out of Home Advertising Manual as a unified reference for technical specifications and traffic safety requirements on all federal roads.
Sharing his thoughts in an exclusive interview, Dr Abdullah Al-Shwaikh from the Outdoor Media Office, OOH Section, UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (UAEMOEI) commended the latest updated guidelines for OOH in Dubai as “a source of pride for all of us.”
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with Dubai Municipality and Department of Economy and Tourism, recently updated its OOH advertising manual to include expansion of dedicated OOH zones, standardised design criteria, guidelines for innovative 3D ads, improved site planning for advertisements, updated spacing criteria between billboards and intersections, and new procedures for the construction of billboards and commercial signage.
Commenting on the impact of the changes across the UAE, Dr Abdullah Al-Shwaikh revealed, “We at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure are now reviewing the guidebook with the federal Roads and Transport Authority to ensure there is no duplication of efforts or wastage of resources, given the presence of many guidebooks issued by the state municipalities and federal entities. I will not hide the fact that we are in the process of adopting this guidebook as a unified reference for technical specifications and traffic safety requirements on all federal roads through coordination with the entities that issued the guidebook.”
Original quote in Arabic:
الدليل الإرشادي الجديد هو مبعث فخر لنا جميعاً، ونحن الآن في وزارة الطاقة والبنية التحتية نقوم بمراجعة الدليل مع إدارة أصول الطرق الإتحادية لضمان عدم تكرار الجهود وضياع الطاقات مع وجود العديد من الأدلة الصادرة عن بلديات الدولة والجهات الإتحادية، ولا أخفي سراً إذا قلت بأننا بصدد اعتماد هذ الدليل كمرجع موحد للشروط الفنية وشروط السلامة المرورية على الطرق الإتحادية كلها عبر التنسيق مع الجهات التي أصدرت الدليل ..
Dr Abdullah Al-Shwaikh has been involved in the evolution of OOH guidelines for over two decades. Those were the days when the World Trade Centre served as a milestone while travelling between emirates, and stastic posters of varying sizes were plastered onto lamp posts, pillars, and facades of buildings under construction.
In conversation with us, Dr Abdullah Al-Shwaikh recounted a meeting in June 2004, in a cramped room during the scorching UAE summer, when he attended a meeting with concerned entities at what was then known as the General Secretariat of UAE Municipalities.
“The aim then was to issue the first edition of the inaugural outdoor advertising guide. To be honest, no one expected that the outdoor advertising market in the UAE would reach these levels,” Dr Abdullah Al-Shwaikh added. “Twenty years later, thanks to our country’s wise policy in dealing with regional crises, the outdoor advertising market in the UAE, particularly in Dubai, has become one of the most sought-after points by multinational hubs to announce all that is new in the world.”
Original quote in Arabic:
أتذكر اليوم شهر يونيو عام 2004 تلك الغرفة الضيقة في صيف الإمارات اللاهب حين عقدنا فيما كان يعرف في ذلك الحين بـ(الأمانة العامة للبلديات) اجتماع الجهات المعنية لإصدار النسخة الأولى من أول دليل ارشادي للاعلانات الخارجية، الحقيقة التي لا نخجل من قولها، لم يكن أحد يتوقع في ذلك اليوم بأن سوق الإعلانات الخارجية في دولة الإمارات سيصل إلى هذه المستويات، عشرون عاماً بفضل سياسة وطني الحكيمة في التعامل مع الأزمات الإقليمية أدت لأن يكون سوق الإعلانات الخارجية في الدولة وفي دبي تحديداً أهد أهم النقاط التي تبح عنها الشركات العابرة للقارات لتكون أول مناطق الإعلان عن كل ما هو جديد في العالم …
When asked what’s next, Dr Abdullah Al-Shwaikh shared that the time had come for a guide that governs the actual design and content on the OOH and DOOH billboards.
“What’s next?” he responded, “I believe we now need a parallel guide that governs the advertising content itself, in line with each area. It should also ensure the higher interests of the city of Dubai and the state, making it mandatory for advertisements published in different languages and setting ethical and aesthetic standards for advertisements.”
“This is another lengthy discussion for another day,” he concluded.
Original quote in Arabic:
ما هو القادم ؟ … أعتقد بأننا بحاجة الآن إلى دليل موازي يحكم المادة الإعلانية نفسها بما يتماشى مع كل منطقة، كما يضمن تحقيق المصالح العليا لمدينة دبي والدولة ، ويكون ملزماً في قضية الإعلانات التي تنشر بلغات مختلفة ويضع مقاييس أخلاقية وجمالية للإعلانات وذلك مبحث آخر يطول الحديث فيه ..
How will the best practices from Dubai be translated across the UAE? Stay tuned for our continuous and timely coverage from the forefront of the outdoor advertising industry.
