Dubais RTA released an updated manual governing outdoor advertising across the city

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) published a revised manual on Thursday that governs outdoor advertising throughout the city. The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai and the Dubai Municipality released the 112-page Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising Manual, which provides information on placements, lighting, sizes, types of pictures, and other aspects of outdoor advertising.

The outdoor advertising manual's key points are as follows:

• Signs cannot block emergency exits and building amenities. 
• The sign ought to be positioned such that the motorist cannot see headlight reflections in their field of vision. 
• No signpost, or sign structure, may jut out onto a paved parking space or a highway.
• A freestanding sign in a row must always be placed such that it does not overhang the road roadway, be set back from it at a reasonable distance, and have a reasonable amount of vertical clearance above the carriageway or pavement. 
• A certain amount of freestanding signage needs to be put back from traffic lights. 
• Advertisements are not allowed to mimic traffic signals or other devices. 
• The prominent colours of some freestanding big and medium-sized ads (like megacoms, unipoles, etc.) cannot be the same as the colours of large traffic signs (like information, tourist, directional, etc.). Reflectors are not allowed in advertisements.
• Messages that are distracting or incompatible with traffic safety should not appear in advertisements. 
• A legible typeface with a minimum height of 150mm is recommended. 
• Advertisements should not include extensive red display sections. 
• Signs with video and/or animated material will not be permitted to be placed on road reserves or in places where they are visible to vehicles.

RTA said that any exceptions to this rule require permission from the technical committee that RTA and Dubai Municipality have constituted. The RTA website has further information and an explanation of the modification at https://www.rta.ae/links/out-of-home-advertising.pdf.