Dubai property advertising permit for videos: Trakheesi, the Madmoun QR code and off-plan renderings
Dubai property advertising permit rules for videos: when a Reel or off-plan rendering film needs a Trakheesi permit, and where the number and QR code go.
In this article
A developer in Dubai asks for a 30-second vertical film of their tower from your renderings, to run on Instagram, TikTok and the portals. Before anyone posts it, the film needs something the design team rarely thinks about: a real estate advertising permit from the Dubai Land Department, issued through its Trakheesi system, with the permit number and a QR code on the ad itself. This guide covers what the official rules say, who applies for the permit, what has to appear on a video, the extra approval for off-plan projects, and how to build the film so the permit details fit.
Key takeaways
- The Dubai Land Department (DLD) requires every real estate company or establishment that publishes a real estate ad in Dubai to apply for a permit through the Trakheesi system first, and the permit number must be placed in the ad.
- Since April 24, 2023, the QR code issued with each permit through DLD's Madmoun service has to appear on real estate ads, and DLD's April 2025 statement repeats that this means all ads, "visual or written."
- For off-plan sales, Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, Article 5, separately bars a developer from advertising units in local or international media without written authorization from the Land Department.
- The permit holder is the developer or broker publishing the ad; a design studio making the film usually supplies a clean master and leaves space for the permit number and QR code.
- DLD's 2020 enforcement notice set fines at a progressive AED 50,000 per violation, with possible license cancellation for repeat offenders.
Does a property video in Dubai need an advertising permit?
Yes. Any real estate advertisement published in Dubai, including a social media video of a property or an off-plan project made from renderings, needs an advertising permit obtained through DLD's Trakheesi system before it goes out, and the ad must show the permit number and the Madmoun QR code issued with that permit. If the video promotes the off-plan sale of units, the developer also needs written authorization from the Land Department under Law No. 8 of 2007. The permit is applied for by the real estate company publishing the ad, not by the studio that made the film.
This is general information, not legal advice; for a live campaign, confirm current requirements with the developer's compliance team or with RERA, DLD's regulatory arm.
What the official sources say
Four official documents carry the rules that matter for video, quoted as they read in October 2026.
| Source | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| DLD enforcement notice | October 20, 2020 | Companies "wishing to publish any real estate advertisement in the emirate are required to apply for a permit through the Trakheesi system"; the advertiser bears the legal consequences "if the permit number is not placed in the advertisement"; fines are "a progressive AED 50,000" |
| DLD on the Madmoun service | April 18, 2023 | A QR code is issued for real estate ad permits; from April 24, 2023 it must appear on all real estate ads, visual or written |
| DLD on AI-enabled advertising governance | April 24, 2025 | All real estate companies must display the Madmoun QR code on all ads, "whether visual or written"; an AI platform monitors listings daily |
| Law No. (8) of 2007, Article 5 | 2007 | "A Developer may not advertise in local or international media" to promote off-plan sales "unless he obtains an authorisation in writing from the Department" |
The Trakheesi system covers more than portal listings. DLD's 2021 annual summary lists permits for "external, vehicle, SMS, print, electronic, classified, billboard, and newspaper advertisements," plus exhibitions, project inaugurations, promotion platforms and promotional campaigns (DLD, as of October 2026). A social video is an electronic ad, and a launch campaign that includes one is a promotional campaign, so neither falls outside the system.
The same summary warns the public about "fake and unlicensed ads that are posted on online platforms and social media channels," so social media is where DLD expects problems, not an exception.
Who applies for the permit: developer, broker or design studio
The 2020 notice puts the duty on "real estate companies and establishments" that publish an ad, in practice the developer or a licensed brokerage. A studio that produces the film is a supplier, like the photographer, and normally has no Trakheesi account. What it controls is whether the film is easy to make compliant.
| Situation | Is it a real estate ad? | Who holds the permit | What the studio delivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer's launch film for an off-plan tower | Yes | Developer, with written Land Department authorization for off-plan advertising | Clean master plus a version with space for the permit number and QR code |
| Broker's listing video for a resale apartment | Yes | Brokerage | Usually nothing; brokers make these themselves |
| Studio's portfolio post of a completed Dubai villa, no prices or sales contact | Unclear; not addressed in the pages read | Ask the developer before posting | Caption that credits the client and makes no sales offer |
| Studio reposting the developer's sales film | Yes, the ad is the same | Developer's permit, unchanged | Repost the permitted version only |
The middle ground is a studio's own portfolio. A Reel of a project you designed, with no price, payment plan or "register interest" link, is closer to a credential than an ad, but none of the DLD pages read draws that line. If the project is still selling, ask the developer whether they want their permit number on your post or would rather you wait until sales close.
Off-plan renderings: the extra approval and what the film may show
Off-plan marketing in Dubai has two layers. The Trakheesi permit covers the ad; Article 5 of Law No. 8 of 2007 requires the developer to hold written authorization from the Land Department before advertising off-plan units in "local or international media" at all, and the law defines the Department as the Land Department. "International" matters for a studio based abroad: an Instagram post from London promoting units in Dubai is still advertising the sale.
The pages read set no rule on labeling CGI, so take the habits from what Madmoun is for: DLD says the QR code lets a buyer "verify the authenticity of the advertisement" and confirm RERA approved it. A film whose scenes drift from the approved design undercuts what the code certifies. Three habits help:
- Use only renderings from the developer's current approved set, not superseded options.
- Add an "artist's impression" line on the frame or in the caption; that is common practice, not a quoted DLD rule.
- Review AI-generated motion scene by scene before the developer files the ad; image-to-video models can alter a facade detail or invent landscaping past the frame edge. The AI video quality checklist lists what to look for.
The wider launch plan, from teaser to sales gallery, is in how to make an off-plan launch video from renderings, which also compares Saudi, Indian and UK rules in one table.
Where the permit number and QR code go in a vertical video
None of the DLD pages read specifies a size, position or on-screen duration for the permit number or QR code in a video, as of October 2026. Work from the purpose instead: a viewer has to be able to read the number and scan the code from the video as posted.
- Keep both visible for the whole film, not only on an end card. A viewer who scrolls away after five seconds never saw a code that appears at the end.
- Place them where the app interface doesn't cover them. On Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts the bottom quarter and the right edge carry captions and buttons. The upper left or upper right corner, below the status bar, is usually clear; Instagram Reels specs shows the safe area.
- Give the QR code a plain background, such as a small white tile; a code over a moving facade can fail to scan.
- Repeat the permit number in the caption, where it can be copied and searched.
- Test-scan the posted video, not the export: play the published Reel on one phone and scan it with another at arm's length. Do this on every platform; each re-compresses the file.
| Element | On the frame | In the caption | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trakheesi permit number | Yes, throughout | Yes | Legible size, plain background |
| Madmoun QR code | Yes, throughout | Not possible | Scan-test the posted version |
| "Artist's impression" line | Recommended on CGI scenes | Recommended | Practice, not a quoted DLD rule |
| Developer and broker names | As the permit holder requires | Yes | Match the names on the permit |
A production workflow that keeps the permit straight
The permit is issued for an ad, so the order of work matters:
- Agree the channel and the cut list first: which platforms, which lengths, whether there's a teaser and a full film. The developer's permit application has to describe what is being published.
- Make a clean master with no text burned in. With Arch2Video, you upload six renderings from the approved set and get a 1080 × 1920 MP4 of about 30 seconds, six connected AI-generated scenes with an original soundtrack; a logo film also comes as a no-logo version, usually what a developer wants under their own branding. There's no text-overlay step, so the permit details go on in an editor afterward.
- Add the permit number, QR code and artist's-impression line in an editor once the developer has the permit, then export again at 1080 × 1920. Rendering export settings for Instagram covers settings that avoid a second round of blur.
- Have the developer approve the final file, not the clean master, before it is filed or posted.
- Archive the permit number, the QR image and the final file together, with the posting dates. If DLD's monitoring flags a post, you can show what was approved.
A film can be prepared before the permit exists; it just can't be published. Agree who adds the overlay so it doesn't fall between the teams.
How DLD monitors and what non-compliance costs
DLD doesn't rely on complaints alone. Its April 2025 statement describes a Real Estate Advertising Governance Platform with "ongoing, daily monitoring" of listings on Property Finder, Dubizzle and Bayut, and says it had monitored "over 279,000 real estate advertisements" since launch, with "29% of the monitored listings" automatically modified (DLD, as of October 2026). Portal video tools and their own rules are compared in real estate portal listing video rules.
On penalties, the figure in the pages read is from the 2020 notice: fines "valued at a progressive AED 50,000," which "may reach the stage of cancelling the licence of the violating real estate company." Article 16 of Law No. 8 of 2007 sets separate penalties, including fines of at least AED 100,000, for fraudulent off-plan conduct. A current fine schedule could not be verified as of October 2026, so check with RERA before quoting a number.
Separately, the UAE Media Council runs an advertiser permit for individuals who post promotional content on social media; its official FAQ could not be fetched as of October 2026, so ask the developer's counsel whether it touches an influencer's repost of your film.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Trakheesi permit to post my own project on Instagram as an architect?
Not as a rule the DLD pages spell out. The duty falls on real estate companies publishing a real estate ad, and a portfolio post with no price, sales contact or offer is closer to a credential than an ad. If the project is still selling, ask the developer first, and never repost their sales film without its permit details.
Does the QR code have to be on the video, or is the caption enough?
On the video. DLD's April 2025 statement says the Madmoun QR code goes on all real estate ads, "whether visual or written." A caption can't carry a scannable code, and on most platforms it's hidden until someone taps "more." Keep the permit number and QR code on the frame for the whole film and repeat the number in the caption.
Can I use AI-generated renderings or AI video in a Dubai property ad?
The DLD pages read don't ban it, but the QR code exists so buyers can check what was approved, so the film has to match the project. Use renderings from the current approved set, label CGI as an artist's impression, and check every AI-generated scene against its source rendering. Present it as concept imagery, never as footage.
Who is fined if a video goes out without the permit number?
The advertiser. DLD's 2020 notice says "the advertiser will bear the consequences of the legal procedures if the permit number is not placed in the advertisement," with progressive AED 50,000 fines and possible license cancellation. That is normally the developer or brokerage publishing the ad, but a studio posting a sales film under its own account is the one publishing it, so post only the permitted version and let the developer run sales ads.