Peninsula, 31 May 2022: Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality has launched the 2nd edition of its advertisement guide, which bans advertisements in certain locations and revises the rules and regulations governing advertisements more generally.

Under the new rules, an advertisement cannot be placed without first obtaining a licence from the respective municipality and paying charges and a security deposit.

The 89-page second edition of “Guide for Planning and Regulatory Requirements and Procedures for Advertising and Publicity Means in Qatar” states which types of advertising fall under its remit. These are any fixed, portable, traditional, e-signboards, whether they are temporary or permanent, which are used for an advertisement. It excludes advertisements in newspapers, magazines, journals, websites, radio, TV, and in cinemas.   

The guide bans advertisements in any form including placing, sticking, hanging or by constructing at places of worship, establishments and buildings which are of an archaeological or historical nature and their surrounding walls, plus on trees and plant containers, and traffic signboards and signals.

There must be a balance between Arabic and English texts, and accuracy of translation is also required.

According to Civil Defence, advertisements should not block ventilation equipment in a building or the surrounding buildings, rescue routes, and emergency exits and entrances.

The General Directorate of Traffic requires that advertisements should not be placed so that they hinder traffic flow in any way for different means of transportation or on pedestrian passages or use radiant lights which affect vision.

Designs of advertisements should also not be similar to the traffic signals and signs in terms of size, colour and shape. The Public Works Authority also requires that advertising boards set up on roadsides follow the design plan for the street.

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