Ads not allowed at places of worship, traffic signboards

The Ministry of Municipality has launched 2nd edition of advertisement guide, banning advertisements at certain places and revising rules and regulations for advertisements.

According to the new rules, it is prohibited to place an advertisement without  obtaining a licence for it from the respective municipality and  paying charges and the security deposit.

The 89-page second edition of “Guide for Planning and Regulatory Requirements and Procedures for Advertising and Publicity Means in Qatar” is one of the most important strategic projects implemented by the Ministry within its strategic plan and Qatar National Vision 2030.

The guide explains means of advertising falling under its purview as any fixed, portable, traditional, e-signboards, temporary or permanent, which are used for advertisement, excluding advertisements in newspapers, magazines, journals, websites, radio, TV, and cinema screens.   

The guide has prohibited advertisements in any form including placing, sticking, hanging or constructing at places of worship, establishments and buildings of archaeological or historical nature and their surrounding walls, trees and plant containers, and traffic signboards and signals.

Regarding the height of the Arabic and English letters, the visual view in the display panel of the signboards must be balanced between Arabic and English texts, ensuring the accuracy of translation. It is permissible to choose certain patterns according to the different urban areas.

The licencees should fulfil the requirements of service departments before placing any advertisement or signboard. For example, Urban Planning Department requires urban coordination and unification within the same region.

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

General Directorate of Traffic requires that advertisements should not be placed in a way to hinder traffic flow of different means of transportation or on pedestrian passage or using radiant lights affecting the vision.

The designs of advertisements should not be similar to the traffic signals and signboards in term of size, colour and shape. The Public Works Authority requires that advertising boards set up on the roadside be according to the design plan of the street and be coordinated with to supply its own recommendations without affecting the established infrastructure.

The guide aims at introducing the requirements regulating the quality and levels of advertising and promotional media, whether they are within or outside the boundaries of the property domain, or set up independently, and to determine the distances between them and their integration with the surrounding urban elements.

It included all the documents required for all types and procedures necessary for them on the electronic advertising licensing system, whether it was to issue, renew or cancel the advertising license if needed to do so. The guide will help encourage the preservation of the investment environment in public and private sectors to running advertisements of investors while preserving the identity of the city, the aesthetic visual vision, and the architectural and urban landmarks.

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