Table of Contents
How to Start a Telephone Based Information Services Business in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
The telephone has been an information delivery channel for as long as it has been a communications channel. Directory enquiry services gave callers access to numbers and addresses; operator-assisted services provided a human layer of information retrieval; premium-rate lines built whole business models around information on demand by telephone. What has changed fundamentally over the past decade is the technology of delivery: interactive voice response systems, AI-powered virtual agents, natural language processing, and cloud telephony have transformed telephone-based information services from operator-intensive operations into scalable, automated information platforms. The global IVR market was valued at USD 5.56 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 9.26 billion by 2032 at a CAGR of 6.19%, according to Verified Market Research¹.
The scale of telephone-based information delivery is significant. By Q1 2025, more than 3.8 billion calls worldwide were being routed through IVR platforms monthly, and over 83% of customer service operations incorporated IVR technology, up from 76% in 2022, according to Market Growth Reports². Over 55% of enterprises with more than 1,000 employees had integrated AI-enhanced IVR by 2025. Natural language processing capability was embedded in 58% of newly deployed systems. The distinction between a call centre routing calls and a telephone information service providing answers is precisely what ISIC class 6399 addresses: this code covers operators whose commercial purpose is information delivery by voice, not call handling or customer service routing.
The UAE has an active telephone and voice information services environment. At GITEX Global 2024 in Dubai, Avaya announced an AI-based virtual assistant deployment for Dubai Police, illustrating how public sector information services are moving to AI voice. UAE telecom du partnered with Cisco to launch the first Visual IVR product in the Middle East, bridging traditional voice menus with digital self-service. UAE SMBs are rapidly adopting AI voice agents for Arabic-English bilingual information delivery as part of the Vision 2071 digital transformation initiative. The UAE government’s own information services include the ASK MOEI generative AI platform and the Tawasul 171 line, reflecting a national environment in which voice-based information access is both institutionally supported and commercially active.
Who is this for?
| Audience Segment | Profile |
|---|---|
| Directory enquiry and lookup service operators | Businesses providing telephone-based directory enquiry services, number lookup, address information, and business directory access to consumers and corporate callers, operated as standalone information services rather than as part of a contact centre or call centre operation. |
| IVR and AI voice information service operators | Operators building and running interactive voice response information platforms, AI-powered virtual agents, and voice-activated information systems that deliver answers, data, and referrals to callers through automated speech recognition and natural language processing. |
| Specialist telephone information line operators | Businesses operating dedicated telephone information services for specific sectors or audiences, including consumer information hotlines, professional reference lines, subscription-based telephone research services, and multilingual information services serving the UAE’s diverse population. |
6399.01 - Telephone Based Information Services
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Directory enquiry and lookup services | Telephone-based directory enquiry and business lookup Operation of a telephone-based directory enquiry service providing callers with telephone numbers, addresses, and business information on request, operated as a standalone information service to consumers and corporate subscribers rather than as part of a general-purpose contact centre. UAE context: e& (formerly Etisalat) demonstrated an Arabic and English voice-activated directory service with speech recognition as early as MECOM 2008 in Abu Dhabi, capable of retrieving contact information for hotels, restaurants, healthcare, and financial organisations within 30 seconds by voice, according to Zawya. The UAE’s 200-plus-nationality population, operating across Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, and other languages, creates specific commercial demand for multilingual directory and business lookup services that go beyond a single-language operator-assisted model. |
| IVR and AI voice information platforms | Interactive voice response and AI voice information services Operation of interactive voice response systems or AI-powered voice assistants that deliver information, answer queries, and provide automated self-service information responses to callers, including platforms built on natural language processing, speech recognition, and intent detection technology. UAE context: At GITEX Global 2024 in Dubai, Avaya announced the implementation of an AI-based virtual assistant for Dubai Police, reflecting the UAE public sector’s active adoption of voice AI for information delivery. UAE telecom du launched a Visual IVR product in partnership with Cisco as the first such deployment in the Middle East. By Q1 2025, more than 3.8 billion calls monthly were being routed through IVR platforms worldwide, with over 55% of enterprises employing more than 1,000 people having integrated AI-enhanced IVR, according to Market Growth Reports. |
| Specialist telephone information lines | Specialist telephone helplines and information line services Operation of specialist telephone information services providing sector-specific or topic-specific information to callers on a subscription or per-call basis, including consumer reference lines, professional information services, multilingual helplines, and subscription information lines delivering curated answers to callers. UAE context: UAE SMBs are rapidly adopting AI voice agents for Arabic-English bilingual information and customer service under the Vision 2071 digital transformation initiative, according to VoiceInfra. The UAE government has introduced multiple information-access channels including the Tawasul 171 feedback line, the Customer Pulse programme, and the ASK MOEI generative AI platform for government information access, establishing a strong consumer expectation for accessible telephone and voice-based information services. The UAE’s high smartphone penetration and 24/7 service culture create persistent demand for always-available telephone information lines. |
Code 6399.01 covers telephone-based information services where the commercial purpose is information delivery to callers. It expressly excludes call centre activities (ISIC 8220), which cover inbound and outbound telephony operations for customer service, telesales, and call routing rather than information provision. It also does not cover information search on contract or fee basis (6399.02), press and news clipping services (6399.03), news agency activities (ISIC 6391), software or platform development, or broadcasting. Operators of telephone information services must also comply with UAE telecommunications regulations administered by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) in respect of any telecommunications infrastructure or numbering requirements.
In short: if you deliver information to callers by telephone, IVR system, or AI voice assistant as your primary commercial activity, you are in. If you operate a call centre routing calls or handling customer service, you are not.
Third-Party Approval
Telephone Based Information Services does not require pre-approval from any third-party regulatory authority as a condition of the Meydan Free Zone licence, and the licence may be issued directly without external sign-off prior to commencing telephone-based information service activities.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
Telephone Based Information Services is not classified as a Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession (DNFBP) under UAE anti-money laundering legislation, and businesses operating under this activity code are not subject to AML registration or reporting obligations specific to this licence category.
References
- ¹ Verified Market Research, Interactive Voice Response Market Size, Scope and Forecast - https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/global-interactive-voice-response-market-size-and-forecast/
- ² Market Growth Reports, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Systems Market Size, Share, Growth - https://www.marketgrowthreports.com/market-reports/interactive-voice-response-ivr-systems-market-115164
- ³ SiliconANGLE, Dubai Police taps Avaya for its AI-based virtual assistant - https://siliconangle.com/2024/10/19/dubai-police-taps-avaya-ai-based-virtual-assistant/
- ⁴ VoiceInfra, AI Voice Agents in United Arab Emirates - https://voiceinfra.ai/countries/united-arab-emirates
- ⁵ Zawya, Etisalat Demonstrates its New Voice Activated Directory - https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/etisalat-demonstrates-its-new-voice-activated-directory-wopbid8r
