What is Calling Name Presentation (CNAP)?

Caller ID Has Been Introduced for Businesses in the UAE

When you answer your mobile phone in the UAE, have you noticed that some of these incoming calls will show the name of the caller on your phone display?

This is happening because the UAE’s Telecommunications & Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has issued new regulations requiring caller ID or CNAP under certain conditions.

What is CNAP?

CNAP or Calling Name Presentation is the name used by the telecom regulator (TDRA) and the telecom operators (du and Etisalat) to refer to the new caller ID requirement described above.

Why Has CNAP Been Introduced?

According to the TDRA, the purpose of CNAP is to eliminate fraud calls on behalf of entities due to lack of identification of the originator.

In other words, the UAE is trying to protect consumers from fraudulent or spam callers by enabling consumers to identify which corporate entity is trying to call them.

What is the Timeline for the Implementation of CNAP?

CNAP is already implemented for most companies.

The regulations require the two local telecom operations (du and Etisalat) to introduce CNAP from December 31, 2021.

So far this has been done in phases, which is why you may notice not all phone calls from businesses are showing the caller ID.

Why is CNAP Only Shown on Some Incoming Calls?

Apart from the CNAP implementation being done in phases, there are other reasons that a caller name may not show up:

  • The caller ID feature applies only to all corporate mobile and fixed lines registered in the UAE, meaning it applies only to businesses and not individuals
  • Certain mobile phones do not have the necessary hardware to accept the CNAP technology
  • If you have saved the caller on your phone, it will show up as that caller

Why is CNAP Important to Your Business?

The introduction of CNAP means that your company name will show up on any outbound calls made from your business phone lines to mobile phones.

If you are considering outsourcing your outbound calls, rest assured we have multiple solutions to ensure that your brand’s name shows up and that any confidentiality in working with an outsourced partner is maintained.

Click below to contact us and find out how we can help.