Emirates Business 24|7 reports that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has issued its separate guidelines for outdoor advertising this month, after the Dubai Municipality has finalized their set of guidelines that were being prepared since March, regulating all out-of-home, including roads, which are under the jurisdiction of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the free zones.

According to The National, outdoor advertising spend in Dubai and Sharjah has dropped by more than 36 per cent in Q1 of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, largely due to the withdrawal of property companies after the downturn. In the first quarter of last year, $148.4 milion was spent on advertising for billboards and other outdoor sites in the two emirates. This year, the number fell to $94.6 million, according to figures provided by Ipsos MediaCT.

Emirates Business 24/7 reports that prices for outdoor advertising sites in the UAE have shot up by between 30 and 50 per cent so far this year; compared with increases from 15 to 25 per cent during the whole of 2007.