Terms & Conditions

1. INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Business First.

Business First is a business news, media, advertising and content platform operated as a division of Befirst Media Productions in the United Arab Emirates.

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Business First website, digital platforms, news content, newsletters, social media-related services, advertising services, sponsored content, interviews, events, video and podcast content, subscriptions and other products or services provided by Business First.

In these Terms, “Business First”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Business First and, where applicable, Befirst Media Productions. “You” and “your” refer to any visitor, reader, subscriber, advertiser, client, contributor, interviewee, partner or other person accessing or using our website or services.

2. LEGAL ENTITY

Business First operates as a division/brand of:

3. BUSINESS FIRST SERVICES

Business First may provide services including:

Business First may add, modify, suspend or discontinue services from time to time.

4. WEBSITE ACCESS

Business First grants users a limited, revocable, non-exclusive and non-transferable right to access and use the website for lawful personal or legitimate business purposes, subject to these Terms.

Access to some content or functionality may require:

• registration;
• subscription;
• payment;
• acceptance of additional terms; or
• verification.

We may modify, suspend, restrict or discontinue all or part of the website where reasonably necessary for operational, security, legal, maintenance or commercial reasons. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free access.

5. ELIGIBILITY

By using services involving contracts, purchases, advertising or other commercial transactions, you represent that you have the legal capacity and authority to enter into the relevant agreement.

If you act on behalf of a company or organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that organisation.

6. NEWS AND EDITORIAL CONTENT

Business First seeks to provide professional, credible and timely business journalism. However, news is inherently dynamic and information may change after publication.

Business First does not warrant that every article or item will always be:

• complete;
• current;
• error-free;
• exhaustive; or
• suitable for a particular decision.

We may update, correct, clarify, amend or remove editorial content where appropriate. Publication of a story does not constitute an endorsement of any company, individual, investment, product or service mentioned in that story.

7. EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE

Business First maintains editorial discretion over its independent news coverage. Our editorial team determines newsworthiness, story presentation, headlines, editing, categorisation, publication timing, updates, corrections, and removals.

8. CORRECTIONS AND UPDATES

Business First aims to correct material factual errors brought to its attention. If you believe published content contains a significant factual error, contact:

Requests should identify the article, disputed statement, alleged error, correct information, and supporting evidence. Submitting a request does not automatically require modification or removal.

9. OPINIONS, COMMENTARY AND EXPERT CONTENT

Business First may publish opinion pieces, expert columns, guest articles, interviews, commentary, and contributed thought leadership.

Views expressed by an identified contributor, interviewee or expert are generally those of that person and do not necessarily represent the views of Business First or Befirst Media Productions. Business First may edit contributed material for clarity, accuracy, style, length, compliance and publication standards.

10. NO FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVICE

Nothing published should be treated solely as:

• investment advice;
• financial advice;
• securities recommendations;
• tax or accounting advice;
• legal advice; or
• an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell an investment.

Financial markets, businesses, securities and investments involve risk. Readers should obtain independent professional advice and conduct their own due diligence before making financial or investment decisions.

11. NO PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Articles concerning law, taxation, immigration, company formation, finance, real estate, employment, healthcare, technology or other professional subjects are intended primarily for general informational purposes.

Users should consult appropriately qualified professionals before making decisions requiring professional advice.

12. ADVERTISING

Business First displays advertising across banners, social media, sponsored posts, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and branded formats.

The presence of an advertisement does not constitute an endorsement, warranty or recommendation. Advertisers are responsible for ensuring that their claims, products, and creatives comply with applicable laws and UAE advertising regulations.

Business First reserves the right to reject, suspend or remove advertising deemed inappropriate, misleading, unlawful, or inconsistent with our standards.

13. SPONSORED AND COMMERCIAL CONTENT

Business First publishes paid commercial content clearly labelled with markers such as Sponsored, Partner Content, Brand Feature, Paid Partnership, or Advertisement.

Payment does not entitle any advertiser to publish false, misleading, defamatory, unlawful or otherwise unacceptable material. Business First reserves the right to require changes necessary for compliance.

14. ADVERTISING AND MEDIA SERVICE ORDERS

Commercial services may be governed by quotations, proposals, insertion orders, service agreements, email approvals, or invoices. Specifically agreed written commercial terms apply together with these Terms.

15. PR AND MEDIA SERVICES

Unless expressly stated in writing, purchasing PR services does not guarantee third-party media publication, journalist acceptance, search engine rankings, viral reach, leads, sales, investment, awards, or specific commercial returns.

Packages including distribution only through Business First-owned channels do not imply distribution to independent third-party newsrooms.

16. ADVERTISING RESULTS

Advertising performance can be affected by numerous external factors. Unless specifically guaranteed in writing, Business First does not guarantee impressions, clicks, leads, conversions, sales, followers, inquiries, or revenue.

17. ADVERTISER RESPONSIBILITIES

Advertisers must provide accurate company information, authorised logos/trademarks, legally cleared photos/videos, substantiated claims, and required campaign materials by agreed deadlines.

The client warrants that supplied materials do not infringe third-party IP, privacy, or publicity rights.

18. APPROVALS

Where creative materials are sent for client review, approval by email, messaging, or digital workflow is treated as authorisation to publish. Changes requested after final approval or publication may incur additional production charges.

19. CAMPAIGN SCHEDULING

Advertising and publication dates are subject to availability, payment, receipt of materials, and compliance review. Business First may reasonably reschedule campaigns in the event of breaking news, technical disruption, or circumstances outside reasonable control.

20. PRICES AND VAT

Prices displayed on the website, rate card, or media kit are quoted in UAE Dirhams (AED) unless stated otherwise. Applicable VAT or other statutory taxes are additional.

21. PAYMENT

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, payment is required in advance before campaign activation, content production, advertising placement, or publication. Business First may withhold services while payments remain outstanding.

22. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

23. EVENTS

Business First may organise, promote, sponsor, cover or partner with conferences, exhibitions, webinars, and ceremonies. Where Business First acts solely as media partner or promoter, responsibility for the event remains with the primary organizer.

24. INTERVIEWS

By voluntarily participating in an interview, participants grant Business First permission to record, edit, and publish the interview across digital platforms, podcasts, video, newsletters, and archives. Business First will not intentionally misrepresent statements.

25. PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO AND RECORDINGS

Where Business First produces media assets as part of a commercial service, usage rights are defined by the written contract or license. Third-party stock music, footage, or fonts remain subject to their respective licenses.

26. USER SUBMISSIONS

Submission of press releases, opinion pieces, or story tips does not guarantee publication. By submitting material, you confirm that you hold necessary authority, the material is accurate and lawful, and Business First may review, edit, or decline it.

27. LICENCE FOR SUBMITTED CONTENT

Unless otherwise agreed, submitting content for publication grants Business First a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to publish, edit, format, and distribute that material across our media channels. You retain lawful ownership of your underlying content.

28. BUSINESS FIRST INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Unless otherwise stated, the Business First website, branding, original journalism, layouts, infographics, video, audio, podcasts, and newsletters are owned by or licensed to Business First / Befirst Media Productions. All rights reserved.

29. PERMITTED USE OF ARTICLES

Users may share links to Business First articles through personal and professional channels. Users must not reproduce complete articles, republish substantial portions, scrape the website, resell content, or remove copyright attribution without written authorization.

30. AUTOMATED SCRAPING AND AI USE

Automated access that disrupts website operations or bypasses technical barriers is unlawful and prohibited.

31. TRADEMARKS

“Business First”, its logo, visual identity, programme names, and related brand elements constitute proprietary intellectual property. No license is granted merely through accessing the site.

32. THIRD-PARTY CONTENT

Third-party quotations, photographs, advertisements, and embedded feeds remain the property of their respective rights holders.

33. EXTERNAL LINKS

Business First links to external websites for sourcing and background. External websites are operated independently; we are not responsible for their availability, security, privacy practices, or content.

34. USER CONDUCT

Users must not misuse the platform to:

• violate UAE laws or commit fraud;
• impersonate any person or entity;
• distribute malware or interfere with website security;
• scrape protected content or harvest user information;
• submit defamatory, knowingly false, or harassing material; or
• manipulate website features.

35. COMMENTS AND COMMUNITY FEATURES

Users remain solely responsible for community contributions. Business First reserves the right to moderate, hide, or delete comments violating our standards or UAE regulations.

36. ACCOUNTS AND PASSWORDS

Where accounts exist, users are responsible for safeguarding login credentials. Business First may suspend accounts reasonably suspected of fraud, abuse, or security compromise.

37. PRIVACY

Personal data collected through Business First is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable UAE data protection laws.

38. NEWSLETTER

Newsletter content is provided for informational purposes. Subscribers may opt out of marketing communications at any time via the unsubscribe mechanism.

39. WEBSITE AVAILABILITY AND SECURITY

While reasonable measures are maintained, Business First does not warrant uninterrupted, error-free operation or absolute immunity from malicious third-party interference.

40. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Business First and Befirst Media Productions will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or special losses arising from reliance on general informational content or circumstances beyond reasonable control.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability where such limitation is prohibited by applicable UAE law.

41. INDEMNITY

To the extent permitted by law, a user, advertiser or contributor may be responsible for claims and reasonable costs arising from supplied materials that infringe third-party rights, are unlawful, or breach express warranties.

42. FORCE MAJEURE

Business First is not liable for performance delays or failures caused by events beyond reasonable control, including government actions, internet outages, cyber incidents, natural disasters, or venue closures.

43. SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate service access for Terms violations, non-payment, fraud, regulatory requirements, or platform modifications. Provisions intended to survive termination remain in effect.

44. CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

Business First may update these Terms to reflect legal changes, new services, or operational developments. Continued use after revisions constitutes acceptance.

45. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

Communications, approvals, notices, invoices, and agreements may be transmitted and executed electronically under applicable UAE laws.

46. SEVERABILITY

If any provision is deemed invalid or unenforceable, it shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary, while the remainder of these Terms continues in full effect.

47. NO WAIVER

Failure to enforce any provision on one occasion does not constitute a waiver of future enforcement or any other right.

48. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and specific commercial contracts, constitute the entire agreement governing platform use.

49. GOVERNING LAW

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates. Media activities are conducted in accordance with UAE media laws, regulations, and competent authority standards.

50. DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND JURISDICTION

The parties shall first attempt in good faith to resolve disputes amicably through negotiation. If unresolved, disputes shall be submitted to the competent courts of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

51. CONSUMER RIGHTS

Nothing in these Terms is intended to waive mandatory statutory consumer rights that cannot legally be excluded under UAE consumer protection legislation.

52. CONTACT BUSINESS FIRST

53. IMPORTANT WEBSITE LINKS

These documents operate together as Business First's legal and editorial governance framework: