Fake WhatsApp accounts using real company names and logos are common in the UAE, especially for banks, delivery firms, clinics and real estate. A verified badge next to your name is the quickest way for a customer to know the chat is genuine. It also makes your messages look more trustworthy when someone sees your number for the first time.
The old green tick has been replaced by Meta's blue verified badge, the same one used on Facebook and Instagram. How you get it depends on which version of WhatsApp your business runs on.
Route 1: Meta Verified on the WhatsApp Business app
If your team uses the free WhatsApp Business app on a phone, verification comes through Meta Verified, a paid monthly subscription. Meta has been rolling it out country by country, so it is not available to every business in every market yet.
- Open the WhatsApp Business app and look under Settings or Business tools for Meta Verified. If you do not see it, it is not available for your account or country yet.
- Make sure your business profile is complete: name, category, address, hours, website and a clear logo.
- Turn on two step verification for the number.
- Choose a plan, then submit your business details and documents, such as your trade licence, so Meta can confirm the business is real.
- Once approved, the badge appears on your profile, and some plans add extras such as more linked devices and account support.
Route 2: the blue tick on the WhatsApp Business Platform
If your business uses the WhatsApp Business Platform, sometimes called the WhatsApp API, through a provider or an AI agent, the badge is applied for through Meta's Business Manager. Meta reserves it for businesses it considers notable, which in practice means a recognised brand with genuine press coverage.
- Verify your business in Meta Business Manager with your trade licence and matching company details.
- Turn on two step verification on the WhatsApp number and use a display name that matches your brand everywhere else.
- Make sure the account has been active and within WhatsApp's business and commerce policies for some time.
- Request the badge from WhatsApp Manager, adding links to independent news articles about your business. Paid articles and press releases usually do not count.
- If you are refused, improve your public profile and apply again after the waiting period Meta gives you.
Which route fits your business
- A small business replying from one or two phones: start with the WhatsApp Business app and Meta Verified, if it is offered in your country.
- A business with a team, high message volume or an AI agent answering customers: the WhatsApp Business Platform, where the badge is one part of a bigger setup.
- A new brand without press coverage: focus on a complete profile, a display name that matches your website and Google profile, and consistent branding. Those already reduce doubt while you build the reputation the badge needs.
Verification is not the same as a good WhatsApp experience
A badge gets the first message opened. What wins the customer is what happens next: a fast, accurate reply at any hour. Most UAE businesses lose more enquiries to slow replies than to missing badges. See how fast UAE businesses really reply on WhatsApp, and how a WhatsApp AI agent answers in seconds on your own verified number.
Meta changes these programmes often, so check the current options inside the app and in Meta Business Manager before you apply.
Sources
Razal Mohammed is the founder of Ads n' Codes and leads its AI automation and WhatsApp agent work.