Drone rules in the UAE

Last reviewed: 2026-10-06

What is Remote ID? How the technology works: the standards, what a broadcast contains, and Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi transmission.

Drones in the United Arab Emirates are regulated by the federal General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Dubai has its own authority for its airspace, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA). Registration, training and flight approvals run through the national UAE Drones platform and app.

Flying for fun

The GCAA's recreational regulation (CAR-UAR, Issue 04, in force since 3 September 2025) sets these rules:

The pilot must be at least 18 and a UAE resident, and register on UAE Drones with UAE Pass.
Nobody may fly before getting a training certificate from a training organisation accredited by the GCAA.
The drone needs a product status statement from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MOIAT) and is registered on the platform.
The drone must be equipped with a remote identification system, and the pilot must make sure it works.
Every flight needs approval in advance, and the UAE Drones app must be used while flying.
At most 5 kg and 400 ft (120 m), within visual line of sight and in daylight only, away from airports and gatherings.

Commercial flights and Dubai

Commercial and government flights have their own GCAA regulation. In Dubai, the DCAA's rules for commercial operations (DCAR-UAS, Issue 03, August 2025) require a DCAA-approved remote identification system that is switched on for the whole flight and connected to the traffic management system (UTM). In U-space airspace a network identification service is mandatory: the drone's identity and position go to the authorities over the network as well.

The 2026 suspension

On 28 February 2026 the GCAA suspended all drone operations in UAE airspace (Safety Decision 2026-03) because of the regional security situation, and widened the suspension on 27 March. Commercial operations were reported to resume from 30 June 2026; recreational flying in some emirates stayed restricted for longer. Check the GCAA's or DCAA's current status before you fly.

How to see it

The UAE regulations require remote identification but, in the texts we checked, do not name a technical standard. A drone that broadcasts ASTM F3411 or ASD-STAN EN 4709-002 — the standards most drones and Remote ID modules use — shows up on DroneScout's map, on Android and iPhone. Identification sent only over the network goes to the authorities and cannot be received by any app nearby.