Are you thinking about getting a drone? Or maybe you just got it and are looking for information about operating a drone in the UAE? Or you are a drone pilot already and want to refresh your knowledge?
Regardless of your experience, in this article, I will share with you things I learned during my 4 years of flying experience, and I think it will be very valuable and help you.
The topics that I will discuss today will be rules and regulations of flying a drone in the UAE, registration introduction, fines for not adhering to the rules, and my personal tips.
This article will particularly talk about flying your drone in the UAE as a hobby or personal/recreational use only.
Flying a drone is legal in the United Arab Emirates, however, you need to be compliant with the drone regulations to avoid possible fines.
GENERAL DRONE RULES AND REGULATIONS IN THE UAE
- The maximum flying altitude is 122 meters (400 feet) above ground level. It is good practice to set this value on your remote controller so that the drone will not fly higher when you reach a certain altitude.
- Operating a drone is only allowed within the approved flying zones. There is an app called My Drone Hub that every drone owner in the UAE should have. It will show you exactly where you are and you are not allowed to fly. The zones marked with colors indicate that it is forbidden to fly there or you need GCAA approval. Any place on the map without color is an approved flying zone.
- Drones shall not be flown near UAE airports, heliports, helicopter landing sites, and airfields.
- Drones shall not be flown near the public, residential neighborhoods, public gatherings, and public or private properties. Taking pictures or videos of people without permission is illegal in the UAE.
- If you lose your drone in the UAE, you must immediately report the incident to the GCAA (GCAA hotline: +971506414667 and GCAA e-mail: aai@gcaa.gov.ae).
It is very important because, for example, in case of bad weather conditions, the drone might be carried away by the wind to the restricted zones. - In case you sell your drone you need to inform GCAA. You are responsible for a drone under your name.
- The user and the drone in the UAE must be registered before flying.
REGISTRATION OF THE DRONE IN THE UAE
To register the drone in the UAE to fly in Emirates such Ajman, Sharjah, RAK, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, you need to obtain an online certificate from GCAA. Registration is free and usually takes about 2-3 working days for you to receive the Drone Registration Certificate.
To register the drone if you would like to fly in Dubai emirates, it is slightly more complicated. The process consists of getting a license which is going to cost 368 AED. Additionally, for obtaining a flying permit, you will have to pay 120 AED each year.
In this article, you can get to know how to register a drone in the UAE with GCAA and DCAA.
FINES
The fine for not adhering to the rules and regulations of flying the drone in the UAE can vary, up to 100,000 AED depending on the nature of the violation. Serious safety or security violations can even lead to possible prosecution, resulting in imprisonment not exceeding three years. That’s why you must get yourself familiar with all the guidelines mentioned in this article.
For more information about possible violations, you can find the link to the official site: https://www.gcaa.gov.ae/en/pages/UASRegistration.aspx/
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I also want to share with you things I learned from my experience that you can benefit from if you are thinking to fly the drone in the UAE.
- Always keep your drone in sight. Do not fly it when it gets dark, as the chances of it getting lost are much higher.
- Do not attempt to start the drone in bad weather conditions. I nearly lost my drone two times. Once it was in Poland, I was flying my drone in a drizzle. The drone stopped replying to my commands, it flew above the clouds by itself and that’s where the view got disconnected. Thankfully it returned to take-off position itself when the battery went low.
Another time I took off the drone in the mountains in the UAE and the weather was extremely windy. The wind carried away my drone above the cliff and I could not fly it back, neither it could come back to the take-off point by itself. Most drones have an option, when reaching a certain level of battery power, they come back to the place where they took off from. Eventually, my drone auto landed when its battery suddenly reached a critically low level. This happened extremely fast as it used power trying to fight against the wind. I ended up risking my life and going down the cliff to get my drone back. It’s not worth it. - It is good to land the drone when the battery power is around 30-40%. You never know what can happen.
- Do not store fully charged batteries. Charge the batteries before you are about to use your drone.
- Get a landing pad. It is gonna make take-offs landings much easier and also prevent from debris getting inside the drone.
- And my last advice is: no matter how excited you are upon receiving your drone, do not attempt to fly it right away at home or balcony. I know people who crashed their drones this way or endangered their own safety or other people living with them. Only fly your drone in an open space.
To get to know more about flying a drone from the practical side, I encourage you to watch my video:
