Six months in jail and Dh100,000 fine for flying drones in the UAE, prosecutors says

Under new rules announced by the Ministry of Interior, there is a ban on using drones

Authorities said some people were not following the rules and used drones in areas that were not included in their permits. Reuters

Related: UAE grounds drone and light plane flights immediately

People found flying drones in the UAE may be imprisoned or given hefty fines, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Under new rules issued by the Ministry of Interior on Saturday, there is a ban on using drones in the country. This includes airports and seaports.

The ban includes light sports aircraft and those who breach the rules may be sentenced to between six months and five years in prison. In addition, they can also be fined Dh100,000.

The decision came after the misuse of drones recently.

Authorities said some people were not following the rules and used drones in areas that were not included in their permits, which often resulted in trespassing into areas where these activities are prohibited.

The Ministry of Interior asked the community to respect the directives made by the authorities to ensure the safety of lives and property.

Companies that have work contracts, commercial or advertising projects that depend on filming using drones must communicate with the permit authorities to get exceptions and permits.

Recently, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority also stopped giving the no-objection certificates and permits to fly drones in the emirate until further notice. In Dubai, drone operators need a certificate from the authority to fly unmanned aerial vehicles.

In March 2021, Dubai Municipality announced that drones were no longer allowed to be flown over parks in the emirate.

The rule was introduced to “protect the safety and privacy of visitors” to public parks in Dubai, the municipality said.

World's biggest drones – in pictures

• 

  American sailors move a US Navy X-47B unmanned combat air system demonstrator on to an elevator aboard the aircraft carrier ‘USS George H.W. Bush’ in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was the first to successfully catapult-launch an unmanned aircraft from its flight deck. Photo: US Navy

• 

  An RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft like the one shown is currently flying non-military mapping missions over South America, Central America and the Caribbean at the request of partner nations in the region. Photo: US Air Force / Bobbi Zapka

• 

  A still image, taken from a video footage released by Russia's Defence Ministry, shows a Russian Altius-U military long-range unmanned aerial vehicle during a test flight at an unknown location. Photo: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation / Handout via Reuters

• 

  The first joint flight of a Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle and a Sukhoi Su-57 jet fighter. As part of a testing programme, Okhotnik has performed a fully unmanned flight into an airborne alert area. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry / Tass

• 

  A screengrab of an S-70 unmanned combat air vehicle.

• 

  The Lockheed Martin SR-72, sometimes called Son of Blackbird, is a US hypersonic UAV drone intended for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Photo: Lockheed Martin

• 

  A team of 12th Aircraft Maintenance Unit Airmen walk beside an RQ-4 Global Hawk drone. EPA

• 

  An X-47B pilot-less drone is launched for the first time off an aircraft carrier, the USS George H. W. Bush, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia.