How To Register A Drone In The UAE
Unfortunately, it tends to often be the case that regulations of all sorts in the UAE can seem incredibly vague or otherwise unclear. This can be due to conflicting information published, or perhaps simple misunderstandings as a result of a language barrier, as well as the various authorities sometimes changing the regulations and other requirements seemingly overnight. When drones started coming onto the scene, there was a lot of confusion as to who is allowed to operate the drone, where you are allowed to fly, etc. Some time has passed now, and it seems that there is a much better level of coordination with the authorities, which certainly makes life a lot easier when you’re trying to understand all of the relevant regulations.
Basically, the whole process is run by and through the GCAA (General Civil Aviation Authority), and you can find all of the relevant laws and definitions on this page which is dedicated to information about drone usage in the UAE. We’ll only be covering the recreational (individual / private) type since the commercial registration has much more criteria to take into account which is completely irrelevant to private users. Thankfully, the process is actually really simple and can be completed either from the GCAA website, or via the ‘My Drone Hub’ app ( iOS / Android ), and requires only a couple of minutes of your time, after which the application is processed .
Having recently obtained a drone, I went through the process of registering the product – so here’s the scoop
Requirements
There are a couple of key requirements that need to be considered when registering a drone for private use, and I’ll just summarize these for you.
Age
The minimum age for operating a drone which weighs less than 25kg is 18 years. If the drone weighs more than 25kg then the minimum age is 21 years.
Cost
Registering a drone for private use is completely free of charge.
Weight
This is one particular detail which is still not clear. On the GCAA site it says that both the user and drone must be registered, but it makes no specific mention of the weight. In the ‘My Drone Hub’ app it states that all drones that weigh 250g or more must be registered. So, on the one hand we are told that a drone such as the Mavic Mini (which specifically weighs less than 250g) must be registered (since it is a drone), but also does not need to be registered because it weighs less than 250g.
My recommendation is to just get your drone registered regardless of the weight, especially since it’s not going to cost you anything. That way, if anyone gives you some kind of hassle whilst you’re out flying, then you can just show them that the item is registered, rather than having to resort to some kind of needless verbal confrontation.
Documentation
As an individual, you will need an Emirates ID card and a working UAE mobile number. You can just use your phone to take a picture of your Emirates ID card, as this will be needed when filling out the application. You will also need to take a photo of the drone, as well as the serial number of the drone. Depending on the drone, it might not be entirely possible to get a clear image of the serial number (if it is located somewhere on the drone itself), in which case you can just take a picture of the drone together with its packaging and ensure that the serial number which is on the packaging is clearly visible in the image.
Drone registration process
Once you’ve got all your ducks in a row, it’s time to fill out the application. As mentioned, you can do this either via the GCAA website ( this page ), or via the ‘My Drone Hub’ app. The information that you need to enter is the same whichever avenue you decide to go through, but you can take a look at the below screenshots which are from the app.
So yeah, this whole process only really takes you a couple of minutes, and I got the approval and registration certificate on the same day. 
Other important things to remember
Print out this certificate and keep it with you at all times when you’re out flying the drone. There are a couple of other things that you need to keep in mind, most of which are outlined on both the GCAA site and within the ‘My Drone Hub’ app, but I’ll just briefly highlight the most important ones as they relate to Using a registered drone for recreational purposes.
Be sure to only fly in the appropriate areas. On the ‘My Drone Hub’ app there is a map which indicates all areas that you are allowed to fly. Basically, anything which is not red, pink, or orange are areas in which you may fly the drone for recreational purposes. Other areas require pre-approval from the GCAA, but this approval is only given for commercial purposes and for commercially-registered drones. 
However, these no-fly zones are completely generic and do not reflect the approved flying zones as stipulated by the GCAA and UAE Government. As such, refer to the map within the ‘My Drone Hub’ app, and not any of the DJI apps (or whatever other app is used by your drone).
Do not fly at night. This is mainly a safety concern as it can be much more difficult for you to navigate and control the drone at night, and as such you could be more likely to damage property or injure someone.
Do not fly higher than 120m (400ft). This is also more of a safety precaution as you could potentially be in the flight-path of full-sized aerial vehicles, and wind conditions could be drastically different at such heights which may result in your drone being swept away and causing damage to property or injury to others.
Respect others’ privacy. Don’t be that person who ends up annoying others and violating their privacy by using your drone and / or onboard camera.
‘Deregister’ your drone when selling it. As the drone must be registered to the owner, if you sell the drone you must deregister it from your name. If you do not do this, and the person you sold it to operated it in a manner which does not adhere to the strict regulations, then you will be held liable.
Inform the authorities in case of accident or loss of control. In the same way that an accident with a full-sized aircraft is reported and documented, you must do the same in the event that you have an accident with your drone. However, it’s unclear as to what extent of an “accident” needs to be reported. More important, though, is that if the user loses control of the drone, then it’s imperative that the GCAA is informed of this immediately so that they can ensure that the drone does not pose a threat to other aircraft. In the event that you lose control of the drone, you must contact the GCAA via their hotline ( +971 50 641 4667) as well as in writing to their email address ( [email protected] )
Well, I hope that helps to give you at least a little more clarity on how to go about getting a drone registered for personal use. Happy flying 🙂
