Dubai: All newly purchased drones in Dubai must be registered with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority by owners who live in the country.
Buyers who live outside of the country and are only visiting are excluded from the domestic rules, said Michael Rudolph, DCAA Head of Airspace and Environment.
First announced in April, the new DCAA regulations call for UAE resident drone purchasers to register their drones and follow several steps that must be completed before the devices can be taken from the store of purchase, said Rudolph.
“The fee to register is Dh100 for hobby drones, Dh500 for commercial drones,” said Rudolph yesterday.
“The same fees are in place for owners to renew their drones every year.”
By ensuring that every drone is registered and affixed with a GPS tracking device, the SkyTrax programme can monitor each and every movement in the air to ensure air traffic safety, he said.
It takes about nine days to register a drone.
After undergoing a security vetting, operators must be at least 16 years of age and also enrol in a mandatory drone operators course, he said.
Cards ranging from a blue-coloured commercial card and red-coloured hobbyist card, recognisable to police and other authorities, will be issued to registered owners, he said.
“You can still purchase your device, but you must register it. We have been working closely with our Training Organisations, Exponent and Sanad Academy, who have been conducting training sessions with the major retailers, so that we can educate the sales staff on procedures and safe operation of drones,” Rudolph said.
Registration steps
1.) After buying a drone, purchasers will receive a leaflet on how to register or they can visit www.dcaa.gov.ae and click on drone registration and apply.
2.) After registering, owners must take an approve operator course.
3.) Submit training certificate showing course completion,.
4.) Submit the coded number for the drone for identification by DCAA.
5.) Once approved, operator cars will be issued.
Source: DCAA
