UAE issues warning ahead of Eid Al Fitr: Dh50,000 minimum fine for illegal fireworks

Abu Dhabi: A minimum Dh50,000 fine will slapped on any individuals or entities found setting off fireworks without the required permits, the UAE Public Prosecution has warned.

Offenders may also be sentenced to jail, the authority has said ahead of the upcoming Eid Al Fitr festivities.

“Whoever sets off fireworks shows without a permit from the licensing authority, in accordance with Article 39 and 59 of the Federal Decree Law No 17 of 2019 concerning Weapons, Ammunitions, Explosives, Military Hardware, and Hazardous Substances shall be sentenced to imprisonment, and/or fined a monetary penalty of not less than Dh50,000,” the Public Prosecution said.

Trade and manufacture illegal

The regulation and hefty penalty applies to fireworks displays. In its support, the trade and manufacture of explosives is also strictly prohibited, with a minimum one-year jail term, a Dh100,000 fine or more, or both.

“A penalty of imprisonment for a period of no less than a year, and a fine of no less than Dh100,000, or either of them, shall be imposed on anyone who, without a licence, trades in, imports, exports, manufactures or brings fireworks from and to the state, the Decree states.

Authorised fireworks displays, which are regulated at the highest standards of safety, will however be held across the country to mark the occasion.

Firecrackers prohibited

The UAE also penalises the uses of firecrackers and other small explosive devices, which have been known to cause burns, injuries, and disability. Their sale is banned across the UAE, but residents have been known to acquire them from unauthorised individual suppliers and online sellers.

Before the ban on these devices, the UAE witnessed accidents from firecracker use that resulted in fires, disability, and vision loss.

The Abu Dhabi Police has also issued a fresh call to residents to refrain from firecracker use, and to report any sellers to the authorities.