Every imported drone will be halted by UAE customs and tested to ensure it matches new specifications for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Aviation officials said devices will be stopped at the point of entry and checked to determine if they are fitted with a number of safeguards.
These include a unique serial number that could be used to track the owner in the event of an accident and a 'geo-fencing' chip that would prevent it from being flown close to sensitive areas, such as an airport.
The move detailed by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), came amid broader moves to make private ownership in particular more controlled, following a number of incidents at Dubai International Airport last year.
“We are putting the control at the gates, and if a drone doesn’t meet the new standards then it can’t enter the country” said Ismail Al Balooshi, assistant director general of the GCAA.
It has also emerged that private owners, usually hobbyists, will either need to retrofit their drones so they comply with the new rules or buy new ones that have a serial number.
Tougher regulations are due to come into force in September but this is the first time officials have outlined the criteria devices will need to match. Last year, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said that "drones should not be sold or operated without a geofence in place" after three airspace shutdowns. Last week, London Gatwick had to divert five aircraft when a drone was seen near a runway.
The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology along with the Ministry of Interior, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the General Civil Aviation Authority have collaborated together to set out new regulatory standards for the use of drones.
The new specifications approved by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) will include a surveillance system for deducting unmanned aerial vehicles.
They will demand that all drones must have a serial number which will be regulated by a surveillance system to tack their location.
The UAE’s import requirements will be based on “technical specifications such as size, power- depending on its use of purpose, radio frequency, serial number and if it has a geo-fencing program” as well as many other elements, explained Mr Al Balooshi.
There are three vital stages that will determine whether or not a drone can enter UAE territories, the first is by distributor transparency, second is customs - the drone must comply with the certificate importing standards and thirdly the outlet must fulfil the conditions otherwise the drones will be sent back, said Mr Al Balooshi.
Under the new law, drones owned by individuals will not be allowed to have features to film or record. Only those used for research, development and security purposes will be exempt. Commercial companies that use drones for filming have their own regulations to meet.
Airports worldwide have suffered financial losses as the costs of closure are very high, said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at the London-based StrategicAero Research.
"Even a 30 minute disruption at somewhere like Dubai International can run into millions because of the cost of displaced airplanes, staff and re-scheduled flights to alternate airports".
The UAE announced new measures, earlier this year to make it more difficult to buy a drone.
Authorities urged that the devices must be registered and users must complete a training course. This is intended to ensure only qualified hobbyists and professionals are using the devices.
Fines of up to Dh20,000 for unregistered drone users came into effect in May, but rules are also needed to tackle misuse.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
5pm: Al Falah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bshara, Richard Mullen (jockey), Salem Al Ketbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Al Dhafra – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Mualami, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
HOW TO WATCH
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qais Aboud
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sumoud, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Adventurous, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
