UAE's GCAA No Longer Provides Drone Services Applicants Must Register In Official Website

The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced that it no longer provides drone services in the country. Instead, it asked applicants to apply through an official website for drones.

​“Drone services are no longer available through GCAA. You can apply for drone services via gov ,” the regulator said in a statement on its website, adding that applicants will have to submit their request through the designated platform.

The website displays logos of the UAE Cybersecurity Council and GCAA, meaning it is jointly run by the two entities.

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Through this platform, UAE residents can register as a pilot, get access to real-time situational awareness to create effective missions for drone operations, receive immediate approvals for missions in controlled airspace, get live updates of airspace to fly drones safely, and get detailed reports of drone flights.

In May 2025, the UAE Cybersecurity Council announced the first national guidelines for drones due to their increasing use in various sectors such as agriculture, environmental monitoring, and logistics.

It said it was imperative to establish the necessary operational signals to proactively address potential cyber threats to protect airspace, infrastructure, and data integrity.

In 2022, the UAE banned the use of drones and light sports aircraft for“owners, practitioners and enthusiasts” after instances of misuse.

However, on January 7, 2025, individuals in the UAE were allowed to use drones after the Ministry of Interior announced the partial lifting of the ban

The authority, along with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), noted that the use of drones would be subject to specific safety conditions aimed at protecting both the community and the airspace.

GCAA said in a press conference in January that drone operators in the UAE would have to abide by the requirements and regulations of the federal government as well as the emirate they're operating in

The website has also listed three companies: Emirates Falcon Aeroclub in Al Ain, Melaaha Drones in Fujairah and Versa Aerospace in Abu Dhabi for training purposes.

The platform provides links to register, for those operating drones for recreational purposes, and for commercial and government entities.

It also lists a manual which has the complete guidelines for operating drones in the country. The manual provides do's and don'ts in terms of times, airspace, areas to operate drones, guidelines to register, set up an account, and flight requests among others.

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