Operating in UAE? Speak with a security consultant.
The UAE is one of the world’s most significant international business hubs, combining a strategic geographic location, world-class infrastructure, and a business environment that has attracted the regional headquarters of hundreds of multinational corporations.
FCDO does not advise against travel to the UAE. What has changed is the broader Middle East security environment, not the UAE’s low-risk domestic conditions inside Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi: domestic security profile
By conventional security metrics, Dubai is among the safest cities on our platform. Crime is very low. Police response is excellent. Personal security on the streets is not a material concern for most visitors. The risks are different in character: legal, regulatory, and regional.
Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital, has a comparable domestic security profile. Dubai licenses private security through SIRA; Abu Dhabi, like the other emirates, is licensed by the federal Ministry of Interior.
The regional picture, April 2026
The regional risk picture reflects Middle East escalation. Houthi maritime attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman, and the general regional security environment, elevate the contextual risk for all Gulf states. The UAE’s own military involvement in regional affairs means it is not a neutral party in current Middle East dynamics.
A current risk assessment for UAE travel will reflect the latest FCDO position and provide a client-specific assessment of whether the regional factors materially affect your specific activities.
A regulated market
The UAE’s security industry is regulated by the federal Ministry of Interior under Federal Law No. 37 of 2006, and in Dubai by SIRA (Security Industry Regulatory Agency) under Dubai Law No. 12 of 2016. This creates one of the more transparent and professionally regulated markets in our network. A company needs a licence for each emirate it works in. Close protection is unarmed in practice, because UAE weapons licences go only to UAE nationals. The market is primarily driven by events, HNWI clients, and corporate executives rather than the crime-prevention requirements that dominate other P1 cities.
Our vetted operators provide close protection and executive protection and security driver services across UAE. For a detailed local assessment, see our Dubai city briefing.
Cities We Cover
Dubai
Medium riskGlobal business hub. FCDO maintains no advisory against travel to the UAE; the elevated element is regional, not domestic. Domestic security excellent. Legal compliance essential.
View city guide →Sharjah
Low riskUNESCO Cultural Capital of the Arab World and a manufacturing and logistics hub next to Dubai. The only emirate with a total alcohol ban; private security is licensed by the federal Ministry of Interior rather than Dubai's SIRA.
View city guide →Security Regulations
Firearms
UAE weapons licences are granted only to UAE nationals (Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2019, Article 17). Federal Law No. 37 of 2006 lets private security staff hold or carry a weapon only with the approval of the security authorities and the relevant licences (Article 16). In practice, expect close protection to be unarmed unless a provider shows that approval in writing.
Licensing
Private security companies are licensed by the federal Ministry of Interior under Federal Law No. 37 of 2006, and a licence covers only the emirate it was issued for (Article 9). Dubai is the exception: it licenses security services through its Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA) under Dubai Law No. 12 of 2016. The Ministry's licence categories include VIP security (Cabinet Resolution No. 48 of 2019).
Foreign Operators
Neither the federal law nor Dubai's law sets out a separate route for a foreign security company. A company needs a licence for each emirate it works in. Engage a locally licensed company, and take local legal advice before a foreign team carries out protective duties in the UAE.
Sources, checked : UAE Legislation, Federal Law No. 37 of 2006 Concerning Private Security Companies; UAE Legislation, Cabinet Resolution No. 48 of 2019 on fees for licensing private security companies; UAE Ministry of Justice, Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2019 on Weapons, Ammunition, Explosives, Military Materiel and Hazardous Substances; Dubai Legislation Portal, Law No. 12 of 2016 Regulating the Security Industry in the Emirate of Dubai.