DMCA Imposed New Speed Limits and No-Wake Zones in UAE

The UAE is tightening its safety enforcement norms across all transport zones, including the seas. The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has strengthened its regulations around speed limits and no-wake zones to make cruising in the UAE waters safer and smoother.

Changes in DMCA Regulations (Dubai Waters)

• Speed limits have been imposed for the vessels in Designated Marine Zones (near marinas, harbours, channels, and high-traffic waterfront areas).
• Certain areas have been marked as No-Wake Zones, which means that boats have to operated at very low speed in these areas to avoid disturbing people, docks, or other vessels.
• High-speed cruising is only restricted to approved open-water zones. Cruising on high speed near crowded waterfront routes or marina entry or exit points is not allowed.
• DMCA will carry out stricter monitoring now to enforce compliance with these new speed limit and wake control rules, especially in busy marine areas.

Speed Limits in Dubai Waters

When navigating inside Dubai ports, maximum speed allowed is 5 knots. In Dubai Creek (Khor Dubai) and Al Mamzar waters, speed must not exceed 7 knots. In narrow waterways that are not more than 600 metres wide or while passing between two islands or an island and a coast, the maximum speed allowed is 7 knots.

7 knots is also the maximum speed allowed if a vessel has to enter within 300 m of the beach due to an emergency, while passing through an anchoring area for small marine crafts, or within 50 m of a boat moorage, ship moorage, diving platform, or loading dock.

Approved Open-Water Zones where High-Speed Cruising is Allowed

High-speed cruising is only allowed in offshore and deeper Gulf waters away from the Dubai coast. It is not allowed in areas where navigation signs show a speed limit, Dubai Creek, narrow waterways, Dubai Water Canal, or narrow waterways. 

DMCA also expects vessels to not move unpredictably in anchorage zones and zones with high marine traffic.

How is DMCA doing Enhanced Monitoring & Enforcement to Ensure Compliance?

Dubai police are using hand-held radar devices to catch speeding watercraft near Dubai’s coast. Enforcement is mainly targeting speeding inside Dubai ports and marinas, where the speed limit of 5 knots is being imposed.

If a vessel (under 24m length) is found exceeding the speed limit by 2 nautical knots, the fine of AED 1,000 is imposed. A fine of up to 2000 dirhams is imposed on vessels found speeding in limited-speed areas, depending on their exact violation and zone.