Photography rules in Dubai

Dubai is one of the most tourist cities in the world. But this tourist city also has strict rules for taking photos and videos.

It is safe and legal to take photos of buildings and facades with a smartphone. Taking pictures of public environments is not prohibited unless such a prohibition is directly mentioned, but there are certain rules that we will discuss in this article. In most hotels and public spaces, you must obtain permission from the management and responsible officials of that environment to take pictures. Also, if the photography is professional, you should

Pay attention to a few points that include the following:

1- Check the permits and bring them all with you.

If you need professional footage, you must make sure that the filming location does not require a permit. If a permit is required, you must obtain them and coordinate with the authorities.

Tourist attractions and large shopping malls in Dubai require permission to take pictures. For some hotels to be a location for photography, you must obtain permission from the hotel management authorities to use the hotel location.

It is worth mentioning that taking pictures of sights and your friends in hotels, attractions, and shops with smartphones is not legally prohibited is completely free, and does not require permission from the authorities of the place where the picture is taken.

2- It is forbidden to take pictures of people without their consent.

This is the case all over the world. Even if there is no law to deal with the violation of people's privacy, it is not morally right to take pictures of people. If you take a photo of a person without obtaining their consent, you have violated the laws related to the privacy of people, and in case of a complaint, the person can take you to court.

In addition to the fact that taking pictures is not morally and legally right, there are many cultural sensitivities about taking pictures of people, especially women and families, which may cause other problems for you before legal problems.

If you violate privacy laws, the camera and device in question will be recorded and the photographer will be fined and imprisoned. This punishment applies even to people who only publish these images.

Using imaging tools to violate people's privacy is punishable by at least 6 months in prison and a fine of up to 500,000 dirhams.

3- Sharing videos without permission is illegal

If the photographer records the image of another person, he does not have the right to keep, display, communicate, or publish it without the consent of that person, and in case of breaking the law, the photographer can be imprisoned for up to 6 months.

• This law only applies in the following cases:
• The image was taken in a public environment.
• The image is related to a famous person or official person.
• There is no problem if these images are in line with the public interest.

These rules also apply to publishing in cyberspace.

4- Photographing government organizations and military-political departments

For security reasons, none of the above locations should be photographed in any way. These areas are prohibited filming areas. If you are traveling to the nature of the UAE and are interested in camping, be careful not to mistakenly take pictures of military areas in your campsite.

Last Word 

Photography rules in Dubai are similar to photography rules in other countries of the world. People should not be photographed in this country, nor should any form of photography or video be taken from political and military places that are known as prohibited areas.