Do you have to insure your boat, yacht or jet ski in the UAE?

If you keep a boat or jet ski in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, yes: the licence is not issued or renewed without an insurance policy from an insurer licensed in the UAE.¹²

Does the law where you keep your boat make you insure it?

In Dubai and Abu Dhabi it does, for every licensed craft. Ras Al Khaimah has the rule for jet skis. The other emirates have no published rule on this.

The Dubai rule is Article 8 of Law No. 11 of 2010.¹ Abu Dhabi’s list is in the Department of Municipalities and Transport’s code for marine craft, uploaded in June 2026.³ The 2017 jet ski rule is Decision No. 171 of 2017.⁴ Ras Al Khaimah’s rule is Article 5 of Executive Council Resolution No. 8 of 2024.⁵ Sharjah’s Executive Council announced its resolution on 27 February 2024.⁶

Check the rule in the emirate where your craft is licensed with what your boat needs.

What kind of cover does the licence need?

In Dubai the minimum is cover for your liability to other people. The law asks for insurance that covers “the liability of the owner of the Vessel for the damage that may be sustained by third parties as a result of operating the Vessel.”¹

Dubai’s bylaw adds three conditions:⁷

• The insurer must be licensed in the UAE, and the policy must be of the type the authority sets.
• The policy must run for the licence term plus 30 days.
• A policy with any term that “may limit or exclude full civil liability” for death, injury or damage caused by the vessel is not accepted.

Insurers licensed in Dubai “may not refuse to insure any Vessel which is proved by technical inspection to be seaworthy and meets all requirements prescribed by the insurance company”, the same bylaw says.⁷

No text sets a minimum sum insured. Cover for damage to your own boat is your choice under these rules. What a full policy pays for is in what boat insurance covers.

Ask your insurer to confirm in writing that the policy meets the licence rule before you pay.

How long must the policy run?

Thirteen months in Dubai, and for water sports craft in Abu Dhabi. Dubai Maritime Authority asks for a policy “valid for (13) months”, or 26 months for a two-year water sports craft licence.⁸ On renewal the policy must run at least 12 months from the date the licence is issued.⁹ Abu Dhabi Maritime uses the same wording for water sports craft.²

Dubai’s 2020 amendment says the policy “must be valid throughout the validity of the Licence”.¹⁰

Work out the dates for your licence with the licence renewal calculator.

Does a visiting boat from another emirate or country need cover?

Yes, in Dubai. A vessel registered outside the UAE needs liability cover before it enters Dubai waters.¹ A visiting vessel’s policy must be valid for the whole time it navigates in Dubai.¹¹ Ras Al Khaimah asks for a permit and insurance for a jet ski licensed outside the emirate.⁵

Read visiting yachts before you sail into another emirate’s waters.

What does federal law say?

The federal Maritime Law, in force since 29 March 2024, says every watercraft used for a maritime activity must be registered with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure or an emirate authority.¹² It also says “All ships operating in the State’s ports or in its territorial waters shall carry policies indicating the insurance in respect of liability for marine risks”, with the risks to be set by the Ministry.¹²

The law uses “ship” and “watercraft” as separate terms. It does not say whether this article applies to a small pleasure boat or a jet ski, and the Ministry’s list of risks has not been published.

Insurance of property in the UAE may only be placed with insurers licensed under the federal insurance law, with exceptions where cover is not available in the UAE.¹³

If your craft is registered with the Ministry, ask it what insurance the registration needs.

The small print

• Dubai. Article 8(a) and 8(b) of Law No. 11 of 2010; fines under Article 19 run from AED 1,000 to AED 50,000, doubled for a repeat, up to AED 100,000.¹ The policy conditions are Articles 20, 21 and 22 of Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2013. The 2013 text asked for an “original comprehensive insurance policy valid for thirteen (13) months”; the 2020 amendment speaks of “a copy of the insurance policy”.⁷¹⁰
• Abu Dhabi. Decision No. 171 of 2017 is published in Arabic. It asks for comprehensive cover for establishments and third-party cover for individuals, valid 13 months, from an insurer licensed in the UAE.⁴
• Federal law. Registration is Article 16(1), the navigation licence Article 22(2) and the liability insurance rule Article 333 of Federal Decree-Law No. 43 of 2023. Under Article 232(2)(d) a ship counts as a wreck when its insurance against marine damage and liabilities expires.¹² The insurance licensing rule is Article 82 of Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025.¹³