On 22 February 2023, the Dubai Government issued Law No. 3 of 2023 (the “New Law”) regulating and supervising all maritime activities in Dubai. One of the key concepts of this New Law is that it repealed and renamed Law No. 11 of 2007 (the “Old Law”) establishing Dubai Maritime City Authority which shall now be renamed to Dubai Maritime Authority (the “DMA”).
The New Law encompasses the duties and responsibilities of DMA in regulating and supervising the activities of the maritime sector throughout Dubai. The New Law further places emphasis on the mandate of the DMA to observe and implement the following:
improving maritime security in Dubai by issuing licenses for maritime transportation and supervising the safety measures of vessels;
preservation of the environment by ensuring that marine vessels comply with technical requirements;
overseeing maritime activities and ensuring adherence to both local and international rules and regulations, as well as all international agreements that the UAE is a party to;
establishing a marine plan for Dubai which will ensure the safety of maritime navigation and activities, which includes defining navigational lines and berthing places for dhows and other vessels in Dubai; and
regulating, identifying and issuing permits related to the establishment of marinas in Dubai, as well as, setting the entry and exit requirements for wooden dhows and their crews.
As a reinforcement to Dubai’s global coastal trade hub, the New Law is designed to boost and improve the maritime activities in coordination with relevant authorities and to attract local and international investment. In addition, the New Law also aims to protect the marine environment from any adverse effect and goes into effect from the date of its publication in the official gazette.