Flying a drone in Qatar

Who this is for

Anyone who plans to operate, buy or bring in a drone, and companies that want to use drones for their work. The Authority's published operation request is described for entities and registered companies; we could not find an official page that sets out a separate route for private hobby use.

Before you start

• A Qatar national authentication login, which the Authority says is required to use the drone operation request service.
• An operator aged 18 or over.
• The details of the company that will use the drones, which must be registered in Qatar.
• An authorisation letter from the entity describing the activity the authorised company will carry out.
• An insurance policy for operating the drone, attached before it is flown.

Steps

1. Know who regulates drones

   The Civil Aviation Authority announced Law No. 10 of 2026 on regulating unmanned aircraft on 20 July 2026. It says the Authority regulates drone operation in coordination with other relevant state bodies, and is responsible for permitted aircraft types and technical specifications, licences and operational permits (issue and renewal), operating areas and maximum altitudes, airspace and flight routes, import and export procedures, and compliance monitoring.

2. Read the Authority's drone pages

   The Authority's website has a Drone Law page with the law as a PDF and a page called Operating Unmanned Aircraft. It says technical regulations and instructions will be issued in Arabic and English and published on its website, so check there for the current detailed rules.

3. Prepare the documents

   Gather the company data, the authorisation letter describing the activity, and the insurance policy. The Authority's page also states that an entity may have at most 5 drones and that fitting drones with spare parts or other devices is prohibited.

4. Submit the operation request

   Log in through the national authentication system and submit the drone operation request on the Authority's RPAS request page, attaching the authorisation letter, company data and insurance policy.

5. Check current flight restrictions before every flight

   The law gives the Authority the power to set permitted areas and maximum altitudes, and flights have been restricted in the past by announcement. We could not confirm the current areas or hours on an official page, so check the Authority and the Ministry of Interior for current announcements, and ask the Authority (UAS@caa.gov.qa) before flying or bringing in a drone.

Useful numbers and apps

• Drone request inquiries (Civil Aviation Authority) ‎+974 4455 7229‎ Source
• Drone requests email UAS@caa.gov.qa Source
• Civil Aviation Authority general line ‎+974 4455 7333‎ Source

Good to know

• The Authority's announcement does not mention penalties, photography or filming permits, or the date the law takes effect, so this guide does not state them. Read the law itself on the Authority's website.
• The law covers import and export procedures for drones. No official page we found says what a visitor must do to bring one in, so ask the Authority before travelling.