The UAE has enacted a series of updated laws aimed at strengthening the protection of plant and animal species, tightening controls on international trade, and preventing the entry of pests and infectious animal diseases into the country.
The new legislation covers agricultural and veterinary quarantine, protection of new plant varieties, and regulation of trade involving endangered species. Authorities said the updates are designed to safeguard biodiversity, ensure food security, and align the UAE’s regulatory framework with international standards.
One of the key measures replaces a 2002 federal law governing trade in endangered wildlife, which had remained unchanged for more than two decades. The revised law introduces clearer definitions for terms such as endangered species, shipments, phytosanitary certificates, and falcon passports, ensuring consistency across enforcement and border controls.
The law applies across all UAE territories, including free zones, and strictly prohibits the import, export, re-export, transit, or sea entry of endangered species without proper authorization. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has been granted expanded powers, including the authority to seize and dispose of illegally traded specimens based on court rulings.
Penalties have been significantly increased, with fines ranging from Dh30,000 to Dh2 million and prison terms of up to four years in serious cases. Violators must also shoulder costs related to seizure, transport, care, and disposal of confiscated specimens, while repeat foreign offenders face mandatory deportation.
The updated veterinary quarantine law modernizes a 45-year-old framework, introducing stricter controls on animal consignments entering or transiting the UAE. Authorities may impose import bans or quarantine measures when disease risks are detected, with all animal shipments required to pass through approved border entry points.
Agricultural quarantine rules were also revised to prevent the entry of plant pests and diseases. The law now covers plants, plant products, beneficial organisms, and regulated items, with fines reaching Dh500,000 and deportation for repeat violations by foreign offenders.
In addition, the UAE established a formal registry to protect new plant varieties. Breeders whose varieties meet standards of novelty, distinctness, uniformity, and stability are granted protection for up to 20 years, or 25 years for trees and vines. Violations may result in jail terms of up to three years and fines of up to Dh250,000.
Officials said the updated laws reinforce the UAE’s role as a global trade hub while ensuring strong safeguards for biodiversity, ecosystems, and public health.
