Add Abu Dhabi to the list of places that are drone-dubious – the emirate has banned the sale of recreational drones .
The move, announced by the Abu Dhabi Business Centre Wednesday, comes a month and a half after neighboring Dubai's airport was closed down for an hour due to recreational drones being flown in the area.
WAM, the Emirates' official new agency, said that the ban was being put in place while authorities worked on new legislation to regulate "the use of drones in terms of weight and nature of use, including the practice of individuals indulging in this hobby at the relevant clubs approved for these type of hobbies after obtaining prior government approval. The legislation will also set controls for commercial or service use by government agencies and commercial companies which should obtain an official permit before begining any activity involving the use of UAE airspace."
The move to regulate is in line with many municipalities, which have struggled to deal with unlicensed drones. Paris was sent into a panic last month after a series of mysterious drone flights were seen over city landmarks.
Considering the strong support for drone technology in the UAE – Dubai hosted a Drones for Good contest in February where a team from Abu Dhabi took first place – it will be interesting to see how strict the forthcoming regulations are on the use of recreational drones.
