Executive
Council Resolution No. (13) of 2026
Regulating
the Use of Cameras in
Documenting
the Recording of Violations and the Conduct of Enforcement Procedures[1]
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We,
Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of
the Executive Council,
After perusal of:
Federal Law by Decree No. (31) of 2021 Issuing the Crime and
Punishment Law and its amendments;
Federal Law by Decree No. (34) of 2021 Concerning Combating
Rumours and Cybercrimes and its amendments;
Federal Law by Decree No. (45) of 2021 Concerning Protection
of Personal Data;
Federal Law by Decree No. (46) of 2021 Concerning Electronic
Transactions and Thiqa Services, and its Implementing Bylaw;
Federal Law by Decree No. (35) of 2022 Issuing the Law of
Evidence Governing Civil and Commercial Transactions;
Federal Law by Decree No. (38) of 2022 Issuing the Criminal
Procedure Code and its amendments;
Federal Law by Decree No. (42) of 2022 Issuing the Civil
Procedure Code and its amendments;
Law No. (13) of 2016 Concerning the Judicial Authorities in
the Emirate of Dubai and its amendments;
Law No. (8) of 2018 Concerning Management of the Government
of Dubai Human Resources and its amendments;
Law No. (4) of 2020 Regulating Unmanned Aircraft in the
Emirate of Dubai and its amendments;
Law No. (5) of 2021 Concerning the Dubai International
Financial Centre;
Law No. (26) of 2023 Concerning the Executive Council of the
Emirate of Dubai;
Law No. (14) of 2024 Concerning the Supreme Legislation
Committee in the Emirate of Dubai;
Law No. (15) of 2024 Concerning the Dubai Electronic
Security Centre;
Law No. (19) of 2024 Regulating Law Enforcement Capacity in
the Emirate of Dubai and its Implementing Bylaw;
Executive Council Resolution No. (15) of 2022 Concerning the
Information and Communications Technology Policies of Government Entities in
the Emirate of Dubai; and
The Legislation establishing and regulating free zones in
the Emirate of Dubai,
Do
hereby issue this Resolution.
The following words and expressions, wherever
mentioned in this Resolution, have the meanings respectively assigned to them,
unless the context implies otherwise:
|
Emirate: |
The
Emirate of Dubai. |
|
Government: |
The Government of Dubai. |
|
Law: |
Law No. (19) of 2024 Regulating Law Enforcement
Capacity in the Emirate of Dubai. |
|
SLC: |
The Supreme Legislation Committee in the Emirate of
Dubai. |
|
DESC: |
The Dubai Electronic Security Centre. |
|
Government Entity: |
Any of the Government departments, public agencies
or corporations, Government councils, public authorities, or other public
entities affiliated to the Government, including the authorities supervising Special
Development Zones and free zones, such as the Dubai International Financial
Centre. |
|
Recording: |
Any image, video recording, or audio recording
captured, recorded, and documented by a Camera while an Enforcement Officer
performs his duties. |
|
Camera: |
A device designed to capture and record audio and
video, which meets the conditions and specifications prescribed by DESC and
is provided by a Government Entity to an Enforcement Officer for the purpose
of documenting the performance of his duties relating to the Recording of Violations
and the conduct of Enforcement Procedures in order to verify the validity of
the procedures carried out by the Enforcement Officer. This includes
body-worn cameras affixed to the Enforcement Officer’s official uniform, and
cameras mounted on Unmanned Aircraft to document the process of Recording
Violations in accordance with the controls and requirements approved by the
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority pursuant to the above-mentioned Law No. (4) of
2020 and the resolutions issued in pursuance thereof. |
|
Enforcement Officer: |
A natural person assigned to record violations or carry
out Enforcement Procedures, as appropriate to the nature of his duties, and
who belongs to any of the categories specified in paragraph (a) of Article
(2) of this Resolution. |
|
Recording Violations: |
The monitoring and recording by an Enforcement
Officer of acts committed in breach of the Legislation in force, and the documenting
of those acts in a report setting out the facts of the violations. This
includes inspection visits and procedures carried out by the Enforcement
Officer in respect of Establishments, goods, and individuals subject to
supervision and inspection. |
|
Enforcement Procedures: |
Procedures carried out by an Enforcement Officer for
the enforcement of court judgments and judicial decisions and orders in
accordance with the Legislation in force, under the supervision of the
competent Judge. |
a.
The
provisions
of this Resolution apply to the following categories:
1.
natural persons granted law
enforcement capacity in accordance with the Law, the resolutions issued in
pursuance thereof, and other Legislation in force in the Emirate;
2.
Enforcement Officers employed by
competent judicial bodies and by private companies or establishments contracted
by those bodies to undertake Enforcement Procedures in accordance with the
Legislation in force in the Emirate; and
3.
any other category of individuals to
whom the application of this Resolution is extended pursuant to a resolution of
the Chairman of the SLC.
b.
The
provisions of this Resolution do not apply to police personnel and Law
Enforcement Officers who are vested with general jurisdiction.
This Resolution aims to:
1.
regulate the use of Cameras for monitoring and evaluating the
performance of Enforcement Officers while carrying out their duties relating to
Recording Violations and documenting them;
2.
enhance the professional conduct of Enforcement Officers and the
quality of their performance in carrying out the duties
assigned to them;
3.
utilise technology for the purpose of
verifying the validity of the procedures and measures taken by Enforcement
Officers;
4.
ensure transparency and
credibility in the interactions of Enforcement Officers with members of the
community; and
5.
protect the rights of individuals and ensure that Enforcement
Officers comply with the Legislation in force in the Emirate while performing
their duties.
A Government
Entity may, for the purposes of exercising the functions and powers vested in
it under the Legislation in force in the Emirate, authorise
Enforcement Officers to use Cameras in public places for the performance of
their duties, including Recording Violations, carrying out Enforcement
Procedures, and verifying the validity of the procedures and measures taken by
those Enforcement Officers.
In authorising Enforcement Officers to use Cameras in
accordance with this Resolution, a Government Entity must comply with the
following rules and controls:
1.
Cameras must be used only by
Enforcement Officers belonging to any of the categories to which this
Resolution applies.
2.
Cameras must be used for documenting
the performance by the Enforcement Officers of their duties in relation to Recording
Violations or carrying out Enforcement Procedures.
3.
The Government Entity must determine
the duties that may be documented using Cameras and the locations in which
Cameras may be used.
4.
Enforcement Officers must
successfully complete the training course conducted by the Government Entity in
accordance with this Resolution.
5.
Cameras used for Recording
Violations or carrying out Enforcement Procedures must have high resolution, produce high-quality
images, and have sufficient storage capacity.
6.
Recordings must be stored in a
secure and Encrypted storage repository and protected against unauthorised
access, tampering, Breach, Hacking, or unlawful Processing, in accordance with
the mechanisms and retention periods prescribed by the Legislation in force in
the Emirate and the relevant requirements approved by DESC.
7.
The information security and
business continuity policies adopted by DESC must be implemented in the event
of any malfunction, Breach, or Hacking affecting the Recordings.
8.
Cameras must be maintained and
inspected regularly to ensure that they are fit for use.
9.
The Government Entity must maintain
a database identifying the Persons authorised to access the Recordings and
their respective access rights, and must require all of its Employees, staff,
and authorised personnel to comply with privacy protection standards.
Recordings may only be viewed or accessed in accordance with the Legislation in
force and by authorised Employees and staff.
10. The
mechanism approved by DESC for the handover and receipt of Recordings must be applied
in accordance with the procedures and instructions issued by DESC in this
respect.
11. Any
other rules or controls related to the achievement of the objectives of this
Resolution, as determined by a resolution issued by the Chairman of the SLC or
the Head of the relevant Government Entity.
Unless otherwise established, the contents of Recordings will have
conclusive evidentiary value as against all Persons.
Subject to the provisions of other Legislation in
force in the Emirate, and in addition to the obligations prescribed by the Law,
an Enforcement Officer using a Camera must:
1.
use the Camera only for official
purposes and in accordance with any instructions issued by his Government
Entity;
2.
not operate the Camera in any place
or situation where a high degree of privacy is expected, including a private residence,
a situation involving the private life of an individual, a place of worship, a
restroom, a changing room, or any other place or situation determined by the
Government Entity to have a comparable degree of privacy;
3.
activate the Camera upon commencing
to perform a duty relating to the Recording of Violations or the conduct of
Enforcement Procedures, and not deactivate it while performing that duty or
those procedures except in the cases specified under this Resolution, by his
Government Entity, or under any other Legislation in force in the Emirate;
4.
inform any person present during the
performance of a duty relating to the Recording of Violations or the conduct of
Enforcement Procedures that the performance of such duty or procedure is being
documented and recorded by means of the Camera;
5.
before
commencing the performance of duties for which a Camera is to be used,
verify that the Camera is fit for use and has sufficient storage capacity for
the required Recordings;
6.
maintain
the confidentiality of the contents of Recordings, and not disclose,
transfer, store, send, or publish a Recording except to his Government Entity
or to an authorised Person designated by that entity;
7.
not
use a personal device to record, photograph, or store
any Recordings in connection with the duties assigned to him;
8.
not
copy, transfer, or store Recordings on any personal device or storage medium
not approved by the Government Entity, or use them for any personal or unlawful
purpose or in violation of this Resolution, the resolutions issued in pursuance
hereof, or any other Legislation in force in the Emirate;
9.
notify
his Government
Entity immediately upon becoming aware of any actual or potential Breach
relating to the use of the Camera or to a Recording generated by the Camera,
including loss, damage, or misuse of the Camera or a Recording, or unauthorised
access to a Recording, in accordance with the procedures and mechanisms
approved for that purpose; and
10. fulfil any other obligations
related to the achievement of the objectives of this Resolution as prescribed
by a resolution issued by the Chairman of the SLC or the Head of the Government
Entity.
a.
A
Government Entity must, whether using its own resources or in coordination with
the concerned entities in the Emirate, organise and deliver a training course
for an Enforcement Officer before he is granted law enforcement capacity in
accordance with the Law and authorised to use the Camera to document the duties
legally assigned to him in relation to the Recording of Violations or the
conduct of Enforcement Procedures.
b.
The
training course to be organised and delivered under
paragraph (a) of this Article must cover the following:
1.
the
mechanism for implementing the provisions of this
Resolution, including the use of the Camera in documenting the Enforcement
Officer’s duties, the cases in which its use is permitted, its secure use, and
the preservation of its confidentiality and the confidentiality of the
Recordings made through it;
2.
the mechanism for documenting the performance
of duties relating to the Recording of Violations or the conduct of Enforcement
Procedures;
3.
the method of preserving the
contents of the Recordings and delivering and transferring them to the Person
designated by the Government Entity;
4.
the ethical and legal duties and
responsibilities with which the Enforcement Officer must comply when using the
Camera, particularly those relating to the protection of privacy and the
prevention of violations of privacy; and
5.
any other requirements that the
Government Entity considers important for Enforcement Officers to be informed
of regarding the use of Cameras when carrying out the duties relating to the
Recording of Violations or the conduct of Enforcement Procedures.
If an Enforcement Officer is unable to
operate or use the Camera in documenting the performance of the duties relating
to the Recording of Violations or the conduct of Enforcement Procedures for any
reason, including loss of the Camera or occurrence of a malfunction, the
Enforcement Officer must continue performing his duties without interruption
and record the violations in a report. The Enforcement Officer must immediately
notify his Government Entity of the malfunction, and submit a detailed report
explaining the reasons for which he was unable to operate or use the Camera.
In addition to its obligations under
the Legislation in force in the Emirate, a private company or Establishment contracted by a Government Entity, or
to which the Government Entity delegates any of its functions under the
Legislation in force, must:
1.
use
the Camera only for the purposes prescribed under this
Resolution, and in accordance with the instructions and requirements specified
by the contracting Government Entity;
2.
not process the Recordings handed
over to it by the Enforcement Officer, or publish, share, or retain those
Recordings without first obtaining the relevant approval from the contracting
Government Entity;
3.
take all technical, organisational,
and security measures and procedures specified by DESC to protect the
Recordings from any violation, Breach, or unlawful or unauthorised Processing;
4.
not retain any copies of the
Recordings, and must deliver any such copies, together with the original
Recordings, to the contracting Government Entity or to the Person designated by
it, in accordance with the mechanism and timeframes specified by the Government
Entity for that purpose;
5.
maintain the privacy and
confidentiality of all data, information, and Recordings collected, accessed,
or received pursuant to this Resolution; and not use or disclose them except
for the specified official purposes, in accordance with the Legislation in
force in the Emirate and the standards and policies issued by DESC for that
purpose; and
6.
fulfil
any other obligations related to the achievement of the objectives of this
Resolution as specified by a resolution issued by the Chairman of the SLC or
the Head of the Government Entity.
a. A Government Entity may
erase certain content of the Recordings if that content:
1.
constitutes a violation of the provisions
of the Legislation in force;
2.
constitutes a violation of the
privacy of personal life or the sanctity of private life or the privacy of
individuals, or an infringement of their personal data and information;
3.
constitutes a violation of trade
secrets or any intellectual property right;
4.
reveals the identity of police
officers or any other Law Enforcement Officer of general jurisdiction; or
5.
contains any other material that the
Government Entity considers necessary to erase, or that DESC directs to be erased.
b. The Government Entity must,
in coordination with DESC, erase the Recording after the purpose for which it was retained has been
fulfilled, and must document the erasure and the reasons for it.
Recordings must be created and stored
Electronically by the Government Entity and are to be treated as confidential
in accordance with the rules for the retention of Recordings prescribed by
DESC. They must not be exploited, published, disclosed, or copied, and no third
party may be permitted to inspect or access them, without written authorisation
from the Government Entity with which the Recordings are stored, for the
purposes specified in that authorisation, and in accordance with the
Legislation in force in the Emirate.
The provisions and Policies relating to information technology
and communications approved pursuant to the above-mentioned Executive Council
Resolution No. (15) of 2022, and the provisions and policies relating to
information security adopted by DESC in this regard, apply to the use of Cameras
in accordance with the provisions of this Resolution.
With the exception of the resolutions that
the Chairman of the SLC is authorised to issue under this Resolution, the Heads of Government
Entities, each within his own powers, must issue the resolutions required for
the implementation of the provisions of this Resolution.
Any provision in any other resolution is
hereby repealed to the extent that it conflicts with this Resolution.
This Resolution will be published in the Official Gazette and
will come into force on the day on which it is published.
Hamdan bin
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince of Dubai
Chairman of the Executive Council
Issued in
Dubai on 12 May 2026
Corresponding to 25 Thu al-Qidah 1447 A.H.
©2026 The Supreme Legislation Committee in the
Emirate of Dubai
[1]Every effort has been made to produce an
accurate and complete English version of this legislation. However, for the
purpose of its interpretation and application, reference must be made to the
original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text will prevail.