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The 5 Middle Eastern countries that banned drones from their skies and why.

🖐 In this blog post we are going to look at all the Middle Eastern countries that simply forbid you from flying a drone above their territories. A number of reasons can trigger institutions and local government organisations. We will aim to give some context on why this has been set as some reasons can be quite surprising. Give a 👍 at the end of this post if you enjoyed it & feel free to comment your experience or any updates in our Drone Forums. Keep in mind that the content below is updated to the best of our ability & does not replace official sources & your own research.


Middle East countries where drones are banned

Before digging into the subject, it is important to note that the Middle East region is quite careful when it comes to welcoming drone technology. Several Middle Eastern countries have made registration or permit application compulsory. Additionally some countries will make a clear difference between recreational and commercial uses, sometimes allowing one but not the other.


During our research, we found out that the Middle East countries that have drone bans usually have one or more of the following motivations:


  • Precaution measure: several Middle East countries do not have clear rules about what can be done with a drone. To avoid troubles, they've decided to prevent the risk by simply banning the technology until proper legislation is in place.

  • Internal conflicts: several countries of the region have experienced years of aerial conflict and just don't need more drones up there.


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Iraq and Syria are the 2 countries with a total drone ban in place for all types of use (including commercial).


Iraq understandably the country which is experiencing internal and external conflicts for several years now does not need extra drones in their sky to worry about.

  • Drone ban in place since: unknown

  • Drone ban effective until: undisclosed


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Syria has been the scene of several air raid atrocities, drones are not welcomed in Syria and more understandable, citizens are scared of them.

  • Drone ban in place since: 25.04.2019

  • Drone ban effective until: undisclosed



On a less restrictive approach, Bahrain, Iran and Oman have total recreational drone bans as this technology is simply not considered as a toy in these countries.


Bahrain restrict its airspace to citizens or entities having a physical address in the Kingdom. If you intend to bring a drone without registering it, it should be stored at the custom storage space until your departure. Note that there might be a storage fee per day.

  • Drone ban in place since: unknown

  • Drone ban effective until: undisclosed


Iran Despite not finding official resources formerly forbidding drone use in the country, recent media events have clearly identified Iran as a no fly zone when it comes to drones for fun.

  • Drone ban in place since: unknown

  • Drone ban effective until: undisclosed


Oman is actually quite tolerant regarding professional drone use in its territoriality. However, recreational or hobby drone use is strictly forbidden as drones are simply not considered as toys in Oman.


Drone ban in place since: unknown

Drone ban effective until: undisclosed



Several other Middle East countries don't have clear statements such as Palestine and Yemen which doesn't mean its necessarily alright to fly your drone here either. On the other end, some countries of the region are leading the way by implementing smart drone laws/rules such as United Arab Emirates or Israel. On a world scale, only a relatively small group of countries ban the use of drones completely (21).


We hope you found this information useful and that it will allow you to prepare your trip to the Middle East a little more safely. Note that this post only refers countries with total bans, many countries allowing drone uses will have restricted airspace and forbidden drone zones.


Countries that banned drones

✅ Please leave a comment when you receive news and/or gain experience with your drone in a country so we can update information for others in turn. #middle #east #eastern #forbidden #illegal #ban #banned #drone #countries #country #restricted #zone


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Disclaimer: Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information researched, we take no responsibility for any loss, harm or damage caused as a direct or indirect consequence of relying on this information. It is your responsibility to seek advice from qualified local & relevant authorities for needed information about local drone regulations.


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