How strict are gun laws in the United Arab Emirates?
Licensed / moderate
Handguns are obtainable for sport or hunting, but self-defense alone is not sufficient for a license.
The United Arab Emirates is one of 37 countries classified “Licensed / moderate” for civilian gun ownership — 18% of the 202 with data. (Also searched as firearm laws.)
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Qatar
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Bahrain
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Oman
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Kuwait
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Iran
- Restrictive Firearms are issued at the authority's discretion with restricted reasons, fitting the restrictive category.
- Saudi Arabia
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
Other laws in United Arab Emirates
- Death Penalty
- Retained / in use
- Military Conscription
- Active conscription
Every law in the United Arab Emirates → · How strict are gun laws around the world? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.