Deadline for Abu Dhabi jet-ski registration extended

A Dh1,000 fine will be imposed for every jet ski that is rented without a licence.

ABU DHABI // The deadline for Abu Dhabi jet-ski owners and rental shops to register their craft has been extended to April 30.

The Department of Transport (DoT) has set up a process for jet-ski owners to register, and announced the areas in Abu Dhabi waters where they are banned.

Rental companies must visit the Unified Marine Permit Centre in Mina to have their jet skis inspected.

They will have to fill out an application form, and present an Emirates ID card, a bill of sale or other proof of ownership, customs clearance certificates if necessary and insurance valid for 13 months.

A Dh1,000 fine will be imposed for every jet ski rented out without a licence.

The department said it would double that penalty if an unlicensed jet ski was found to be rented out for a second time after the initial fine, according to Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National.

Other breaches that can affect rental agencies include failure to ensure that riders stay within the designated zones and failure to provide supervisors and coaches with lifeguard skills.

The rules were announced by the DoT in August last year, with an October 31 deadline for registration.

The move is designed to protect more vulnerable water users such as swimmers and stand-up paddle boarders, and to minimise the environmental impact of the jet skis.

“Extending the deadline of watercrafts’ registration reflects the DoT’s commitment to enabling a large segment of jet-ski owners to practise their water activities in accordance with standards that ensure the highest levels of safety, security and protection of watercraft owners, other water users as well as environment-sensitive and tourist areas in Abu Dhabi,” said Humaid Saber Al Hameli, acting director of the maritime sector at the DoT, on Wednesday.

Last year, the department had asked coastguard and offshore-protection units to carry out patrols and to seize jet skis of those who disregarded the rules, which included the use of jet skis in restricted areas, mainly close to strategic offshore sites.

Riders of jet skis must also keep at least 150 metres away from beaches and must not use their machines before sunrise or after sunset.

Owners of jet skis being used by children aged under 14 without an instructor or an adult supervisor present will be fined Dh500, while those who disturb swimmers will also be punished.

The DoT announced in July last year the following jet-ski free areas: the Corniche, Al Bateen, Ras Al Akhdar, Al Maqta Khor, North Saadiyat Island and Al Raha Beach.