UAE legal Q&As: Why can I not have a camera in my car?

One reader asks about privacy laws, while another wants to know if a failed medical in the UAE will affect her husband coming here as a tourist.

Why is putting cameras in private vehicles banned under UAE law and how is it punished? Is it allowed if the recorded material is not published by any means?

The constitution and the law guarantee the inviolability of private life, so violating someone’s privacy is a punishable offence. However, installing cameras in private vehicles is not prohibited, per se. For instance, the law allows for front and rear cameras found in new cars that assist drivers in parking, but it does not allow for surveillance cameras to be installed, or any other camera that takes photos of other cars and their passengers, because this would be a breach of their privacy. Not publishing the recorded material is irrelevant because someone caught taking recordings of others without their authorisation is also breaking the law and could face imprisonment and a fine – even if nothing is published.

My husband was sent back to his home country after failing a medical for a job and so was not issued with a visa. Would he be able to return to the UAE as a tourist or does the failed medical forcing him to return home count as a deportation?

The failed medical would not affect him travelling back to the UAE as a tourist. Visiting the UAE as a tourist does not require a medical examination. That is only a requirement for those taking jobs in the country because they will be in direct and constant contact with other residents. Medical exams for residents are aimed at maintaining health and safety and preventing the spread of disease. But if while here on a tourist visa he should go for another job, he would still have to undergo a medical examination for that job.

If you have a question for our lawyer, Yousef Al Bahar, please email it to [e-mail] with the subject line “Know the law”.