Dubai guide
How to Check a CCTV Company's SIRA Licence in Dubai
Anyone can write "SIRA approved" on a website. This guide sets out what Dubai's security-industry law says about licensing, and a practical checklist for verifying a CCTV installer before you sign.
Please note: Emirtech is based in Abu Dhabi and is ADMCC-approved for security systems. It does not hold a SIRA licence; Dubai CCTV is installed by SIRA-approved partners, with Emirtech coordinating. This guide explains Dubai's rules for information only, as we understand them; always confirm with SIRA.
How do I know a Dubai CCTV company is really SIRA-licensed?
Ask for its SIRA licence number, the licensed activity (installing security devices and equipment), the expiry date and the legal name on the licence, then check it on SIRA's own website rather than relying on a PDF, a screenshot or a third-party list. Ask for the SIRA personnel cards of the technicians who will do the work, and put the licence reference in the contract. As we understand it from Dubai Law No. 12 of 2016 and its 2018 Implementing Bylaw, SIRA licenses security companies by activity and licenses individual engineers and technicians separately.
SIRA licence checks in Dubai: key facts
| Regulator | SIRA, the Security Industry Regulatory Agency in Dubai. |
|---|---|
| What is licensed | Companies, by security activity (for example installing security devices and equipment); individuals such as security system engineers, inspectors, technicians and operators; and the trade in surveillance devices. |
| Legal basis | Dubai Law No. 12 of 2016 and its Implementing Bylaw (Resolution No. 1 of 2018). |
| Where to check | SIRA's own website, which offers a search for security system providers. Do not rely on lists of "approved companies" published on other websites. |
| Who is writing this? | Emirtech Technology, an Abu Dhabi installer (M44, Mussafah Industrial Area) since 2018, ADMCC-approved for security systems. Emirtech does not hold a SIRA licence; Dubai CCTV is installed by SIRA-approved partners, with Emirtech coordinating. |
| Please note | General information as we understand it from public sources, not legal advice. Rules and specifications are set by SIRA and can change; confirm with SIRA. |
| Last reviewed | 15 October 2026 |
What SIRA licenses
Under the Implementing Bylaw (Resolution No. 1 of 2018), as we read it, licences are issued in three main ways:
- Companies, by security activity. The listed activities include installing security devices and equipment, technical surveys, and control and command services.
- Individuals, with roles such as security system engineer, inspector, technician and operator. Individuals must pass SIRA-accredited tests.
- The trade in devices: a licence is needed before importing, exporting or trading in surveillance, protective and alarm devices.
The law itself says no person may provide security services in Dubai without first obtaining a licence (Law No. 12 of 2016).
Six checks before you sign
- Ask for the SIRA licence number, the licensed activity, the expiry date and the legal name on the licence.
- Check those details on SIRA's own website (sira.gov.ae) instead of trusting a PDF or screenshot.
- Ask for the SIRA personnel cards of the engineer or technician who will do the work, and match the names on site.
- Check that the company's trade licence lists a security-systems activity.
- For a premises that must meet SIRA's specifications, ask for written confirmation of how the design follows them and which SIRA process applies.
- Put the licence reference in the contract and ask for a written, itemised quotation.
Red flags
- "SIRA approved" with no licence number.
- A licence in a different company's name.
- "SIRA-approved cameras": as we read the Bylaw, it licenses companies, individuals and the trade in devices, so a brand claim does not replace the installer's own licence.
- No personnel cards for the people on site.
- Reliance on "approved company" lists on other websites, which are marketing rather than SIRA records.
- An unusually low quotation or a request to pay cash only.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SIRA publish a list of licensed CCTV companies?
What is the difference between a company licence and a technician card?
Does Emirtech hold a SIRA licence?
Can Emirtech install CCTV in Dubai?
Is this legal advice?
Planning CCTV in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain?
Get a free site survey and a written, itemised quotation from an ADMCC-approved installer.