Aerial drones kept on a tight leash in the kingdom

Saudi Arabia’s unmanned vehicle law is one of the most stringent and unique sets of drone regulations in the Arab world.

Recreational remote-controlled drones of all types that do not have government-issued permits became illegal in Saudi Arabia on December 2015. The only exception is obtaining the approval of the president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Gaca.

Unlike the UAE, where recreational drones are allowed but regulated, Saudi Arabia says they are banned “to maintain air safety within the kingdom’s airspace”.

In addition to a ban on airport and military airspace, drones are not allowed to fly in “prohibited or restricted areas” of the kingdom.

Palaces, royal residences and other properties of the Al Saud ruling family fall under the restricted area framework.

The recent trend of equipping drones with camera guidance systems also presents a breach of privacy.

Saudi Arabia cybercrime law prohibits taking pictures of strangers in public, punishable by imprisonment for up to one year and a 500,000 Saudi riyal (Dh490,543) fine.

But the law for prying into the privacy of homes, or attempting to capture imagery of uncovered women is more severe.

In some Saudi homes, traditional elements of Arab architecture – accessible rooftops and in-house courtyards – remain central gathering spaces for families, especially during the winter season. Those areas are open air spaces and easily viewed from drones.

Yet drones are still imported into the country with law enforcement being lax at best.

Gaca said some drones are imported through customs as toys. They can then be equipped with cameras, posing a threat to general security, high-security sites and other flying aircraft.

Saudi Arabia has been on alert since the Yemeni government said Iran had started supplying the Houthi rebels with drones to attack the kingdom. Last week, Saudi Arabia’s air defence system intercepted two drones from rebel-held northern Yemen.

Although drones have become recreational items over the past few years, their potential use as weapons remains a reality, which was discussed in 2015 by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Gaca urged owners and operators of drones to abide by the law, and warned that offenders would be prosecuted by government agencies.

ICAO held a global conference this year to discuss regulating drone operation to ensure the safety of civilian air traffic. Since then, the UN aviation agency is backing the creation of a global drone registry, to limit the potential dangerous use of the vehicles.

Much of the technology in modern recreational drones originated from the development of unmanned vehicle technology for military use.

Several companies specialising in selling drones told The

National they could guarantee delivery of drones into Saudi Arabia. It is not clear whether the sale and purchase of drones is considered illegal.