Permits and regulatory requirements for outdoor drone shows in GCC countries
In the previous article we went through in detail the process of obtaining permits for an outdoor drone show in the UAE. Here we set out the regulatory practice of the other GCC countries and show how to build the process around their requirements.
If you have been asked to organise a drone show, you almost certainly know the country. What is often still open at the start is the final site.
In the GCC countries the aviation side of a project is tied tightly to specific coordinates. Without an exact take-off point and the boundaries of the flight zone, the approvals cannot be started correctly.
By the time the approvals begin, the following should be settled:
- the city and the exact site
- the coordinates of the take-off point
- the boundaries of the flight zone
- the layout of the audience area and the perimeter
- the date of the event
- the time windows for the build, the tests, the rehearsal and the show
- the altitude and radius required
- the status of the event, whether private, public or government
- how close the airports, helicopter routes and sensitive sites are
- whether pyrotechnics will accompany the show
- whether separate aerial filming is required
Without these parameters, neither the timescale nor the feasibility of the project can be assessed realistically.
In every GCC country the key question is who the legal applicant is and who the operator is in the eyes of the aviation regulator.
Almost always:
- the applicant is a local legal entity
- the operator is a company registered in the country where the show takes place
- the foreign team works under contract with the local party
Filing directly as a foreign company, with no local legal structure, is all but impossible in the region.
How the logic of approvals works in the GCC
The structure is three-layered almost everywhere:
- the aviation layer
- the ground layer
- the security services layer
The aviation layer is the permission to use airspace for a specific operation.
The ground layer is the consent of the site, the municipality and the services working on the event.
The security services layer is the police and the relevant agencies, particularly at public and government events.
This is not one permit but a sequence of steps.
What the regulator is actually interested in
Regulators look at:
- the legal status of the operator
- the registration of the drones
- the registration and qualification of the pilots
- exact coordinates and a map of the flight zone
- altitude and the time window
- the risk assessment
- the perimeter plan
- liability insurance
- the plan of action if something fails or the weather deteriorates
If one of these elements has not been worked through, the process stalls.
Preparation timelines
A practical guide:
Two to three months before the event
- the site is fixed
- preliminary consent from the owner is obtained
- the airspace restrictions are assessed
- the legal structure of the work is decided
One to two months before
- the aviation filing begins
- the NOCs and letters of consent are collected
- the perimeter layout is frozen
- the windows for the tests and the show are fixed
Two to three weeks before
- the security services are confirmed
- the altitude limits are finalised
- access and logistics are checked
One week before
- a final coordination check is held
- the final parameters are confirmed
The day before and on the day
- the perimeter is checked
- the weather is assessed
- the decision to launch is taken
If the location is near an airport or the event is at state level, the timescales lengthen. They also lengthen where an event takes place near government sites or military zones. That applies particularly to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Regulator:
General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)
Regulatory basis:
CAR Part 101, Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Who may file:
An application for a commercial operation is filed through a company legally registered in Saudi Arabia. A foreign company with no local legal presence cannot file.
What is required:
- registration of the unmanned aircraft
- permission for a commercial operation
- coordinates, altitude, time window
- risk assessment
- liability insurance
- documents on the operator and the pilots
At public events, additional coordination with the regional security authorities comes into play.
Timescales:
- a standard operation, four to six weeks
- a state event or a sensitive zone, eight to 10 weeks
How to bring in a foreign operator:
- conclude a contract with a Saudi company
- establish who the operator is in the eyes of GACA
- file the package through the local party
- arrange work visas
- arrange the temporary import of the equipment
- put insurance in place
🇶🇦 Qatar
Regulator:
Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA)
Who may file:
The applicant has to be a company registered in Qatar. A foreign operator cannot file directly.
What is required:
- registration of the UAS
- an operational permit
- liability insurance
- coordinates, altitude, time window
- a description of the mission and a risk assessment
QCAA requirements may include restrictions on the operating model and on the composition of the fleet. The format of the show has to be confirmed before the animation design is finalised.
Timescales:
- as a guide, three to four weeks from the filing of the full package
- longer where the location is sensitive or the event is public
How to bring in a foreign operator:
- conclude a contract with a Qatari company
- file the application through the local party
- arrange work visas
- put insurance in place
- arrange the temporary import of the equipment
🇧🇭 Bahrain
Regulator:
Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA Bahrain)
Point to note:
Before the application is filed with CAA, the applicant must obtain an NOC from:
- Bahrain Defence Force
- Ministry of Interior
What is required:
- coordinates and altitude
- the time window
- insurance
- technical information on the unmanned aircraft
- confirmation of the NOC
Timescales:
- the application must be filed with CAA at least seven working days in advance
- obtaining the NOCs can take a further two to three weeks
How to bring in a foreign operator:
- conclude a contract with a local company
- obtain the NOCs
- file the package with CAA
- arrange the temporary import
- put insurance in place
🇰🇼 Kuwait
Regulator:
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA Kuwait)
Regulatory basis:
KCASR Part 22
What is required:
- registration of the UAS
- operator status
- documents on the pilots
- insurance
- a flight plan
Timescales:
- as a guide, four to six weeks
How to bring in a foreign operator:
- work through a local partner
- file with DGCA
- arrange the temporary import
- arrange work visas
🇴🇲 Oman
Regulator:
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA Oman)
Procedure:
AWR application form 033
Compulsory elements:
- coordinates and flight level
- the specification of the unmanned aircraft
- a letter from the applicant
- a letter from the sponsor
- insurance
- an NOC from Royal Oman Police, from the National Security Agency and from the Royal Air Force of Oman, and from the Ministry of Information where filming is involved
Timescales:
- as a guide, four to six weeks
- longer where there is a media component
How to bring in a foreign operator:
- conclude a contract with a local partner
- file AWR 033
- obtain the NOCs
- arrange the temporary import
- put insurance in place
Questions to ask the contractor before signing
- who the local applicant is
- who the operator is
- what documents are required from the site
- what the minimum timescales are for the chosen location
- whether the test flights need separate approval
- what could stop the show on the day
- what insurance limits are required
The main conclusion
In every GCC country the key factors are:
- a local legal presence
- exact coordinates, fixed early
- liability insurance
- coordination with the security authorities
If the legal model and the route of approvals are settled in advance, the project becomes manageable.
