Guide · 5 minute read
No. Chartering a yacht in Dubai needs no licence at all, because the boat comes with a certified captain whose licence covers the trip. Jet skis need none either, since you ride with a guide on a marked route. You only need a UAE marine licence if you intend to drive a boat yourself, unaccompanied.
Published
Almost all confusion here comes from treating 'renting a boat' as one thing when it is three. A crewed charter, a guided jet ski and a bareboat hire have completely different requirements.
A charter yacht in Dubai operates under the vessel's own commercial registration, carried by the operator, and sails with a captain holding a licence for that class of boat. Legally you are a passenger, in the same way you are on a ferry. Nothing about the arrangement requires anything from you.
That is also why a captain's judgement is final. If they decide conditions are unsuitable, the charter moves. It is their licence on the line, not the customer's preference.
The UAE issues its own marine licence through the local maritime authority, and it is the one the coastguard checks. Getting it takes a short theory course, a practical assessment and a test on local navigation rules, the buoyage in the Marina and Creek approaches, and radio procedure. Two days is typical and it costs around AED 2,500.
An RYA Powerboat Level 2 is the international standard and is widely taught in Dubai, but it does not on its own permit you to skipper here. Most boat owners in Dubai hold both — the UAE licence for local waters and the RYA for chartering abroad.
Licence tiers are tied to vessel length, so a licence covering a 30ft boat does not cover a 60ft one.
FAQ
Check a date
Leave the date and roughly how many of you there are and we will come back with the boats that are free and what each costs. No deposit at this stage.