Training
Boat licences and sailing courses in Dubai
To drive your own boat in UAE waters you need a UAE marine licence, which takes a two-day course and a test and costs around AED 2,500. RYA and IYT certificates are internationally recognised and widely taught in Dubai, but they do not by themselves let you skipper here.
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- UAE skipper licence
- About AED 2,500, two days
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- About AED 2,200, two days
- IYT courses
- Widely available in Dubai
- Needed to charter with us
- Nothing: every boat is crewed
This is the point that confuses most people. An RYA Powerboat Level 2 is the standard international qualification and is what a charter company abroad will ask for. The UAE, however, issues its own licence through the local maritime authority, and that is what the coastguard checks. Serious boaters in Dubai end up with both.
The UAE licence route is a short theory course, a practical assessment and a test covering local navigation rules, the buoyage in the Marina and Creek approaches, and radio procedure. Two days is typical. The RYA route is similar in length and produces a certificate you can charter on in Greece or Croatia.
Sailing, as opposed to powerboating, is taught at a handful of clubs along the coast, mostly on dinghies and small keelboats. If you want to learn to sail rather than to drive a motor yacht, that is a different school and a longer commitment.
What is included
- Guidance on which certificate you actually need for what you want to do
- Introductions to RYA and IYT training centres along the coast
- Explanation of the UAE licence process and what the test covers
- Advice on the licence tier your boat length requires
- Nothing needed on our own charters. All our boats come with a captain
Worth knowing
- Licence tiers are tied to vessel length. A licence for a 30ft boat does not cover a 60ft one.
- You need no licence at all to charter with us. Every boat sails with a certified captain.
- Jet ski rental also needs no licence, because you ride with a guide on a marked route.
Which licence you actually need
Almost all confusion here comes from treating this as one qualification when it is two, used for different things. The UAE marine licence is the one the coastguard checks and the one that permits you to drive a boat in UAE waters. It covers local navigation rules, the buoyage on the Marina and Creek approaches, safety equipment and VHF procedure, and it is tiered by vessel length.
The RYA Powerboat Level 2 is the international standard and is what a charter company in Greece or Croatia will ask to see. It is widely taught here and it does not on its own permit you to skipper in UAE waters.
Most boat owners in Dubai end up holding both — the UAE licence for home and the RYA for chartering abroad. If you only ever intend to drive here, the UAE licence alone is enough.
What the course involves
Expect about two days. A theory component covering navigation rules, buoyage, safety equipment and radio procedure, then a practical assessment on the water and a written test. The local content is the part that matters and the part an overseas certificate does not cover.
The practical is genuinely practical: berthing, manoeuvring in a confined space, man-overboard recovery and anchoring. Most people find the theory easier than they expected and the berthing harder.
Licence tiers are tied to vessel length, so a licence covering a 30ft boat does not cover a 60ft one. Check the tier covers the boat you actually intend to drive before you book the course rather than after.
Who should bother, and who should not
It is worth it for a resident who intends to buy a boat, join a boat club that offers self-drive, or hire regularly. It is largely pointless for a visitor, because the licence is the easy part and access to a boat is the hard one — bareboat hire is close to unavailable here, and every charter comes crewed.
If what you actually want is to steer something yourself on a short trip, a guided jet ski needs no licence at all: the operator's permit covers you, the minimum age to drive is sixteen, and you are on the water within an hour of arriving.
Ways to do this
UAE marine licence
2 days · about AED 2,500
Theory, practical assessment and a test on local rules and buoyage. The one the coastguard checks.
RYA Powerboat Level 2
2 days · about AED 2,200
The international standard, accepted by charter companies worldwide. Does not replace the UAE licence here.
IYT International Certificate
Varies · centre-dependent
An alternative international route, recognised across the Mediterranean and Caribbean.
Sailing courses
Multi-weekend
Dinghy and small keelboat instruction at clubs along the coast. A different discipline from powerboating.
Ask about Licences and training on your date.
Leave the date and the headcount and we will come back with what is free and what it costs. No deposit, and no obligation to book.
- No deposit to enquire
- A reply within a couple of hours
- Licensed boats, licensed crew, price all-in
WhatsApp only — messages and calls
Send an enquiry
Questions people ask
How do you get a boat licence in Dubai?
Through a UAE marine licence course: two days of theory and practical assessment followed by a test on local navigation rules, buoyage and radio procedure. It costs around AED 2,500 and is the licence the coastguard checks.
Is an RYA licence valid in Dubai?
An RYA Powerboat Level 2 is widely taught and respected in Dubai and is what a charter company abroad will ask for, but it does not by itself permit you to skipper a boat in UAE waters. For that you need the UAE licence.
How much does a skipper licence cost in Dubai?
About AED 2,500 for the UAE marine licence and about AED 2,200 for RYA Powerboat Level 2. Most people who own a boat here hold both, since the UAE licence covers local waters and the RYA covers chartering abroad.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht in Dubai?
No. Every charter boat comes with a certified captain and crew, and the licence is theirs rather than yours. You only need a licence to drive a boat yourself.
Where can you learn to sail in Dubai?
At sailing clubs along the coast, which teach dinghy and small keelboat sailing over several weekends. It is a different discipline from powerboat training and takes considerably longer.
Tell us when, and we will tell you what is free.
Weekends and sunset slots go first between October and April. Leave the date and the headcount below, or message us on WhatsApp. If your date is close, WhatsApp is quicker than any form.
- No deposit to enquire
- A reply within a couple of hours
- Licensed boats, licensed crew, price all-in
WhatsApp only — messages and calls