From 1 January 2027, new rules limiting driving time to nine hours in a 24-hour period will come into force in the UAE. The rule is set out in Cabinet Resolution No. 174 of 2026 and applies to all drivers, not just professional ones, reports Gulf Business.
The Federal Traffic Council will be able to adjust the limit if necessary. Safety will remain the overriding condition: if fatigue affects a driver's ability to drive, they must stop, even if they have not yet spent nine hours behind the wheel.
The new restrictions are intended to reduce accidents linked to exhaustion and drowsiness. According to the Ministry of Interior, 20 road accidents caused by fatigue and drowsiness were recorded in the UAE in 2025.
In October, Dubai Police issued a warning to motorists following an accident on Emirates Road (E611). A lorry driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a metal barrier, sustaining minor injuries. The head of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, Brigadier General Juma Salem bin Suwaidan, urged drivers to rest properly before a journey and not to ignore the first signs of tiredness.
Specialists at RoadSafetyUAE note that fatigue can impair a person's ability to judge their own condition objectively. Warning signs include frequent yawning, stinging eyes, slowed reactions, unintentional drifting between lanes and memory lapses about the last few kilometres travelled.
Experts recommend sleeping for at least seven to eight hours before a journey and taking 15-minute breaks every two hours. If drowsiness sets in, the driver should stop safely and rest.
