Dubai Fireworks Laws and Diwali 2026: What Residents, Temples and Event Organisers Need to Know

Diwali 2026 › Dubai fireworks laws and Diwali

Legal information last verified: 25 October 2026. Official rules verified on the sources linked below.

Rules checked on 25 October 2026. This page summarises official sources for general information only; it is not legal advice. Fireworks rules can change at short notice — confirm with your local council, police or fire service before buying or using fireworks.

Quick answer: can you use fireworks in Dubai on Diwali?

• Not without prior authorisation. Since 1 June 2026, Dubai Law No. (2) of 2026 says no person may use or sell fireworks without prior authorisation from the concerned government entities, and "person" includes individuals. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Federally, a licence or permit is required to possess, acquire, import, trade or transport explosives. The UAE Public Prosecution has explained that the federal definition of explosives includes fireworks. u.ae - Maintaining safety and security (UAE Government portal;... WAM report 'Public Prosecution explains penalties for illegal...
• The only official fireworks permit service we found, SIRA's Firework Show Permit, is for the business sector and requires a SIRA-accredited fireworks company. SIRA - Firework Show Permit (service page)
• We found no Diwali or religious-festival exemption in the official sources we read. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Fines under the Dubai law range from AED 500 to AED 1,000,000, doubled for a repeat within a year. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...

Dubai Law No. (2) of 2026 on public safety

The Ruler of Dubai issued Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of Dubai on 27 February 2026, and it came into force on 1 June 2026. Dubai Municipality administers it through its Environment, Health and Safety Agency. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...

Article 16(a)(1) prohibits any person from placing fireworks on the "product chain", which the law defines to include selling, storing, transporting and importing, or using fireworks, without prior authorisation from the concerned entities. Article 16(c) adds that any activity posing a risk to public safety needs the express authorisation of the Agency and the concerned entities. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...

The law covers public places, entertainment venues, public event venues and buildings across the emirate, including special development zones and free zones such as DIFC. It excludes some places, such as airports, waterways, seaports, harbours and marinas, where other rules apply. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...

The law does not name which government entities give fireworks authorisation. In practice, the published permit route is SIRA's, described below.

Federal law: fireworks as explosives

The UAE Government portal says that under Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2019, no one may possess, acquire, carry, import, export, trade, transport or dispose of explosives without a licence or permit from the licensing authority or entity concerned. u.ae - Maintaining safety and security (UAE Government portal;...

The state news agency WAM reported in April 2024 that the Public Prosecution explained that the law's definition of explosives includes fireworks. WAM report 'Public Prosecution explains penalties for illegal... We could not read the official text of the decree-law itself, so we do not quote its penalty article.

Who can hold a fireworks display in Dubai

SIRA (the Security Industry Regulatory Agency) issues a Firework Show Permit. The applicant must be a fireworks company accredited by SIRA, with a trade licence, a no objection certificate from the organising entity, a launch-site map with safety distances and a transport request form. SIRA - Firework Show Permit (service page) Read the full SIRA permit guide.

After the permit is issued, the fireworks company must notify the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, the Coast Guard, Dubai Civil Defence and two other general departments. SIRA - Firework Show Permit (service page)

For a temple, community association or Diwali event organiser, that means a fireworks moment is only possible through an accredited company and the organiser's own approvals, not by buying fireworks and lighting them.

Villas, apartments and temples: what applies where

At home: villas, apartments and balconies

Downtown, Dubai Marina, JBR and similar areas are not separate legal regimes. The federal law applies nationwide, and the Dubai law applies across the emirate, including free zones. Venue and building rules for hotels, malls, communities and beaches are set separately by operators and authorities, and visitors must follow a venue's safety instructions. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...

Federally, acquiring or possessing explosives needs a licence or permit, and that rule is not limited to businesses. u.ae - Maintaining safety and security

We found no official route for an individual to get authorisation to light fireworks in a villa garden or on an apartment balcony, and no Diwali exemption. That is "no individual route found" in the sources we read, not a separate official ban aimed at Diwali. Your building or community may also have its own rules on open flames, so check before lighting diyas on a balcony.

Temples, associations and community events

A community Diwali event that wants fireworks needs a SIRA-accredited company to apply for the Firework Show Permit, with a no objection certificate from the organising entity. SIRA - Firework Show Permit See the SIRA permit guide.

Venues and beaches have their own approvals: the Dubai law requires permits from Dubai Municipality and the concerned entities for events on beaches, and keeps other entities' permit requirements in place. Law No. (2) of 2026

If your event cannot use an accredited company, plan a celebration built on diyas, lights, rangoli, music and the evening puja instead.

Officially announced celebrations

Visit Dubai's Diwali page lists the Diwali Festival of Lights Dubai from 2 to 12 November 2026, with shopping offers, dining deals and entertainment; it did not mention fireworks or list venues when we checked. Visit Dubai - Diwali in Dubai Dubai Calendar is the official event listing, and Global Village's season runs from 14 October 2026; neither showed a Diwali fireworks date on 25 October. Dubai Calendar Global Village - Fireworks and fountain shows Only treat a display as confirmed when an official or organiser page announces it, and check again nearer the dates.

What Dubai Law No. (2) of 2026 says

Each point below is taken from the official source linked after it. Read the source itself before you rely on it.

• Article 16(a)(1) prohibits any Person from placing on the product chain, or using, fireworks without prior authorisation from the Concerned Entities. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• 'Placement along the Product Chain' is defined (Art 2) to cover selling, storing, transporting, importing and more. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• 'Concerned Entity' means any federal or local government entity with legal authority over public safety or over implementing the law (Art 2). Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Article 16(c): no Person may carry out an activity that poses a risk to public safety unless the Agency and the Concerned Entities expressly authorise it. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Scope (Art 3a): the law covers Public Places, Entertainment Venues, Public Event Venues and Buildings across the Emirate, including Special Development Zones and free zones such as DIFC. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Exclusions (Art 3b) include airports, paramilitary and security facilities, waterways, seaports, harbours, marinas, means of transport, industrial establishments, and buildings under construction (with exceptions). Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Article 19(a) sets the fine range for violations of the law, without prejudice to any stricter penalty in other legislation. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Article 19(b): the Chairman of the Executive Council will issue a resolution listing the specific violations and their fines. Article 19(c): a repeat violation within one year doubles the fine, capped at AED 2,000,000. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Article 20 lets the DM seize, destroy or re-export products that pose a risk to public safety, and close venues. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Article 29: the law applies without prejudice to other entities' public-safety functions or to the licences, permits and approvals that Government Entities require. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...
• Article 30 gives Persons governed by the law up to two years from its entry into force to comply, extendable once. Law No. (2) of 2026 Concerning Public Safety in the Emirate of...

Diwali 2026 dates and the fireworks rules

Drik Panchang calculates the festival for local time, so the UAE sequence differs slightly from India: Naraka Chaturdashi's morning bath and the evening Lakshmi Puja both fall on Sunday 8 November 2026, with Govardhan Puja on Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November.

No official source we read gives Diwali any special status for fireworks in Dubai, so these dates do not change the rules below. They matter mainly for planning puja, lights and visits to public celebrations.

Key rules in Dubai at a glance

What we could not verify

These points are still open. Do not treat them as settled until the official authority confirms them:

• The resolution that will set the specific fine for each violation of the Dubai law (Article 19(b)) had not been found.
• Whether the law's two-year compliance period (Article 30) affects enforcement of the fireworks prohibition. Do not rely on it without legal advice.
• The Arabic text of the Dubai law prevails; we read the official English translation.
• Which entities give fireworks authorisation under Article 16; the law does not name them.
• The official text of Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2019, including its penalty for fireworks, which we could not open.
• Whether sparklers or novelty items are treated differently; we found no official source on this.

Diwali fireworks safety tips for Dubai

• In an apartment or villa, follow your building or community management's rules on open flames on balconies and in corridors, as well as the law.
• Never carry fireworks into the UAE in your luggage or order them online from abroad: federally, importing explosives needs a licence or permit.
• Buy only from a licensed or registered seller in the jurisdiction where you will use the fireworks, and keep the packaging so the product category and instructions stay with it.
• Check for a fire ban or dry-weather warning on the day. A ban can be announced at short notice and overrides the normal rules.
• Keep children well back and hand them nothing that is lit. Sparklers stay hot long after the spark ends.
• Never light fireworks indoors, on a balcony, under trees or near parked cars, and never point them at people, homes or animals.
• Choose one sober adult to light everything. Light at arm's length, step back at once, and never lean over a firework.

Lawful ways to celebrate Diwali without fireworks

• Diwali Festival of Lights Dubai: Visit Dubai lists the festival from 2 to 12 November 2026, with shopping, dining and entertainment. It did not list fireworks when we checked. Visit Dubai - Diwali in Dubai (festival page; Government of Dubai...
• Clay diyas: a row of oil lamps at the door and windows is the heart of Deepavali and needs no permit. Stand each one on a metal plate or a tray of sand.
• LED diyas and string lights: battery diyas are safe for balconies, dormitories, rented flats and anywhere open flames are restricted.
• Rangoli: a coloured-powder, rice-flour or flower rangoli at the entrance welcomes Lakshmi and gives children a creative part in the festival.
• Temple and community celebrations: most Hindu temples and community associations hold Lakshmi Puja, aarti and cultural programmes during Diwali week; check their own website or notice board for the 2026 schedule.
• Authorised public displays: a professional display run under a permit or licence gives the family a fireworks moment without the legal risk.
• Quiet celebrations: music, bhajans, a diya-lit dinner or a lantern walk on your own property avoid noise complaints and fire risk.

Who to contact

For fireworks shows, contact SIRA (Security Industry Regulatory Agency): Firework Show Permit page. For building or community rules, ask your building management. In an emergency, call the UAE emergency services.

Frequently asked questions

Are fireworks allowed in Dubai on Diwali?

Not without prior authorisation. Dubai Law No. (2) of 2026 bars any person from using or selling fireworks without prior authorisation from the concerned entities, and we found no Diwali exemption in the official sources we read.

Can I buy fireworks in Dubai for a home celebration?

We found no lawful retail route for individuals in the official sources. Federally, acquiring or trading explosives needs a licence, and the Dubai law prohibits selling or storing fireworks without prior authorisation.

What is the fine for fireworks in Dubai?

Dubai Law No. (2) of 2026 sets fines from AED 500 to AED 1,000,000, doubled for a repeat within one year up to AED 2,000,000. The specific fine for each act is to be set by a separate resolution, which we had not found.

Can a temple or community group hold a Diwali fireworks display in Dubai?

Only through a fireworks company accredited by SIRA, which applies for SIRA's Firework Show Permit with a no objection certificate from the organising entity and a launch-site map, and then notifies the aviation, coast guard and civil defence authorities.

Does the law apply in free zones and DIFC?

Yes. Dubai Law No. (2) of 2026 covers places across the emirate, including special development zones and free zones such as DIFC, with some exclusions such as airports, waterways and marinas, where other rules apply.

Important

This page is general information, not legal advice; local rules and temporary fire bans can change. Always check with the official authority for your exact address before buying or using fireworks.

Editor's note (25 October 2026): HinduTone read the official English text of Dubai Law No. (2) of 2026, the UAE Government portal and the SIRA permit page on 25 October 2026. We review this guide every year before Diwali; the next scheduled review is 15 September 2027. This is not an official government statement; check with the authorities named above.

Related guides

• Dubai fireworks display permit (SIRA)
• Diwali 2026 in Dubai and the UAE: Lakshmi Puja muhurat and 5-day guide
• Govardhan Puja 2026 in the UAE
• Eco-friendly, cracker-free Diwali ideas