Expats alerted: UAE issues strict warning, stern action for violations

ABU DHABI: Millions of expatriates, including Malayalees, live in the UAE. The UAE has stricter laws when compared with India, Now, a report has emerged that authorities seized 497 vehicles during the first half of 2026 for violating traffic regulations. The vehicles were seized for reasons including unpaid fines and failure to renew registration.

Brigadier Juma Beir Suwaidan, Director of the General Traffic Department, said some of the vehicles had accumulated fines amounting to tens of thousands of dirhams, while the registration of several vehicles had not been renewed for years.

Under UAE law, if fines are ignored, authorities have the power to confiscate vehicles, initiate legal proceedings, and temporarily suspend transactions related to the vehicle.
Suwaidan also said that driving vehicles with expired registrations on the roads could compromise the safety of both drivers and passengers. He added that traffic regulations have been tightened with the aim of preventing dangerous driving and discouraging repeat offences.