UAE updates laws on agriculture and wildlife protection

The UAE Government has approved a comprehensive package of updated federal laws aimed at strengthening agricultural and veterinary quarantine systems, protecting new plant varieties, and regulating the international trade in endangered animals and plants.

These changes supports the UAE’s strategic efforts to protect biodiversity, conserve endangered species and regulate their international trade in line with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

A new law replaces Federal Law No. 11 of 2002 concerning Regulating and Controlling the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flaura and Flora, which had been in force for more than two decades

The updated framwork enhances enforcement powers and expanding legal protections to reflect global developments.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is designated as the national authority responsible for implementation, issuing permits, combating illegal trade, and disposing of seized specimens in accordance with judicial rulings.

Penalties have been significantly increased, with fines reaching up to AED 2 million and prison sentences of up to four years in serious cases.

The Government has also modernised veterinary quarantine legislation, replacing a law that dated back 45 years.

The new framework strengthens oversight of animal consignments entering, leaving, or transiting the UAE, and allows authorities to impose precautionary measures, including import bans and temporary quarantine restrictions, to prevent the spread of infectious animal diseases.

In addition, a new law on agricultural quarantine replaces Federal Law No. 5 of 1979. It has been issued to protect food security and prevent the spread of plant pests and diseases, aligning national regulations with international plant protection standards.

Penalties for violations now reach AED 500,000, with mandatory deportation for repeat foreign offenders.

The legislative package also includes an updated law on the protection of new plant varieties, aimed at supporting agricultural innovation and breeders’ rights.

The law establishes a national register for protected plant varieties and provides protection for up to 25 years for trees and vines.

Together, these laws reinforce the UAE’s commitment to environmental protection, food security and sustainable agricultural development, while aligning national legislation with international best practices.

UAE Government Issues Updated Laws on Agricultural and Veterinary Quarantine, the Protection of New Plant Varieties, and the International Trade in Endangered Animals and Plants#uaegov pic.twitter.com/NHZ81gqZnx

— UAEGOV (@UAEmediaoffice) January 7, 2026