The UAE Cabinet has approved Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2026, setting a daily driving limit that takes effect on January 1, 2027. Issued under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on traffic regulation, the new rule bars any driver in the country, not only professional or commercial drivers but also ordinary motorists, from spending more than nine hours behind the wheel within any 24-hour period.

The Federal Traffic Council retains the authority to revise this cap in the future if circumstances require. Beyond the nine-hour threshold itself, the regulation stresses that drivers must stop driving the moment they notice signs of fatigue, even before reaching the time limit. Traffic safety experts list several warning signs to watch for: repeated yawning, sore or heavy eyes, delayed reactions, difficulty holding the head upright, drifting out of lane, and gaps in memory about the road just travelled.

RoadSafetyUAE, the country's road safety body, is urging drivers to get seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep before any long trip and to take a break of at least 15 minutes every two hours while driving. The organisation says 20 crashes in 2025 were directly attributed to driver fatigue.

The decision follows years of tightening rules for commercial and haulage drivers aimed at cutting fatigue-related accidents on intercity highways. This is the first time such a cap has been extended to all drivers, including those in private cars, reflecting growing concern among UAE authorities about fatigue as a road safety risk that goes well beyond professional transport.