SIRA CCTV Rules in Dubai: What They Require

SIRA regulations mandate specific standards that vary by premises type: retail, hospitality, healthcare and financial premises each have defined requirements. The core rules that apply to most commercial sites are consistent and non-negotiable for a compliant system.

We begin every commercial CCTV project with a site survey that walks your premises against the SIRA rules we expect to apply to your category. Our surveyor marks the camera positions those rules usually call for, specifies the resolution for each zone and calculates the NVR storage needed for 31-day retention at your chosen quality level. You receive a written camera plan before any cabling begins, so you can check it with SIRA or your approved vendor first.

Thirty-one days of continuous recording is far more storage than most business owners expect. Eight 4K cameras recording 24/7 require approximately 40–50 TB of NVR storage; 1080p at the same count needs around 10–12 TB. Using motion-only recording can reduce this by 60–70% without missing events. We size the NVR precisely for your camera count and resolution so you never run out of storage before the 31-day mark, a common failure point on cheaply installed systems.

Business owners operating certain categories of premises must register their CCTV system with SIRA and renew annually. SIRA sets out what the registration needs, and some documents may have to come from a vendor SIRA has approved. We hand over the camera-layout diagram and technical specification for every commercial project and tell you which remaining items need an approved vendor. The submission itself is made by the business owner or their PRO, so check the current list with SIRA before you file.

Dubai Police and SIRA inspectors can visit without advance notice. Your system needs to produce footage on request, within two hours, in a viewable format. We configure every system with a labelled USB export function and set an export guide on the NVR so any staff member can pull the required footage quickly under pressure. We also leave a laminated quick-reference card at the NVR for your team.