Who SIRA is
The Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA) regulates the security industry in the Emirate of Dubai under Law No. (12) of 2016. Among other things it registers the companies allowed to design, install and maintain security systems, licenses their technical staff, and sets the standards those systems must meet.
Its rules for security systems are collected in the Preventive Systems Manual. The current version was approved by Administrative Resolution No. (13) of 2025.
Which properties the rules cover
The manual applies to the establishment types listed under the law's implementing bylaw — a long list that includes hotels, shopping malls, hospitals, schools, warehouses, pharmacies and data centres, among many others. Each category has its own requirements for cameras, recording, alarms and more.
If your premises is on the list, compliance isn't optional: the system has to be designed, installed and maintained by a SIRA-registered company and meet the manual. Private villas and individual apartments aren't usually among the listed types, so for most homeowners SIRA compliance is a mark of quality rather than a legal duty.
The quickest way to know where a business stands is its trade-licence activity. Send it to us and we'll check the category.
What “SIRA-approved” should mean
A SIRA-approved installer is a company registered with SIRA for security systems work, whose technicians hold SIRA licences. A company making the claim should be able to show you its registration — ask before you sign anything, and be wary of anyone who can't.
It also matters that the equipment suits the category. The manual sets technical requirements, so a camera that's fine for a villa may not be acceptable for a regulated shop.
What a compliant installation involves
A compliant project runs from a site survey and risk assessment, through design drawings and equipment chosen to meet the manual, to installation by SIRA-licensed technicians, testing, SIRA documentation and handover. Our SIRA compliance page walks through each of the seven steps and what you receive at the end.
It doesn't end at handover
The manual requires a regulated establishment to hold an annual maintenance contract with a SIRA-registered company, with a preventive maintenance programme of at least four visits a year, and to keep an auditable log of the system. Recordings must be kept for at least 31 days.
That's what our SIRA-approved AMC is built around.
An honest caveat
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice, and the requirements vary by category and are updated from time to time. We confirm what applies to your premises on the survey, against the manual in force at the time.