Keep It Clean: Fines in Dubai

As a result, there are a number of fines implemented to make sure that all who live or visit Dubai - locals, expats and tourists alike - not only stay out of trouble, but also join in the great effort to keep Dubai clean. 

These fines range from littering to spitting to even causing oil leakages in Dubai's beaches, creek or ports. 

So, time to ditch the dirty habits, people! Here are your main ones explained:

General littering: Between Dhs 500 and Dhs 1,500
If you throw your litter in a public place in Dubai you are indeed liable to pay a fine when caught. Places include public parks, beaches and roads... Pretty much everywhere, and includes the likes of throwing empty crisp packets, empty fizzy drink cans, paper and your cigarette butts! 

For your first offence, your fine is Dhs 500, and it will double or treble for each repeat offence made. 

This fine includes motorists too! If you're caught throwing anything out of your car windows on the roads, you'll face a fine. So keep a small trash bag in your car to avoid a fine - there's just no point. 

Spitting: Dhs 500, Dhs 1000
I think we can all agree that this is one of the most disgusting habits, and is extremely unhygenic. Thus, it's understandably pubishable by fines here in Dubai. Spitting saliva or sputtering on roads and other public areas is banned, and you will get a Dhs 500 fine. Chewing and spitting paan (betel leaves) also has a penalty of Dhs 1000.

Dripping water from AC units: Dhs 100
Now this is one we don't think everyone is aware of; but yes, if you have water dripping from an AC unit onto a public area you can incur a fine. So remember that next time you laugh at the waiter desperately drying to dry the AC ducts in a restaurant with what looks like a huge lollypop. 

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You might also be interested in:

• Your guide to RTA & Dubai Police Traffic Fines
• How to pay your traffic fines
• Check out our full Dubai FAQs

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Eating, drinking, chewing gum on public transport: Dhs 100
There are signs everywhere when you use public transport stating you cannot eat, drink, chew gum - or smoke for that matter. This is one that shouldn't be easily ignored, and is finable by Dhs 100. Dhs 200 if you're caught lighting up a cigarette.

Hanging clothes on the balcony: Dhs 500 to Dhs 1,500
We're all guilty of doing it, those of us living in apartment blocks, but it is inface a publishable offence with a fine between Dhs 500 and Dhs 1,500. Dubai does not allow residents to distort the image of the city by hanging clothes, installing dish antennas or placing junk on their balconies. And it's not just about aesthetics -- they're a fire hazard too. 

Generally building managers and developers will make these terms clear when you sign your tenancy contract. But if you flout the rule, face the fines. 

Keeping your car dirty: Dhs 500
Yep, if your car is considered too dirty by Dubai's standards you may return to your vehicle with a first issue notice placed under the windscreen wiper. But if you ignore the notices and they're not cleaned or removed within 15 days, you'll face confiscation by the municipality and face a Dhs 500 fine. 

Violation	Fine
Hanging clothes in balcones	Dhs 500
Barbecuing in unauthorised public places	Dhs 500
Not cleaning up after your pet has done their business	Dhs 500
Dirtying the street by washing cars in unauthorised places	Dhs 500
Having a dirty car	Dhs 500
Littering in beaches, sea, creek, ports	Dhs 1,000
Sticking posters, ads and flyers	Dhs 1,000
Grafitti	Dhs 500
Spitting paan in public places	Dhs 1,000
Urinating in public places	Dhs 500
Disposing of waste in public places or on sites other than those designated to dump them	Dhs 500
Eating, drinking, chewing gum on public transport	Dhs 100
Smoking on public transport	Dhs 200
Littering in public places	Dhs 500
Dropping waste or hazardous materials in places other than designated	Dhs 5,000
Dumping construction debris and remains in places other than approved dumping grounds	Dhs 5,000
Getting rid of waste water in open places	Dhs 100,000
Leakage of wastewater from the buildings or from water tank trucks on the road	Dhs 10,000
Fall of any solid or liquid substances from concrete mixer truckso n the road	Dhs 50,000
Disposing of used oil in the sewage networks or the septic tanks	Dhs 3,000
Littering garbage in sea water, creeks, beaches or ports	Dhs 1,000
Disposing of waste by setting it afire	Dhs 1,000
Throwing parts or branches of trees in undesignated areas	Dhs 1,000
Getting rid of wastewater from cleaning vehicles in unauthorised places	Dhs 500
Leaving vehicles or heavy equipment in public places causing damage to public health and safety	Dhs 500 plus impounding the vehicle/machinery after expiry of the granted period of warning
Not providing of a room or a chute inside the building for dumping waste	Dhs 5,000
Not maintaining waste-storing facilities in the building	Dhs 500
Not cleaning the buildings	Dhs 1,000
Private firms or residential compounds not providing proper waste-storage	Dhs 5,000
Not changing the garbage containers according to the quantitiy of the waste	Dhs 1,000
Offering cleaning and waste disposal services without licence	Dhs 5,000
Disposing of garbage hamrful to the public or garbage containers	Dhs 1,000
Moving garbage containers without approval	Dhs 200
Scavenging in the municipality's garbage bins to collect recyclable materials	Dhs 1,000
Damaging the garbage container or surroundings	Dhs 1,000
Parking vehicles near waste bins  in a way that obstruct municipality's garbage trucks	Dhs 1,000
Dumping garbage from private company-owned vehicles to municipality's waste bins	Dhs 1,000
Failing to implement a proper recycling plan to reduce waste production	Dhs 1,000
Bringing in, selling or using paan including betel leaves	Dhs 5,000
Not moving waste from auto garages on owners' expense to specified disposal sites	Dhs 1,000
Not cleaning or maintaining garbage storing places	Dhs 1,000
Changing or closing a garbage storing room in abuilding or compound	Dhs 5,000
Changing or closing garbage storing rooms in a multi-storeyed building completely or partially	Dhs 1,000 per each room