UNCLASSIFIED · OPEN SOURCES Launch offer: your household plan and Phaenyx Safe are free for a limited time (regular price $29). Build my plan →
PHAENYXCivil preparedness EN

AE · civil preparedness

Emergency preparedness in the UAE: what the authorities ask

UAE preparedness at a glance: NCEMA's emergency guide, two weeks of basic food, cell-broadcast alerts, sirens and the 999/998/997 numbers.

Updated 2026-10-20· 4 official sources· اقرأ بالعربية

United Arab Emirates at a glance

updated 2026-10-20
SuppliesNCEMA's 'Your Guide for Emergencies' asks households to keep a ready-packed emergency kit and to stock basic food.sourcedPublic sheltersNCEMA's guide describes home, floor, staircase and public shelters, the public ones built in public complexes such as metro stations, residential complexes, schools, mosques, community centres, government buildings and underground public car parks, and tells people to find them by signs and on 'the website'.to confirmAlertsThe National Early Warning System, started in 2017, sends cell-broadcast warnings to mobile phones.sourcedIodinePotassium iodide tablets at thyroid-blocking strength (65 mg and 130 mg) are listed as prescription-only medicines (POM) in the Abu Dhabi Department of Health drug list.sourcedPrivate shelterNo shelter-specific permit or declaration for a household was found in the UAE.to confirm
Shelter standardsNo published UAE technical standard or approval scheme for civil-protection shelters was found.not published
Emergency numbersThe same emergency numbers work across all seven emirates: 999 police, 998 ambulance, 997 fire and civil defence, 996 coastguard and 995 search and rescue.sourced
Crisis bookletNCEMA publishes 'Your Guide for Emergencies' (the PDF file is named 'Daleel', Arabic for 'guide'), a 118-page English booklet.sourced
Personal plan · $29 Free

Your plan for United Arab Emirates

Your country's official list, counted for your people, your pets and your home, with the risks around your address.

Includes Phaenyx Safe: tell your people you are safe in one tap, your position even with no signal.

Build my plan →Try the app

Short answer. In the UAE, NCEMA is the federal authority for emergencies, crises and disasters 1. Its booklet Your Guide for Emergencies asks households to keep a ready-packed emergency kit and gives an example of two weeks of basic food per person 2. Warnings reach phones through the National Early Warning System 1. In all seven emirates, call 999 for police, 998 for an ambulance, 997 for fire 1.

Who is responsible for civil preparedness in the UAE?

  • NCEMA is the federal authority for emergencies, crises and disasters and runs the early warning system 1.
  • The Ministry of Interior and Civil Defence handle alerts, civil defence and fire 1. Federal Decree-Law No. 35 of 2024 reorganised the Civil Defence Authority, which now sits within NCEMA 4.
  • The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) is the nuclear regulator 1. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) operates the Barakah nuclear plant and describes the public arrangements around it 3.

What is on each page?

  • Emergency supplies — a ready-packed emergency kit, an example list of two weeks of basic food per person, and one week of water and food in the earthquake survival kit. NCEMA gives no daily water volume 2.
  • Kit — NCEMA's emergency kit and food list, line by line 2.
  • Public shelters — NCEMA's guide places public shelters in metro stations, schools, mosques, government buildings and underground car parks, found by their signs; no official count or online map was found, and this page is still to be verified 2.
  • Alerts — the National Early Warning System (since 2017) and three siren signals: "Warning", "Out of danger" and "Important announcement" 12.
  • Iodine — ENEC says stable iodine tablets may be given to evacuees at reception centres around Barakah; pharmacy status not confirmed, page still to be verified 3.
  • Build a shelter — the Civil Defence supervises shelter preparation in buildings under Decree-Law No. 35 of 2024, but no procedure for a household shelter was found; still to be verified 4.
  • Emergency contacts — 999, 998, 997, 996, 995 and the utility numbers 1.

No published UAE technical standard for civil-protection shelters was found, so there is no shelter-standards page for this country 4.

Which official document should I read first?

NCEMA's Your Guide for Emergencies is a 118-page English booklet covering natural disasters and power outages, war emergencies, sabotage, first aid, fire, people with special needs and the emergency kit 2. Its National Media Council licence is 510/2013, and the PDF was created in September 2014 2. The u.ae portal still linked to it on its page updated 6 November 2025 1. An Arabic edition was not located.

How were these pages checked?

On 2026-10-20, ncema.gov.ae refused connections from outside the UAE, and the live u.ae page returned a 404 error. Both were read from Wayback Machine copies (12 March 2026 for the NCEMA guide, 8 March 2026 for u.ae) 12. Some 2026 events, such as cell-broadcast missile alerts and a false alert, were reported only by the press; these pages say so where relevant and do not present them as official. Pages marked "to be verified" contain points that no official source could confirm.

For a general approach to planning, see /guides/family-plan and /guides/two-week-supplies.

Frequently asked questions

Who runs emergency management in the UAE?

NCEMA, the federal authority for emergencies, crises and disasters, which also runs the early warning system 1. Civil Defence, reorganised by Decree-Law No. 35 of 2024, is now within NCEMA 4.

How much food does the UAE recommend storing?

NCEMA's guide gives an example of two weeks of basic food per person, and says quantities depend on family size 2.

What number do I call in an emergency in the UAE?

999 for police, 998 for an ambulance and 997 for fire and civil defence, in all seven emirates 1.

Does the UAE have a nuclear plant?

Yes, Barakah, operated by ENEC. ENEC describes public warning and iodine arrangements around it 3.

Sources

  1. The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) — Handling emergencies — https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/justice-safety-and-the-law/handling-emergencies (accessed 2026-10-20; page updated 6 Nov 2025, read from the Wayback Machine copy of 2026-03-08)
  2. National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) — Your Guide for Emergencies — https://www.ncema.gov.ae/content/documents/NCEMA%20Eng%20Daleel.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20; read from the Wayback Machine copy of 2026-03-12)
  3. Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) — Emergency Preparedness — https://www.enec.ae/regulation/safety-at-enec/emergency-preparedness/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
  4. UAE Legislation (uaelegislation.gov.ae) — Federal Decree-Law No. (35) of 2024 On the Reorganization of the Civil Defence Authority — https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2771 (accessed 2026-10-20; read from a Wayback Machine copy)

Turn this into action

Your plan for United Arab Emirates, worked out for your household.

  • Water, food and equipment counted for each person and pet
  • The nuclear plants and zones around your home
  • Phaenyx Safe: one tap to tell your people you are safe
$29Freelimited timeBuild my plan →Try Phaenyx Safe

Sources

  1. The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) · Handling emergencies checked 2026-10-20
  2. National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) · Your Guide for Emergencies checked 2026-10-20
  3. Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) · Emergency Preparedness checked 2026-10-20
  4. UAE Legislation (uaelegislation.gov.ae) · Federal Decree-Law No. (35) of 2024 On the Reorganization of the Civil Defence Authority checked 2026-10-20

Keep reading: Overview