Accessibility laws · United Arab Emirates
UAE accessibility requirements and the Dubai policy
The UAE names WCAG 2.1 Level AA, and Dubai has its own policy on top of the federal position. Beyond that, our sources disagree with each other, and this page is going to say so rather than pick a side. Two publications from the same publisher give different federal law citations and different answers on whether private business is bound.
- Standard, agreed by both sources
- 2.1 AA
- Bound without dispute
- Gov
- Has its own policy
- Dubai
- Private-sector position
- Open
What the law is
What both of our sources agree on: the technical standard is WCAG 2.1 Level AA, Dubai operates its own accessibility policy alongside the federal framework, and government bodies are unambiguously covered.
What they disagree on: the federal instrument. One gives Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 with a Dubai Digital Accessibility Policy from 2020 and describes the private sector as encouraged. The other gives the UAE Disability Act, Federal Law No. 14 of 2009, with the Dubai Universal Design Code, and says both public and private sectors must comply.
We are not resolving that from secondary sources. A wrongly stated private-sector duty is exactly the kind of claim that damages a reader who acts on it, and the honest thing is to name the conflict and send you to somebody who can read the Arabic text.
This applies to you if…
- You run a UAE government digital service, where the duty is not in dispute.
- You run a private business in the UAE, where the position between our sources is genuinely unsettled. Check it with a UAE lawyer before you conclude either way.
- You are bidding into UAE government procurement, where WCAG 2.1 AA turns up as a condition regardless of how the private-sector debate resolves.
What it technically requires
- WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the named standard on both readings. An audit against WCAG 2.2 A and AA covers it entirely.
- No federal law number, no year, no fine figure and no private-sector conclusion appears elsewhere on this page, because our two sources contradict each other on all four.
All roads lead to WCAG. Start with Level AA, the legal standard or the full 55-rule library. Unfamiliar term along the way? The A to Z glossary decodes it.
How it is enforced
Through federal and emirate-level government channels. Dubai's own policy is the instrument most often cited in practice.
Key dates
- 2020Dubai's accessibility policy, per one of our two sources
What to do about it
Every obligation on this page is measured against WCAG, so the first step is knowing where you actually stand. Run the free 10-page scan for the machine-checkable slice. For the rest, we review the key journeys with an expert and a real blind screen-reader user, then attach a screenshot and a fix to every finding. $499, 5 business days.
Primary sources
Other laws
- United StatesADAWCAG 2.1 AA (Title II rule, de facto standard in Title III cases)
- European UnionEAAAnnex I, EN 301 549 (includes WCAG 2.1 AA)
- United States (federal)Section 508WCAG 2.0 AA (incorporated by the 2017 refresh)
- United States (aviation)ACAAWCAG 2.0 AA, named in 14 CFR 382.43
- United States (telecoms)Section 255WCAG 2.0 A and AA, through the Revised 255 Guidelines
- European UnionWeb Accessibility DirectiveEN 301 549 V3.2.1, which carries WCAG 2.1 AA
- California, USUnruh ActWCAG 2.1 AA (what courts and settlements expect)
- Manitoba, CanadaManitoba AMAWCAG 2.1 AA (Accessible Information and Communication Standard)
- ArgentinaArgentina Ley 26.653WCAG 2.0, referenced by the law
- ChinaChina PPD LawNo WCAG version named in the law itself
- ColombiaColombia guidelinesWCAG 2.1
- Hong KongHong Kong guidelinesWCAG 2.0
- TaiwanTaiwan 110.07WCAG 2.1 derivative
- Saudi ArabiaSaudi SWAWCAG 2.1 AA
- QatarQatar Law No. 2WCAG 2.1 AA
- Ontario, CanadaAODAWCAG 2.0 AA (excl. 1.2.4 & 1.2.5)
- United KingdomUK Equality ActWCAG A and AA, named in PSBAR regulation 9 as amended from time to time
- United States (healthcare)HHS Section 504WCAG 2.1 AA (2024 final rule)
- New York, USNew York HRLWCAG 2.1 AA (what complaints and settlements cite)
- Colorado, USColorado HB21-1110WCAG 2.1 AA (written into state standards)
- Canada (federal)Accessible Canada ActCAN/ASC-EN 301 549 → WCAG 2.1 AA
- NorwayNorway (Universal Design)WCAG 2.0 AA private / 2.1 AA public
- IsraelIsrael IS 5568WCAG 2.0 AA (via IS 5568)
- AustraliaAustralia DDAWCAG 2.2 AA (AHRC 2025 guidance)
- GermanyGermany BFSGEN 301 549 → WCAG 2.1 AA
- FranceFrance RGAARGAA (WCAG-based) / EN 301 549
- ItalyItaly Stanca ActWCAG 2.1 AA (AgID guidelines)
- JapanJapan JIS X 8341-3JIS X 8341-3:2016 = WCAG 2.0 AA
- SpainSpain RD 1112/2018UNE-EN 301549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA
- NetherlandsNetherlandsEN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA
- IrelandIrelandEN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA
- BrazilBrazil LBIeMAG, aligned with WCAG, plus ABNT NBR 17225 for web content
- IndiaIndia RPwDGIGW 3.0, which references WCAG 2.1
- New ZealandNew ZealandWCAG 2.2 Level AA
- South KoreaSouth KoreaKWCAG 2.2, a national standard aligned with WCAG
- SwitzerlandSwitzerland BehiGeCH-0059, which references WCAG 2.1 AA
- DenmarkDenmarkEN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA
Related on this site
What to read next, and the terms this page uses.
Orientation only, current as of August 2026. Not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. For your specific situation, talk to your own lawyer.