General Civil Aviation Authority — UAE, Abu Dhabi
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Operational · Federal Regulator
Regulator · Abu Dhabi · UAE

General Civil Aviation Authority — UAE

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is the UAE federal regulator for civil aviation. GCAA is responsible for airworthiness certification of eVTOL aircraft, vertiport regulations, Air Operator Certificates, and bilateral relationships with the FAA and EASA. The Director General is H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi.

TypeFederal civil aviation regulator
HqAbu Dhabi, UAE
Director GeneralH.E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi
Evtol ProgrammesJoby S4, Archer Midnight, EHang EH216-S
First World Vertiport Regulation2023
Hybrid Heliport FrameworkJuly 2025
StatusOperational

About

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is the United Arab Emirates' federal civil aviation regulator. GCAA is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and led by Director General H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi. The Assistant Director-General for Aviation Safety Affairs is H.E. Aqeel Al Zarouni.

GCAA's mandate covers all civil aviation activity in the UAE: airworthiness type-certification, vertiport regulations, airspace integration, Air Operator Certificate issuance, and bilateral relationships with the FAA and EASA. In 2023 GCAA published what it described as the world's first national regulation for vertiports. In July 2025 GCAA introduced a hybrid heliport framework allowing eVTOL aircraft and conventional helicopters to operate from the same infrastructure. GCAA is currently conducting type-acceptance work on the Joby S4, Archer Midnight, and EHang EH216-S.

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Frequently asked questions

What is GCAA UAE?
GCAA UAE is the General Civil Aviation Authority — the UAE federal civil aviation regulator. GCAA is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and is responsible for airworthiness certification, vertiport regulations, Air Operator Certificates, and bilateral relationships with the FAA and EASA. The Director General is H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi.
What is GCAA UAE's role in eVTOL regulation?
GCAA UAE is the federal regulator for eVTOL airworthiness, vertiport design and operations, and Air Operator Certificate issuance. GCAA published what it described as the world's first national regulation for vertiports in 2023, and a hybrid heliport framework in July 2025.
Has GCAA UAE certified the Joby S4?
As of 1 May 2026, GCAA UAE has not published a Type Certificate for the Joby S4. Certification work is ongoing. Joby has stated it is pursuing 'qualification' for UAE operations rather than full type certification, leveraging FAA progress on the same airframe.
Has GCAA UAE certified the Archer Midnight?
As of 1 May 2026, GCAA UAE has not published a Type Certificate for the Archer Midnight. GCAA has conducted certification workshops at Archer's California headquarters and has approved the design of the first hybrid heliport associated with Archer's UAE operations at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal in April 2025.
What is GCAA UAE's hybrid heliport framework?
GCAA UAE's hybrid heliport framework was introduced in July 2025 and allows eVTOL aircraft and conventional helicopters to operate from the same physical infrastructure under a single set of regulatory requirements. The first design acceptance was granted to the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal in April 2025.
Where is GCAA UAE based?
GCAA UAE is based in Abu Dhabi, the federal capital of the United Arab Emirates. As the federal civil aviation regulator, GCAA's mandate covers all seven Emirates of the UAE.

Sources

  1. [wam-gcaa-2025-11-03] WAM — UAE advances global air mobility leadership through GCAA eVTOL certification (3 Nov 2025) official-news · accessed 2026-05-01
  2. [wam-hybrid-2025-07] GCAA / WAM — UAE allows eVTOLs and helicopters to operate from the same infrastructure (Jul 2025) official-news · accessed 2026-05-01
  3. [archer-ir-2024-12-06] Archer Aviation IR — Abu Dhabi and Archer Cross-Industry Stakeholders Agreement (6 Dec 2024) operator-ir · accessed 2026-05-01
  4. [archer-ir-2025-10-08] Archer Aviation IR — Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Hospital Vertiport (8 Oct 2025) — references April 2025 GCAA hybrid heliport design acceptance operator-ir · accessed 2026-05-01
  5. [rta-mediaoffice-2025-11-16] Dubai Media Office — RTA and Joby Complete First Crewed eVTOL Aerial Taxi Flight (16 Nov 2025) official-news · accessed 2026-05-01
  6. [gcaa-website] General Civil Aviation Authority — official website regulatory · accessed 2026-05-01

Verification flags

Published 1 May 2026· Last verified 2026-05-01
See also
AircraftJoby S4 (UAE Operations)trial-onlyAircraftArcher Midnight (Abu Dhabi)trial-onlyAircraftEHang EH216-S (UAE)trial-only
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