Is Khat legal in United Arab Emirates?
- Legal status
- Illegal — BOTH controlled; Catha edulis is named on the narcotic schedule under Federal Law No. 14 of 1995, and the alkaloids are scheduled. Mechanism: NAMED (plant + alkaloid). The death penalty exists for trafficking, but khat cases draw life/long imprisonment plus deportation in practice — below the realistic capital tier.
- Consequences if caught
- Zero tolerance; possession has drawn life sentences and deportation. Never transit khat through UAE airports.
- If prescribed or medical
- Khat is traditional plant material with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route; the plant is named on the narcotic schedule and seized at the border.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with United Arab Emirates’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →