The UAE bans delivery backpacks from January 2027. Rider kit is now a compliance question.

From 1 January 2027, a delivery rider in the UAE who carries an order in a backpack is breaking federal traffic rules.

What the rules say

The change comes from Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2026, which sets out the implementing regulations of the UAE's federal traffic law. Article 10 gives professional drivers and delivery riders a list of duties. Riders must:

• use approved loading equipment for orders, not a backpack
• wear the prescribed uniform and keep a presentable appearance
• hold a valid professional permit and show it when asked
• use the approved systems installed in their vehicles
• not carry a passenger on a motorcycle while delivering

The regulations take effect across the UAE on 1 January 2027. What counts as "approved" equipment has not been spelled out in detail yet, so expect more guidance before the deadline.

What it means for field teams

Rider gear has always been a brand question. In the UAE it is now a compliance question too. The kit a rider carries decides whether they can work.

Buying boxes is the easy part. The hard part is the changeover. Fleets in the UAE include many riders who come through outside delivery agencies, and the swap lands in the busiest weeks of the year. Every hour a rider spends collecting new kit is an hour off the road.

Then comes the part most teams are not set up for: proof. A ban is easy to announce. Showing that every rider, across every agency, has an approved box, the right uniform and a valid permit on a given day is an operations job. Someone has to know what each rider was issued, when, and what needs replacing.

What to do next

1. Count what you have. List every backpack in use, by city and by agency.
2. Order early. Everyone in the market is buying the same category of equipment against the same date.
3. Plan the swap in waves. Change kit by zone or by shift so the fleet never drops below what demand needs.
4. Keep the record. Log what was issued, to whom and when. That log is your answer when a regulator or a platform asks.

This is not only a delivery story. Any company with a uniformed team on the road should expect the same question sooner or later: can you prove what your people are carrying?

Preparing a fleet for January? Contact our Experts.

Source: Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2026, as reported by Arabian Business and Gulf News.