How do I get a GACA drone permit for a construction site in Saudi Arabia?
A construction-site drone flight in Saudi Arabia needs three GACA approvals stacked: an Operator Certificate for the company (annual, SAR 4,000 to 8,000 fees), Aircraft Registration for each drone over 250 g (one-off, SAR 500 per UAS), and a Mission Permit per flight or campaign (5 to 10 working days standard, faster with prior framework approval). Site coordinates, altitude, dates and pilot licences are mandatory.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) regulates all unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations in the Kingdom under Civil Aviation Regulations (CASR) Part 165. As of 2026, applications run through the GACA UAS portal at uas.gaca.gov.sa.
The three layered approvals
1. UAS Operator Certificate (UOC)
A company-level licence proving the operator has SOPs, insured pilots, maintenance records, and a designated accountable manager. Categories:
- Open — under 25 kg MTOW, line-of-sight, under 120 m AGL, away from people. Most construction work fits.
- Specific — BVLOS, night ops, over 120 m, near critical infrastructure. Required for pipeline corridors and large NEOM-class sites.
- Certified — heavier UAS, transport, swarms.
Annual fee SAR 4,000 to 8,000 depending on category. Issuance time 4 to 8 weeks for first-time applicants.
2. Aircraft Registration
Every UAS over 250 g must hold a Saudi registration mark (HZ-UAS-xxxx). One-off SAR 500 fee per airframe. Registration is the airframe's, not the pilot's. Re-registration on transfer of ownership.
3. Mission Permit (per flight or campaign)
Submitted via the GACA UAS portal. Required documents:
- Site coordinates (KML or shapefile of the operation polygon).
- Maximum altitude AGL.
- Date and time window (start and end).
- Pilot Remote ID and licence number.
- UAS registration number.
- Letter of authorisation from the site owner.
- Risk assessment (SORA-aligned for Specific category).
Typical decision timeline 5 to 10 working days for Open category in non-restricted airspace; 14 to 21 working days for Specific category or operations near KSC airspace (Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah, Tabuk).
Restricted and prohibited zones to know
| Zone | Status |
|---|---|
| Within 5 km of any controlled airport | Permit + ATC coordination required |
| Within 3 km of military installations | Prohibited unless MoD letter |
| Two Holy Mosques (Makkah, Madinah) | Prohibited |
| Royal palaces and ministerial buildings | Prohibited |
| Aramco facilities (Abqaiq, Khurais, Ras Tanura) | Permit + Aramco letter |
| NEOM sandbox airspace | NEOM coordinates with GACA on a per-mission basis |
NOTAM and airspace integration
For Specific category or any flight inside controlled airspace, GACA issues a NOTAM. Typical NOTAM lead time is 48 to 72 hours before the operation window. Operators must monitor NOTAMs for any conflicting activity inside the operation polygon.
Pilot requirements
- Minimum age 18.
- GACA Remote Pilot Licence (theoretical exam + practical assessment).
- Class 2 medical certificate (renewed every 5 years under 40, every 2 years over 40).
- English language proficiency for controlled-airspace ops.
Practical timeline for a one-off construction survey
If your contractor or vendor already holds a UOC and registered UAS, expect a 5 to 10 working-day mission permit. From a cold start (no operator or aircraft on file), budget 6 to 10 weeks. For repeat surveys on the same site, GACA grants framework approvals covering 12 months of recurring missions.
For vendor selection, see picking a drone survey company in Saudi Arabia.
