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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

Taking khat out of United Arab Emirates

STATUS · PROHIBITED

Khat is a controlled substance in United Arab Emirates — cathinone scheduling means there is no lawful personal export.

Details

Khat (Catha edulis) contains cathinone and cathine, which are scheduled substances in United Arab Emirates under Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2021 on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances — fresh khat is treated as a controlled drug, so possession and export are offences. Khat found at departure screening is seized and the carrier prosecuted under the same framework as at arrival. The plant is a licit commodity only in a small number of producing countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen); everywhere in this site's coverage of this route, carrying it across the border is unlawful.

Quantity limits

Zero — controlled substance

The other direction

INBOUND

Bringing khat into United Arab Emirates(prohibited)

Sources

VERIFIED · 2026-07-25Report a correction
RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES46UNIQUE SOURCES645LATEST VERIFICATION2026-07-26MethodologyChangelog