Through licensing maritime training centres, DMCA aims to verify their compliance with local requirements and international standards with regards to trainers’ qualifications, classroom requirements, training equipment availability and training marine craft specifications.

Stages of Maritime Training Center Licensing:

After completing all requirements, the maritime training center permit will be issued in the following two stages.

1. Submittal of all required documents for initial approval.
2. Booking an appointment for site visit and paying the set fees for license issuance.

First Stage: initial approval issuance

Required Documents:

1. Request letter from the facility owner along with a study for establishing the centre that includes address, centre equipment, general location plan with all details and facilities for training.
2. Copy of Emirates ID card and passport for UAE applicants, and copy of Emirates ID card, passport and valid residence visa for expatriates, provided that the age of the owner or manager of the centre shall not be less than 25 years.
3. Copy of valid experience certificates for owner or manager.
4. Copy of DED commercial license.
5. Permit copy of Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
6. List of names, qualifications and experience of employees at the center.
7. Providing general location plan for the centre, including all training facilities.
8. Providing action plan that includes training activities to be practiced in the centre along with details of training tools and equipment.

Upon receiving and reviewing the required documents, the initial approval shall be issued to complete procedures of the maritime license issuance through DED system. Maritime facility owner shall complete all DMCA requirements and apply for final inspection before practicing his activity.

Stage Two: issuance of final approval

Upon ensuring completion of all DMCA requirements, the facility owner shall apply for the final approval which also includes site visit of maritime activity location. Additionally, DMCA, in cooperation with the licensing authority, shall have the right to cancel the training centre license in case of failing to meet all requirements for practicing activity, or has not completed the required shortfalls within the deadline.

Through licensing maritime training centres, DMCA aims to verify their compliance with local requirements and international standards with regards to trainers’ qualifications, classroom requirements, training equipment availability and training marine craft specifications.

Stages of Licensing Diving Training Centres:

After completing all requirements, the maritime training center permit will be issued through the following two stages.

1. Submittal of all required documents for initial approval.
2. Booking an appointment for site visit and paying the set fees for license issuance.

First Stage: initial approval issuance

 Required Documents:

1. Request letter from the facility owner along with a study for establishing the centre that includes address, centre equipment, general location plan with all details and facilities for training.
2. Copy of Emirates ID card and passport for UAE applicants, and copy of Emirates ID card, passport and valid residence visa for expatriates, provided that the age of the owner or manager of the centre shall not be less than 25 years.
3. Copy of valid experience certificates for owner or manager.
4. Copy of DED commercial license.
5. Permit copy of Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
6. List of names, qualifications and experience of employees at the center.
7. Providing general location plan for the centre, including all training facilities.
8. Providing action plan that includes training activities to be practiced in the centre along with details of training tools and equipment.
9. Provide valid insurance policy during the permit term against professional liability issued by an insurer licensed to operate in the UAE provided that the insurance amount shall not be less than AED (500,000) five-hundred thousand dirhams.

Stage Two: issuance of final approval

Upon receiving and reviewing the required documents, the initial approval shall be issued to complete procedures of the maritime license issuance through DED system. Maritime facility owner shall complete all DMCA requirements and apply for final inspection before practicing his activity.

Training Center Requirments:

The following shall be available in the training center:

1. Diving safety instructions in Arabic and English fixed inside the centre.
2. Complaints and suggestion box provided that the forms to be used shall be in both Arabic and English.
3. Suitable place to hand over and receive diving equipment.
4. Pool dedicated to train diving beginners.
5. Locker room to store visitors’ equipment or those of the training participants.
6. Suitable place to wash equipment after diving
7. Suitable place to store and keep equipment safe and undamaged.
8. Suitable ventilated place to operate cylinder filling air compressors.
9. Training halls, administration office and sanitary facilities.
10. Air conditioning system, fire detection and firefighting equipment and emergency exists.
11. Suitable communication systems (telephone, fax, internet, e-mail);
12. Classrooms with suitable sizes to accommodate the trainees, equipped with:

• Projectors and internet.
• One or more board for writing and drawing.
• Classroom desks and tables.
• Training material including diving approaches, equipment and tools.

Diving Training Equipment Requirments:

The trainnig center shall provide the following diving training equipment providing that they arewith its name affixed on them, to suit the number of trainees:

1. Set of fins in different sizes.
2. Diving masks and their accessories.
3. Buoyancy compensator vests in different sizes.
4. Diving suits in different sizes.
5. Air regulators and air ducts connected to buoyancy compensator vests.
6. Floodable meters to measure air pressure in cylinders, water depth and temperature and a compass to determine direction.
7. Diving session planning seclude or electronic watches (diving computers) to show depth, pressure, stop periods and other diving details.
8. Weight belts with quick release clips to be used according to the diver’s weight and depth of diving spot.
9. Number of lead weights to suit the number of available belts in the training centre.
10. Rescue equipment to suit the diving activities, including a communication device, first aid equipment and oxygen units.
11. Oxygen units for emergencies allowing inhaling pure oxygen, in 15 litre per minute, sufficient for twenty minutes. Such cylinders shall be in one unique colour to be distinguished from other ones.
12. Additional backup diving cylinders of not less than 50% of the cylinders used in practical diving training.
13. One or more air compressors with capacity not less than 250 litres per minute to fill oxygen cylinders.
14. Maritime craft licensed by DMCA and equipped with a suitable place to fix backup cylinders, diving ladder, umbrella, rescue equipment and safe locations to store diving equipment.

Diving Training Centre Obligations:

The Training Centre Management shall comply with the following:

1. No trainee shall be admitted for diving unless he is familiar with swimming;
2. No trainee shall be accepted if he is less than (10) ten years old, and no trainee shall be allowed to dive alone if he is less than (15) years unless with another individual not less than (18) years old.
3. If the trainee is less than (18) eighteen years old, he or his guardian shall sign a statement on his medical condition and capacity to bear diving. The centre shall ensure that the trainee is fit at all times of training when moving from one stage to another.
4.  Keep diving record for each trainee to document the number of diving times.
5. No provision of diving certificate to the trainee unless he passes success requirements of each program.
6. Beginners shall train only in the daytime.
7. The Centre shall not hire any trainer or guide unless such trainer or guide is authorised by DMCA and registered in her records.
8. The training centre shall develop emergency response plan for emergencies during diving training.
9. The centre shall only rent diving equipment to those authorised by local or international diving clubs and associations.
10. Check and calibrate equipment used for diving on annual basis. Also check oxygen cylinders periodically provided that the period shall not exceed 5 years.
11. Keep full records of information pertaining to diving training and DMCA shall have the right to access and require copies of such records.
12. Provide training program manual, requirements and procedures of admission, fees and timings of enrollment in all programs, in both Arabic and English
13. Develop action plan to include without limitations:

• Training programs and their local and international certifications.
• Centre admission and registration system.
• Tests and assessment system.
• Public communication system.
• Trainers’ educational and practical qualifications.
• Strategic local and international partners.
• Types of certificates issued by the centre.
• Certificates verification mechanism.
• Training programs fees.

14. Provide and maintain records for not less than (3) years to include, without limitations:

• Names, nationalities and addresses of participants in diving and training courses.
• Commencement and expiry date of training courses and participants’ attendance lists.
• Statistics of centre certificates, including their types, numbers and validity period.
• Trainers names, qualifications and resumes.
• License copies of maritime crafts for diving training.
• Copies of inspection reports, technical calibration of equipment used in diving training.

Certification of trainers and guides working in the centre:

1. To be fully competent and not less than (22) twenty-two years old.
2. To hold maritime trainer license approved by DMCA.
3. To hold a diving trainer certificate approved by one of the local or international diving associations, as well as certificate in maritime rescue and first aid skills.
4. To have the qualifications and experience that would suit the nature of the training programs delivered at the centre.
5. To have good conduct and with no previous conviction in a crime or felony involving moral turpitude or dishonesty.
6. To be medically fit.
7. To successfully pass all tests, training programs and interviews decided by DMCA
8. All certificates held by the trainer shall be valid.