ع
Article 68 of the new executive regulation sets a 75 percent minimum score for the practical driving test but states that candidates who create actual or potential danger to themselves or others will fail regardless of their marks. The same article allows examiners to fail any learner who requires verbal warnings or physical intervention to avert unsafe situations. Gulf News reported that these provisions form part of Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2026, which approves the Executive Regulation of Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on the Regulation of Traffic and was published in the UAE Federal Official Gazette on October 6, 2026.
The regulation identifies specific errors that count as potential danger, including unintentional vehicle movement when pulling away, mistakes while changing gears, contact between the vehicle’s wheels or body and barriers, and failure to position the car correctly in a parking space. Ignoring traffic signs or signals also qualifies for automatic failure under the new rules. Khaleej Times reported that the framework applies equally to the theory test, where candidates must likewise reach the 75 percent threshold to pass.
Judicial counsellor Hesham Elrafei explained that the updated text distinguishes between serious mistakes triggering outright failure and smaller errors penalised through the marking system. The 2026 regulation builds on Article 97 of Ministerial Resolution No. 130 of 1997, which required the same 75 percent benchmark and listed dangerous faults leading to failure. According to multiple outlets the new wording makes explicit that a passing score offers no protection when safety violations occur.
The Ministry of Interior figures show traffic fatalities across the UAE fell by 74 percent between 2011 and 2025, a decline the ministry attributed to stricter enforcement, artificial intelligence monitoring and sustained awareness campaigns. In 2025 alone the ministry recorded 6,014 major accidents and issued more than 558,000 new driving licences. RoadSafetyUAE analysis of the ministry data found that nearly 60 percent of those major accidents stemmed from four violations including sudden swerving, distracted driving, tailgating and inattention.
Each emirate’s licensing authority will retain responsibility for detailed assessment criteria while operating under the federal standards. The regulation does not mandate that a test end immediately upon a dangerous error, leaving examiners some discretion on whether to continue. Khaleej Times reported that the changes aim to reinforce defensive driving habits among the growing number of new licence holders entering the country’s roads.
