Yes — the UAE has air-conditioned indoor smoking rooms after security at Dubai International, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Maktoum. Dubai International (DXB) has ventilated rooms in all three terminals, including Winston- and Ploom-branded rooms right by the gates; Abu Dhabi’s Terminal A (AUH) has one room per pier after passport control; and Sharjah (SHJ) confines smoking to its designated indoor rooms airside — smoking anywhere else on its premises, including outdoors, is illegal. At these airports you can light up near your gate without ever leaving the secure zone.
UAE Airports Compared: Before and After Security
Before security, you can always smoke outside: at a designated smoking area where there is one, or outside the airport property, beyond the terminal kerb and car parks. After security, Yes means there is a smoking area past security and a dash means none is listed. Each airport’s page has the details.
| Airport | Before security | After security |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi (AUH) | Yes | Yes |
| Al Ain (AAN) | Yes | – |
| Dubai (DXB) | Yes | Yes |
| Dubai Al Maktoum (DWC) | Yes | Yes |
| Fujairah (FJR) | Yes | – |
| Ras Al Khaimah (RKT) | Yes | – |
| Sharjah (SHJ) | Yes | Yes |
Smoking Regulations at UAE Airports
The UAE’s Federal Law No. 15 of 2009 on Tobacco Control prohibits smoking in enclosed public places and allows airports to provide designated smoking areas. All four major UAE international airports — Dubai International (DXB), Abu Dhabi Zayed International (AUH), Sharjah (SHJ), and Al Maktoum (DWC) — offer designated indoor smoking rooms for passengers. These air-conditioned facilities are located near departure gates and transit areas.
The smoking rooms are free for all passengers. E-cigarettes and vaping have been legal in the UAE since April 2019; no UAE airport publishes a rule on vaping inside its smoking rooms, so ask staff at the door before using one there.
What to Expect at UAE Airports
Smoking rooms at Dubai International, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Maktoum are enclosed and air-conditioned, with ventilation. They are available after security in both departure and transit areas, so you do not need to leave the secure zone. Ras Al Khaimah (RKT) has an indoor room in each of its two terminal buildings; the airport’s own listing does not say whether the Departure Terminal room is before or after security, so ask at an information desk once inside. The number of rooms varies by airport: Dubai International has rooms in all three terminals and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International one in each Terminal A pier, while Sharjah and Al Maktoum each have a single passenger terminal.
Best Airports for Smokers in the UAE
- Dubai International (DXB) — Indoor smoking rooms in all three terminals, including the transit area: 13 smoking lounges on Dubai Airports’ own map (eight in Terminal 3, three in Terminal 1, two in Terminal 2). In Terminal 1, travellers describe a Camel-branded room between Gates D12 and D13 and a Winston-branded room near Gate D1; in Terminal 3 they describe a room near Gate A2, a Winston room near Gates B3/B7, a Ploom room near Gates B25/B27, and rooms near Gates C9 and C23. Terminal 2’s two lounges are in the main terminal’s departures and boarding-gate area.
- Abu Dhabi — Zayed International (AUH) — All flights use the new Terminal A (opened November 2023; the airport was renamed Zayed International in 2024), with a smoking room in each gate pier and lounge smoking rooms in the Etihad Business Class and Pearl lounges. Etihad Airways hub.
- Sharjah International (SHJ) — Air Arabia’s home hub, about 30 minutes from Dubai. Indoor smoking rooms available in the compact single-terminal building; smoking anywhere else on the premises, including outdoors, is illegal.
- Al Maktoum International (DWC) — Dubai’s second airport in Jebel Ali, currently handling limited passenger flights. Air-conditioned indoor smoking rooms both landside and after security in the single passenger terminal, plus an outdoor smoking area by the entrance.
- Ras Al Khaimah International (RKT) — An Air Arabia hub since 2014. Indoor smoking rooms are provided in both the Arrival Terminal and Departure Terminal buildings; the airport’s own listing does not say whether the Departure Terminal room is before or after security, and the business lounge itself is listed as non-smoking.
Al Ain International (AAN) and Fujairah International (FJR) publish no smoking facility.
Tips for Smokers at UAE Airports
- Dubai International, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Maktoum have smoking facilities after security — no need to leave the secure zone at these four
- Ras Al Khaimah has indoor rooms in both terminal buildings; its listing does not say which side of security the departure room is on
- Smoking rooms are air-conditioned, ventilated, and free to use
- Vaping is banned in the general terminal areas; the airports publish no rule for their smoking rooms — ask staff at the door
- Several premium airline lounges include dedicated smoking sections
- On a long layover, Dubai International has rooms in all three terminals (Terminals 1 and 3 are joined airside) and Abu Dhabi has one in each Terminal A pier
- Smoking outside designated areas can result in fines under UAE federal law