CCTV for Jewellery Shops & Exchange Houses in Dubai: SIRA Guide

If you run a jewellery shop, gold trading counter, exchange house, or pawnshop in Dubai, your CCTV system has to clear a higher bar than a typical retail store. Beyond standard SIRA licensing, these premises fall under Dubai Police's Security Industry Department (SID) classification of "high-security" businesses — which means stricter camera specifications, longer footage retention, and mandatory approval before you open your doors. Getting this wrong doesn't just risk a fine; it can delay your trade licence renewal.

Why Jewellery Shops and Exchange Houses Are Treated Differently

Cash-intensive, high-value businesses — jewellers, gold souk traders, exchange houses, and pawnshops — are classified by Dubai Police as high-risk targets for theft and fraud. As a result, their security systems must be SIRA-compliant and separately approved by the Security Industry Department before commercial operation. This applies to CCTV, intruder alarm systems, and access control equipment alike.

What the 2026 Requirements Actually Cover

Camera Resolution and Coverage

• Minimum 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) resolution at 25 frames per second or higher, with infrared night vision and Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) to handle glare off glass display counters
• Dedicated cameras on every entry and exit point, each display case, the cash counter, and any back-office safe or storage room
• Facial-recognition-capable cameras positioned at entrances so faces are captured clearly, not just the tops of heads

Recording and Retention

• Continuous 24/7 recording — motion-only recording is not accepted for high-security premises
• Footage must be retained for a minimum of 90 days, compared to the standard 31-day requirement for lower-risk businesses
• Recordings stored on an encrypted, password-protected NVR with up-to-date firmware, and configured for remote access by Dubai Police when required

Installer Requirements

• The system must be designed, supplied, and installed by a SIRA-licensed company — self-installed or unlicensed systems will not pass approval
• Site plans and camera layouts typically need sign-off from Dubai Police SID before final certification, in addition to the standard SIRA inspection

A Practical Checklist Before You Apply

1. Confirm your business activity code requires SID (not just SIRA) approval — jewellery, gold trading, exchange, and pawnbroking licences almost always do
2. Map every display case, till point, safe, stockroom, and entrance that needs dedicated camera coverage
3. Choose 4K cameras with WDR and IR night vision — Hikvision and UNV both offer SIRA-recognised ranges suited to jewellery and cash-handling environments
4. Size your NVR storage for 90 days of continuous 4K footage across every channel, not the 31-day default most systems ship with
5. Pair CCTV with an integrated intruder alarm and, where required, access control on the stockroom or vault door
6. Schedule your SIRA and Dubai Police inspection with enough lead time before your target opening date — approvals are not same-day

Don't Treat This as a One-Time Box to Tick

High-security CCTV systems need ongoing maintenance to stay compliant — a failed camera, a full hard drive, or expired firmware can put you out of compliance without anyone noticing until an inspection or, worse, an incident. An Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) that includes storage health checks, firmware updates, and camera calibration keeps your system audit-ready year-round instead of scrambling before a renewal.

Get It Right the First Time

Merac Dubai is a SIRA-approved supplier and installer of CCTV and access control systems, with experience fitting out jewellery retailers, exchange houses, and cash-handling premises across Dubai and the UAE. We handle the camera layout, 4K Hikvision and UNV equipment selection, NVR storage sizing for 90-day retention, and coordination with SIRA and Dubai Police SID approval — so you open on schedule and stay compliant.

📞 Call or WhatsApp Merac Dubai today to book a site survey for your jewellery shop, exchange house, or high-security premises, or to bring an existing system up to 2026 compliance standards.