Types of Road Signs in Dubai 2023

Road signs in Dubai are essential for traffic regulation, and it's important that you know about them before going on your journey.

All in all, you just can’t just step into a country, especially in Dubai, without knowing their road signs as the road networks are quite complex. You can easily see those signs on, over, or next to public roads. Keep on reading so that you can know all that you need regarding the road signs in Dubai.

What are the different types of road signs?

The three types of road signs you will come across in any country are regulatory, warning, and guide. There might be more categories but knowing these basics is enough to get started.

Here is a quick rundown of all of them so that you can easily navigate through the roads of Dubai without any issues.

Regulatory Signs.

If you are planning to move through the roads swiftly, you must be aware of these regulatory signs. Among all the road signs in Dubai, this category is the most important because it controls road users’ actions. Through these signs, you can tell what to do and what not to do. The regulatory signs are further divided into the following categories:

Control Signs

Control signs are used to tell the driver the direction of travel, right of way, or prohibition from entering certain areas. The stop sign is a red-colored octagon that has a stop written on it in English and Arabic. There are arrows pointing to certain directions on a blue board telling you how you must go. The upside-down triangle with red border means give way, and the ‘Do not enter sign is a red circle with a white line in the middle.

Mandatory Signs

As you can tell by the name, these signs are mandatory to follow. Drivers can know what course of action they need to take on that road through these signs. You should expect to see these signs all over Dubai. Some examples of these signs are- signs that require drivers to maintain a certain speed limit, where to turn, and so on.

Prohibitory Signs

Prohibitory signs are signs that will let the drivers know the actions they need to avoid while being on that road. For instance, signs prohibiting the driver from taking a left or right turn, u-turn, exceeding a particular speed level, overtaking, and honking horns. You may get in trouble if you don’t stick to these prohibitions.

Parking Control Signs 

As implied in the name, this particular road sign in Dubai controls the rules regarding parking. Through these, the driver can understand if it’s okay to park or not and if there are any restrictions for parking there. These include paid parking signs, parking for disabled individuals, and more.

Warning Signs

Warning signs are really important for you to know so that you can avoid any hazardous situation on the road. These road signs in Dubai help drivers see if there is a potentially dangerous situation. Just like regulatory signs, there are some sub-categories here as well.

The various types of warning signs are:

Advanced warning signs

Just as the name suggests, these warning signs are there to alert drivers in advance. Some common advanced warning signs are- traffic signs ahead, give way signs ahead, junction ahead, T intersection, U-turn ahead, riverbank ahead, the road narrows on both sides, and many more. It is crucial for you to follow these signs in order to avoid any kind of accident.

Hazard Marker Signs

Through these signs, drivers can identify if there are any physical hazards ahead of them. Some of these signs are hazard markers, T junction chevrons, multiple chevrons right, and hazard plates.

Diagrammatic Warning Signs

These types of warning signs are used in places where advanced warning signs may fail to highlight a potential hazard to drivers. For example, right lane closure ahead, joining lane, five lanes merging to four lanes, additional lane ahead, and so on.

Guide Signs

While it may seem like these signs are placed randomly, they actually serve an important purpose. They allow you to know what direction your journey takes and even help confirm if this path is correct for the next steps in travel or not!

Some of the common types of guide signs are:

• Trailblazing signs: These signs have very distinctive and recognizable symbols on them. With the help of these signs, you can reassure yourself that you are on the right path as they are placed en route to guide you. There are signs like- Dubai routes, City Centre Central Business District, freeways, Dubai International Airport, and many others.

• Exit Direction Signs: Through these signs, the drivers can choose the proper lane in order to reach the exit properly.

What types of colors are used on guide road signs?

You always need to pay more attention to the color of guide signs, even if you ignore the color of other signs. The reason is that the colors have their very own meaning. The used colors are:

• Blue: Signs with this color denote that that road facilitates travel between different Emirates.

• Green: Roads that are signed in this color are within the same emirate.

• White: These show local roads or destinations.

• Brown: Signs of this color are provided for finding places with local importance.
  
  

To avoid getting into trouble while driving, make sure you know the basic rules of road signs in Dubai. These are some important points that will keep your trip safe and hassle-free!