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GCAA CAR 145 in the UAE is closely modelled on EASA Part 145 but includes specific national variations in scope of approval, personnel licensing requirements, and audit expectations that organisations operating across both jurisdictions must understand.
Structural alignment and national variations
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) developed CAR 145 using EASA Part 145 as its baseline. The numbering, structure, and intent of most requirements are directly comparable. However, GCAA has introduced specific national requirements that reflect the operational environment of the Gulf region, including provisions for extreme climate conditions affecting maintenance facilities and tooling calibration.
Organisations holding EASA Part 145 approval seeking to also obtain GCAA CAR 145 approval should not assume automatic acceptance. GCAA conducts its own assessment and may impose additional conditions, particularly around quality monitoring, competency assessment of certifying staff, and the use of sub-contracted maintenance.
Personnel and certifying staff differences
One of the most significant differences is in the recognition of maintenance personnel licences. While EASA Part 66 licences are widely recognised in the Gulf, GCAA may require additional validation or conversion procedures. Certifying staff must meet GCAA-specific recency and continuation training requirements that may differ in scope or frequency from EASA equivalents.
Organisations must ensure their competence assessment procedures satisfy both frameworks if operating across jurisdictions. This often requires maintaining parallel records or a combined system that meets the more demanding standard from either regulator.
Practical considerations for dual approval
Maintenance organisations operating in both the EU and UAE frequently maintain a single Maintenance Organisation Exposition (MOE) with dedicated supplements addressing GCAA-specific requirements. The key is to identify the delta between the two frameworks early in the approval process and build procedures that satisfy both without creating unnecessary duplication.
Sofema Online provides training that covers both EASA and Gulf regulatory frameworks, helping organisations bridge the gap between European and Middle Eastern maintenance requirements.
How this applies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar
The GCAA in the UAE has adopted a framework closely aligned with EASA Part 145 but retains sovereign authority over approval decisions, surveillance, and enforcement. Organisations must engage directly with GCAA for approval and cannot rely solely on EASA approval as a basis for operating in the UAE. Saudi Arabia (GACA) and Qatar (QCAA) have similar but distinct national frameworks based on ICAO Annex standards with EASA influence.
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