If you drive in Dubai, someone has told you about the “20 km/h rule”. It is real in one sense: Dubai Police data, published by Gulf News in September 2026, shows the radars on Dubai’s main roads set about 20 km/h above the posted limit. On a 100 km/h road the radar is set to 121 km/h. The National confirmed the 20 km/h buffer in Dubai and Sharjah in the same month.
Why the buffer exists
Traffic authorities have said the buffer was designed around traffic flow in each emirate, and that limits are set from engineering reports per emirate. It gives drivers room for small speedometer and GPS differences and for overtaking — it is a tolerance built into the radar, not a second speed limit.
Why you should not drive to it
- It is not the law. The posted limit is the legal maximum. A police officer with a hand-held radar is not bound by the fixed camera’s setting.
- It ends at the Abu Dhabi border. Abu Dhabi removed its buffer in 2018. The same speed that passes in Dubai is a fine 10 km later.
- It varies. Gulf News describes the margin as “typically 20 to 30 km/h” depending on the road; others report tighter settings near schools and roadworks.
- It can change without notice. Nothing obliges an authority to announce a new radar setting.
- Speedometers read high, GPS reads true. Your car’s speedometer usually shows a little more than you drive; the radar measures the true speed.
What we do in Ghost
Ghost shows your GPS speed against the posted limit at the camera — never against a buffer. The warning arrives 700 m ahead, early enough to check your speed calmly, whichever emirate you are in.
