# computers, hard drives, and customs in the UAE



## lordsnooty (Jan 2, 2012)

Hello, all.

I've been offered a job in the UAE, and it's looking like I might move in the next few months. I aim not to bring much, since part of the job offer includes a furnished apartment. I won't be bringing my (somewhat) extensive DVD or CD collections... instead I'm ripping a bunch of it to an external hard drive.

There's a lot of scare stories on the internet about what can and can't be brought into the UAE. If I'm bringing in hard drives containing video and music files (all non-pornographic, for the record), are they subject to the same declaration/mandatory holds that are required for physical DVDs and CDs? That is, should I expect them to be as thoroughly searched as the internet says the rest of my physical goods will be? :confused2:


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

This comes up on the forum periodically. Don't bring in anything that is illegal or liable to cause offence but I don't know anyone, either in real life or on here, that has had hard drives, laptops etc searched.

As a side, the day today activities of applying censorship is carried out by the same low paid, untrained workers that keep most of the UAE's cogs turning. When they are over zealous/cautious it is usually because they have no idea about a particular item, are in fear of their boss so just impound the thing anyway. 

Which explains why a DVD or book gets through sometimes and not others. It also explains why there are books by Dawkins and Hitchens on Dubai's bookshelves.


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## NeoPhoenix (Oct 17, 2011)

i brought 2 of my hard disks from India and they didn't do any sort of checking.


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

You will have no issues bringing any of the above in. I brought in a few laptops, hard drives (desktop and portable), flash drives, etc. Never had an issue with any of these items.

I have movies, tv shows, music, and books on them, but it never questioned. Like a poster stated before, be mindful of what you bring (pornography and other material that is anti-muslim or demonic, etc. is definitely a no-go). 

Good luck.


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## lordsnooty (Jan 2, 2012)

indoMLA said:


> I have movies, tv shows, music, and books on them, but it never questioned. Like a poster stated before, be mindful of what you bring (pornography and other material that is anti-muslim or demonic, etc. is definitely a no-go).


This has all been most helpful, but i must ask about one word in your post: "demonic." What is considered demonic? Does that mean my zombie/horror movies are not welcome in the UAE? The nebulousness of the concept bothers me. 

Thanks again.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Your porn stash will be fine, I wouldn't worry.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

lordsnooty said:


> This has all been most helpful, but i must ask about one word in your post: "demonic." What is considered demonic? Does that mean my zombie/horror movies are not welcome in the UAE? The nebulousness of the concept bothers me.



If you are ripping things to your hard drive it won't really matter. As for the question of content, see my previous post. It's ambiguous at best and doesn't conform to logic.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Blood and gore is fine. You won't have a problem. I travel to KL frequently and bring back DVDs by the ton and have never been stopped,


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## md000 (Dec 16, 2008)

I was stopped at customs for bringing a fully loaded NAS (networked attached server) with 4x2TB drives. They didn't search the files or make me boot it up - they were just more curious as to what the device was (x-ray machines + 1 compact electronics device filled with other electronics = probably not wise on my part).

I also brought ~600 DVDs into the country through regular customs and no one said a word. 

I've also shipped numerous electronics into the country - laptops, hard drives, phones, you name it. I've had to pay customs (5% fee) a couple of times, but really no word about what it was that was brought in.

As long as you aren't flaunting it, the customs doesn't seem to care. But, be aware, if you do something else illegal, they would be obligated to examine. 

-md000/Mike


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

lordsnooty said:


> This has all been most helpful, but i must ask about one word in your post: "demonic." What is considered demonic? Does that mean my zombie/horror movies are not welcome in the UAE? The nebulousness of the concept bothers me.
> 
> Thanks again.


Devil worship is what I was getting at... 




Gavtek said:


> Your porn stash will be fine, I wouldn't worry.


The pron is safe, just divide it among the various drives so that if one gets taken, you got back up.


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## craignewcastle (Aug 9, 2011)

I've just moved over two days ago and brought my ps3 and 3 memory sticks full of movies

Ull be fine


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## lordsnooty (Jan 2, 2012)

indoMLA said:


> Devil worship is what I was getting at...


Gotcha. Thanks for clearing that up.


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## lordsnooty (Jan 2, 2012)

Okay, follow up question for alla you: when you moved computer equipment, did you bring it through personally (like carry-on) or let international shippers deal with it?


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## md000 (Dec 16, 2008)

lordsnooty said:


> Okay, follow up question for alla you: when you moved computer equipment, did you bring it through personally (like carry-on) or let international shippers deal with it?


hard drives (I took them out and labelled them from all computers/NAS), NAS, and laptops came with me. I carried on the hard drives in a packaged case in my backpack, leaving the NAS empty in my check-in luggage. The rest through international shippers.

The rest, I bought here.

-md000/Mike


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## lordsnooty (Jan 2, 2012)

md000 said:


> hard drives (I took them out and labelled them from all computers/NAS), NAS, and laptops came with me. I carried on the hard drives in a packaged case in my backpack, leaving the NAS empty in my check-in luggage. The rest through international shippers.


Any advice for external hard drives?


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## md000 (Dec 16, 2008)

lordsnooty said:


> Any advice for external hard drives?


we only had one of those and brought it as a carryon.

my logic: check-in luggage or international shipping = lot of shaking and rough handling.  If the hard drives didn't make it via carry-on, i'm the only one to blame.

of course, i backed up the important data and put it securely on my server before coming over...just in case.

-md000/Mike


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## lordsnooty (Jan 2, 2012)

md000 said:


> check-in luggage or international shipping = lot of shaking and rough handling. If the hard drives didn't make it via carry-on, i'm the only one to blame.


Good call.


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## ziokendo (Jan 7, 2012)

lordsnooty said:


> Hello, all.
> 
> I've been offered a job in the UAE, and it's looking like I might move in the next few months. I aim not to bring much, since part of the job offer includes a furnished apartment. I won't be bringing my (somewhat) extensive DVD or CD collections... instead I'm ripping a bunch of it to an external hard drive.
> 
> There's a lot of scare stories on the internet about what can and can't be brought into the UAE. If I'm bringing in hard drives containing video and music files (all non-pornographic, for the record), are they subject to the same declaration/mandatory holds that are required for physical DVDs and CDs? That is, should I expect them to be as thoroughly searched as the internet says the rest of my physical goods will be? :confused2:


Just like to attach me to this thread for a related question, is it legal to import crypt technology in UAE ?

On the software pages of PGP, truecrypt ecc, it always says that you are not allowed to import to the US, for example. Not that I expect anyone would recognize a steganographed truecrypt drive from an empty one, but just as a principle, I was wondering.


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