How to dispose of old tyres in the UAE

Short answer

• The simplest route is to leave old tyres with the fitter; three UAE online retailers include disposal in their fitted price.
• Walk-in garages may charge for disposal; one retailer's 2026 survey put it at AED 10 to 50 per tyre, depending on the emirate.
• In Dubai, companies that collect used tyres need a Dubai Municipality permit, covered trucks and monthly reports.
• Abu Dhabi expanded tyre recycling to 100,000 tonnes a year in 2020, mainly into fuel for cement kilns.
• Don't leave tyres at the roadside, and don't sell them on: selling used tyres has been banned since 2012.

In this guide (10 sections)

1. Your options for old tyres
2. Worked example: disposal cost for a set of four
3. What Dubai Municipality requires of tyre collectors
4. Who is responsible once the fitter takes your tyres?
5. Why heat matters for old tyres
6. What happens to old tyres in Abu Dhabi?
7. Why you can't sell old tyres for reuse
8. What about a damaged tyre after a blowout?
9. What about the spare and tyres in storage?
10. What to check before you act

For most drivers, the way to dispose of old tyres in the UAE is to leave them with the shop that fits the new ones. The three online tyre retailers we checked on 23 October 2026 all include old-tyre disposal in their fitted price. In Dubai, the companies that collect used tyres from shops must hold a Dubai Municipality permit and report where the tyres go.

What you should not do is leave tyres at the roadside, burn them, or sell them on for use on another car. Selling used tyres has been banned since September 2012.

uaetyre.com is an independent guide. We are not affiliated with any government authority, tyre brand, retailer or recycler, and we don't sell tyres or collect them.

Your options for old tyres

Option	What we found	Cost reported
Leave with the fitter when buying new tyres	Included in the fitted price at PitStopArabia, Dial-A-Tire and tire.ae (23 Oct 2026)	Included
Ask a walk-in garage to take them	Common, but may be charged separately	AED 20 to 50 per tyre in Dubai, 15 to 40 in Abu Dhabi, 10 to 30 in Sharjah (PitStopArabia survey, Mar 2026)
Hand to a licensed used-tyre waste trader	Dubai traders need a DM permit; we found no published list of names	Not published
Leave at the roadside	Police advise against it	Not applicable
Sell for reuse on another car	Banned since Sept 2012; export allowed	Not applicable

The garage figures come from a retailer that sells tyres with disposal included, so it has an interest in the comparison. We have not found an independent survey.

Worked example: disposal cost for a set of four

If you buy four tyres from a garage that charges disposal separately, using PitStopArabia's March 2026 ranges:

• Dubai: 4 × AED 20 to 50 = AED 80 to 200
• Abu Dhabi: 4 × AED 15 to 40 = AED 60 to 160
• Sharjah: 4 × AED 10 to 30 = AED 40 to 120

If disposal is already in your fitted price, that cost is zero. Ask before the work starts. Our guide to tyre fitting costs lists the other items to check.

What Dubai Municipality requires of tyre collectors

Dubai Municipality's Waste Strategy and Projects Department published "Technical Guidelines on Used Tires Waste Trading Activity" (DM-WSPD-P04-018, version 1.0, dated 22 August 2024). It applies to companies licensed for used-tyre waste trading, not to households. In short, a collector must:

• hold a Department of Economy and Tourism licence and a prior DM waste permit;
• use permitted vehicles, with covered trucks to protect tyres from heat and contamination;
• sort tyres at source into those fit for retreading, those for other uses, and waste;
• store tyres away from extreme heat, which the guideline says degrades rubber and raises fire risk;
• file monthly reports showing quantities, sources, transporters and the end-use facility.

The guideline also says collectors may not take waste from Dubai Municipality's communal bins or private companies' bins. That is a rule for traders. We did not find a published DM instruction for residents on tyres, nor a public drop-off point, so if you have tyres at home, the practical step is to ask a tyre shop to take them.

Who is responsible once the fitter takes your tyres?

Under the Dubai guideline, responsibility sits with the licensed trader. Brokers must hold contracts with both the business that generates the waste and the facility that treats it. A company that hires a third-party transporter is responsible for that transporter's activities and accidents unless their contract says otherwise. Each monthly report must name the end-use facility for every load.

Moving used tyres between emirates needs a licence and approval from the authority in the emirate where the tyres came from. Exporting hazardous waste for purposes other than disposal needs prior written approval. For you as a driver, the practical step is simple: hand your tyres to an established tyre shop and keep your invoice showing disposal was included.

Why heat matters for old tyres

The Dubai guideline says tyres must not be exposed to extreme heat, because it degrades rubber and raises fire risk. The 2012 ESMA rules, as reported by Gulf News, also required shops to store tyres below 25°C and not stacked. Those rules are for businesses, but the reasoning carries over: a pile of old tyres left for months in a hot car park, garage or balcony is better handed over sooner.

What happens to old tyres in Abu Dhabi?

Gulf News reported in November 2020 that Tadweer, Abu Dhabi's waste management centre, had expanded tyre recycling with contractor Tarheel Collecting Wastes. The new automated plant raised capacity from 70,000 to 100,000 tonnes of used tyres a year. Nearly 17,000 tonnes were recycled from January to the end of the third quarter of 2020. The report said recycled tyres can be used as tyre-derived fuel in cement making, and that rubber in landfill can take up to 1,000 years to break down.

An earlier Gulf News report, from December 2018, said the Gulf Rubber Factory had recycled about 7,000 tonnes of used tyres in the first eight months of 2018. There, tyres were shredded, the steel and fibre removed, and the rubber turned into granules for products such as flooring for sports grounds and playgrounds.

Both reports are several years old. We have not found newer published figures.

Why you can't sell old tyres for reuse

Under rules set by ESMA in 2012, as reported by Gulf News, selling used tyres is banned except for export, and a tyre used on one car cannot be used on another. The same report says used tyres must go to approved agencies for recycling. Another Gulf News report found used tyres still on sale in Sharjah's industrial area, but that did not make it legal. See used and retreaded tyres in the UAE for the full rules.

There is one legal path for a used casing: Dubai's 2024 guideline expects collectors to set aside tyres suitable for retreading. Retreads are allowed only on buses and trucks, made by approved retreaders.

What about a damaged tyre after a blowout?

Abu Dhabi Police, reported by Khaleej Times in July 2022, told motorists who change a tyre on the road not to leave the damaged one by the roadside, because it can become an obstacle and cause accidents. Put it in the boot and hand it to a tyre shop. If a blowout leaves you in danger on a highway, call 999. Our guide on tyre fines explains the penalties for driving on worn or expired tyres, which is often why tyres need replacing in the first place.

What about the spare and tyres in storage?

Tyres are treated as expired five years after manufacture in the UAE, used or unused. A spare that has never touched the road can still be past that date. When you replace your road tyres, check the spare's date code too, and ask the fitter to take it if it is expired. See the 5-year rule.

What to check before you act

• Ask whether disposal is included in your fitted price.
• Leave old tyres with the fitter rather than taking them home.
• Never leave a tyre at the roadside; carry it to a tyre shop.
• Don't sell used tyres for reuse on another car.
• Check the spare's date code when you replace the other four.

Questions people ask

General information only, not legal or mechanical advice. Rules, fines and prices change; check with the RTA, your local police or a qualified fitter before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Sources

1. Technical guidelines on used tires waste trading activity (Dubai Municipality, Aug 2024)checked 23 October 2026
2. Abu Dhabi opens expanded tyre recycling facility (Gulf News, Nov 2020)checked 23 October 2026
3. Tadweer recycles 7,000 tonnes of used tyres in 8 months (Gulf News, Dec 2018)checked 23 October 2026
4. Dh500 fine, four black points, vehicle impoundment for driving with worn-out tyres (Khaleej Times, Jul 2022)checked 23 October 2026
5. Tyre fitting cost comparison (PitStopArabia, Mar 2026)checked 23 October 2026
6. Safety norms for tyres to be tightened in UAE (Gulf News)checked 23 October 2026
7. What the law says on tyres (Gulf News)checked 23 October 2026
8. Used tyres openly sold in Sharjah despite ban (Gulf News)checked 23 October 2026