Trakhees Permit-to-Work Expectations for 2026 Free-Zone Projects

Trakhees (the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation regulator covering JAFZA, DAFZA, Dubai Maritime City and other free zones) has always been rigorous on permit-to-work. The 2026 inspection pattern shows an increased focus on lifecycle evidence rather than just the physical permit sheet.

What Trakhees inspectors are asking to see in 2026

• Permit issuer's current authorisation certificate, matched to the permit type issued.
• Gas test results with timestamps that align with permit start time — not "tested this morning".
• Cross-permit conflict check evidence — SIMOPS log entry, adjacent-permit review.
• Closeout with physical verification photo, not just a signature.
• Weekly permit audit sample with findings and closeout evidence.

Common findings

• Permit issuer authorisation expired but permits still being issued in their name.
• Hot work permit and lifting permit overlapping in the same zone with no coordination log.
• Confined-space permit continuous monitoring log missing entries.
• Closeout signed by the same person who issued the permit — no independent verification.

Digitising for defensibility

The platform's permit module enforces issuer competency at the point of issue, prevents conflicting permits from being active simultaneously in the same zone, timestamps gas tests against the permit clock and requires a photo at closeout. Everything Trakhees is asking for in 2026 falls out of the record automatically.