The Tawny Nurse Shark occurs throughout UAE coastal waters, and is presumably naturally uncommon there. This species is not targeted or valued in markets of the UAE. It is taken as bycatch in some areas of the Arabian Sea region (Sri Lanka and India), and declines have been noted. Slow life history characteristics, including low fecundity and a low annual rate of population increase causes the species to have a low capacity to recover from even moderate levels of exploitation. It is especially susceptible to exploitation (target and bycatch) in many largely unregulated gill net, longline and trawl fisheries that operate within its range outside and surrounding UAE waters. Some management measures are now in place in the Arabian Sea region, although domestic fisheries are likely to continue. Though data specifically from the UAE are not available, individuals in the UAE are a component of a larger, interconnected and migratory population that occurs broadly in the north-western Indian Ocean. It is inferred that declines reported in the Arabian Sea region are representative of its status in the UAE. Based on recorded levels of exploitation and decline in habitat quality, it is suspected to have declined by 20-30% over the past three generation lengths, or about 90 years. It is listed as Vulnerable A2cd.