The Slender Weasel Shark occurs throughout UAE inshore waters and may be uncommon there. It is poorly known in general, in part due to confusion with other species. It is caught in inshore gill net, trawl and line fisheries in the Arabian Sea region where inshore fishing pressure is intense and increasing. There is also an ongoing decline in habitat quality due to coastal development, particularly in the Gulf. 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 30-50% over the past three generation lengths, or about 24 years. It is listed as Vulnerable A2cd.