The Scaly Whipray occurs throughout UAE shallow waters, and can be common. Within the Arabian Sea region, it is regularly caught in shallow water trawls and is normally discarded at sea in the western part, but landed in considerable numbers in the eastern part (i.e., India). This species is not targeted or valued in markets of the UAE, trawling has been banned there since 1980, and recently conducted surveys indicate it remains common in the area. It is, however, discarded in large numbers and it is unknown how impactful this threat is to the species. 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 33 years. It is listed as Near Threatened, nearly meeting the thresholds for Vulnerable A2cd.