Up to Dh100,000 fine: Sheikh Mohammed issues law for engineering consultancies in Dubai

Dubai has introduced new regulations to govern engineering consultancy offices in the emirate. The law mandates proper authorisation and registration with Dubai Municipality for all engineering fields.

Engineering consultancy

The law prohibits anyone from undertaking engineering consultancy activities in Dubai without a proper licence. These activities cover all fields of engineering, including architectural, civil, electrical, electronic, mechanical, mining, petroleum, chemical, coastal, and geological engineering, among others.

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It also prohibits individuals or offices from portraying themselves as engineering consultancy offices without a valid trade licence and registration with Dubai Municipality, which must detail the office’s licensed scope, classification, technical staff, and other essential information.

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Engineering consultancy offices are not allowed to operate beyond their licensed scope, employ unregistered engineers, or contract with unlicensed companies to carry out consultancy work in Dubai.

Under the authority of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, Law No. (14) of 2025 has been issued to govern engineering consultancy activities across the emirate.

Types of engineering consultancies

The law defines the types of engineering consultancy offices in Dubai to which this law applies. These are:

• Local companies established in the emirate

• Branches of UAE-based offices with at least three consecutive years of engineering consultancy experience

• Branches of foreign offices with at least ten consecutive years of such experience

• Joint endeavours formed through partnerships between a local office and one or more foreign offices with at least ten years of engineering consultancy experience

• Engineering advisory offices specialising in providing opinion and consultancy services owned by one or more registered engineers, each with a minimum of ten years of engineering consultancy experience

• Engineering audit offices authorised to conduct third-party audits in any engineering consultancy activity

Registrations

The law lays down the conditions and procedures for registations, the validity of registration tenures, deregistration processes, criteria for classifying offices, office obligations, and rules for registering and deregistering technical staff.

Unified system

Dubai Municipality, in coordination with relevant authorities, shall establish a unified electronic system across the emirate linked to the ‘Invest in Dubai’ platform. The system manages applications for registering engineering consultancy offices, determining their classification, issuing professional competency certificates, and handling other matters related to engineering consultancy activities in Dubai.

The Municipality also maintains a comprehensive registry of licensed engineering consultancy offices, their consultancy scope, classification, technical staff, and other relevant data. It regularly approves and updates the classification system for companies engaged in construction, building, or demolition activities and issues professional competency certificates for their technical staff.

Permanent committee

The new law mandates the establishment of a permanent ‘Committee for the Regulation and Development of Engineering Consultancy Activities’ in Dubai, appointed by the Chairman of The Executive Council.

Fines, punishments

Those found to be in violation of the law or related decisions may face fines of up to Dh100,000, with the penalty increasing for repeat offences within the same year. Authorities may also take punitive measures such as:

• Suspending the engineering consultancy offices for up to one year

• Downgrading their classification

• Removing them from the registry

• Cancelling commercial licences

• Suspending staff

• Revoking certificates

• Removing engineers from the registry

• Notifying the UAE Society of Engineers about violations

Parties affected by fines or other measures initiated under this law may submit a written appeal within 30 days of being notified. The competent authority’s committee will decide on such cases within 30 days, and its decision will be final and binding and will be communicated within five working days.

Deadline set

Engineering consultancy offices and their staff must regularise their status within one year of the law taking effect, obtaining extensions where needed. Any registrations expiring during this period may be renewed by undertaking to ensure full compliance with its provisions.

This law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into effect six months from the date of its publication.