On 15th July 2017, a new law was issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.
The new law pertains to the organisation of private facilities in the Emirate of Dubai.
The legislation states that a private facility is any non-profit entity that carries out activities in the social, health, educational, cultural, scientific, professional, creative, technical and humanitarian fields and any other fields that seek to achieve public benefit. Such facilities will now be subject to new regulations regarding acquiring a licence from the Community Development Authority in Dubai and their operations. Please contact us for more details.
The purpose of the law is to:
- Develop the local community in order to initiate social change
- Regulate the licensing of private facilities and provide them with recognition as a legal entity
- Allow these facilities access to the community to provide their services
- Encourage further participation of individuals in community service roles
The Community Development Authority will now have the power to license private facilities and their branches in Dubai as well as the power to monitor complaints against the facilities and violations committed by it.
Conditions for the Law:
There are certain conditions of establishment that must be met by the private facilities:
- Established by not less than ten founding members over the age of twenty-one.
- Two members must be nationals of the Emirate.
- The founding members are subject to further requirements including not having been convicted of a felony/crime involving immorality or dishonesty, unless rehabilitated.
- The facilities will also be required to prepare and submit a statute conforming to the provisions in the law.
Overall, the legislation aims at enhancing Dubai’s community through these reforms which seek to encourage private, non-profits to open up to the public and provide an opportunity for individuals to participate in community services.