In his role as Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, issued Law No. (14) of 2025, regulating the professional practice of engineering consultancy offices in Dubai.
The law aims to elevate Dubai’s engineering consultancy sector, align practices with international standards, and classify service providers based on technical, financial, and managerial capabilities. It seeks to promote investment, eliminate obstacles, ensure timely project delivery, and attract global firms, positioning Dubai as a leading hub for engineering consultancy services.
Under the law, no individual or entity may undertake engineering consultancy activities in Dubai without proper authorisation. This includes all engineering fields—architectural, civil, electrical, electronic, mechanical, mining, petroleum, chemical, coastal, and geological. Offices or individuals cannot present themselves as engineering consultants without a valid trade licence and registration with Dubai Municipality, which must specify the office’s licensed scope, classification, technical staff, and other essential details.
Engineering consultancy offices must operate strictly within their licensed scope, employ only registered engineers, and refrain from contracting unlicensed companies to perform consultancy work in Dubai.
Dubai Municipality, in coordination with relevant authorities, will establish a unified electronic system linked to the ‘Invest in Dubai’ platform (Decree No. 13 of 2024). This system will manage office registrations, classification, issuance of professional competency certificates, and other consultancy-related processes. The Municipality will oversee, update, and integrate the system to streamline the registration, evaluation, and classification of engineering consultants.
The Municipality will maintain a comprehensive registry of licensed consultancy offices, detailing their scope, classification, technical staff, and other relevant data. It will also regularly approve and update the classification system for companies involved in construction, building, or demolition activities, and issue professional competency certificates for technical personnel.
The law establishes a permanent ‘Committee for the Regulation and Development of Engineering Consultancy Activities’ in Dubai, appointed by the Chairman of The Executive Council. Chaired by a Dubai Municipality representative, the committee will include members from relevant authorities and stakeholders, functioning under Decree No. 1 of 2023 on government committee governance.
