Dubai’s New Law Recasts Standards for Engineering Consultancy

Dubai has issued Law No. of 2025 to regulate the professional practice of engineering consultancy firms, forbidding unlicensed operations and introducing a tiered classification system.

Under the law, no individual or office may conduct consultancy across fields such as architectural, civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, geological or coastal engineering in the emirate without proper authorisation. Firms must hold a valid trade licence, register with Dubai Municipality, and submit detailed disclosures regarding their licensed scope, classification, and technical staff credentials.

A unified electronic platform, to be integrated with “Invest in Dubai,” will centralise firm registration, classification, issuance of competency certificates, and updates to consultancy qualifications.

A permanent “Committee for the Regulation and Development of Engineering Consultancy Activities” will be established under the law, chaired by a Dubai Municipality representative and comprising stakeholders from relevant authorities, tasked with overseeing implementation and resolving sectoral disputes.

The legislation classifies eligible firms into several categories: local Dubai-based companies; branches of UAE-based consultancies with at least three consecutive years of experience; branches of foreign consultancies with at least ten years of global experience; joint ventures between local and foreign players with at least a decade of consultancy track record; advisory offices led by registered engineers with a decade of experience; and engineering audit offices providing third-party evaluations.

Firms are barred from operating beyond their licence scope, hiring unregistered engineers or subcontracting to unlicensed entities. Violations can attract fines up to AED 100,000, stricter penalties for repeat breaches, suspension, downgrading classification, removal from the registry, licence cancellation, or revocation of professional certificates. Affected parties may file appeals within 30 days and decisions must be issued within 30 days, communicated within five working days.

Existing regulations under Local Order No. 89 of 1994 and its amendments will remain effective until new implementing regulations are issued, provided they do not conflict with the new law.

Consultancy firms and staff will have one year from the law’s effective date to regularise their status; extensions may be granted, and expired registrations can be renewed by committing to full compliance.

Dubai’s move mirrors the emirate’s broader legal recalibration of the infrastructure sector. In July 2025, Law No. 7 of 2025 was enacted to regulate contracting activities, consolidating prior laws and mandating registration, classification, subcontracting oversight and ethics codes across construction and engineering services. The new consultancy law can be seen as a complementary measure to ensure that consultancy services feeding into contracting projects meet defined quality and governance standards.

Industry stakeholders have expressed cautious optimism about the changes. Some consultancy firms believe the law will reduce unfair competition by eliminating unlicensed operators, thus raising standards overall. Others warn of compliance costs, especially for smaller local consultancies that may struggle to meet classification thresholds or hire adequately certified staff.

Regional and international firms see opportunity in the rule clarity and the potential to compete more transparently. Observers expect the new digital registry and classification framework to influence government procurement and tenders by favouring higher-ranked consultancies.