Dubai has enacted a new law on building quality and safety. The law aims to ensure the quality, safety, and sustainability of buildings in the emirate by maintaining structural integrity, ensuring regular maintenance, and supporting the safe operation of all systems. It also seeks to enhance occupant comfort, reduce accidents, protect lives and property, and preserve the emirate's urban identity. According to the law, Dubai Municipality is responsible for ensuring building safety and quality by developing a digital management system, maintaining a unified building database, conducting periodic assessments, setting sustainability standards, and implementing measures to safeguard buildings, lives, and property. The municipality also oversees maintenance, investigates incidents, applies corrective actions, promotes modern technologies, regulates materials, and manages the digital building portal. The law defines the roles of authorities overseeing construction in Dubai, including Dubai Municipality, as well as authorities supervising private developments and free zones such as the Dubai International Financial Centre. The law applies to all buildings across Dubai, including those in private development zones and free zones, whether built before or after its enactment. The owner of a building, including unit owners under Law No. (3) of 2019 on Joint Property Ownership in Dubai, must obtain a Quality and Safety Certificate after the building's completion, ensure any defects identified in inspections are corrected, and follow procedures set by the relevant authority. Under the law, building owners must hire a licensed engineering office to assess the building and prepare a technical report for the Quality and Safety Certificate, carry out periodic maintenance for buildings under 20 years old, and fix any defects threatening structural safety, lives, property, or surrounding buildings. The certificate can be renewed for similar periods, with renewal conditions and procedures determined by a decision from the Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai (TEC). In cases where a building is approved for demolition, the rules for vacating tenants set out in Law No. (26) of 2007 on Regulating the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in Dubai apply. Tenants who vacate under this law have priority to return to the building after reconstruction or completion of maintenance and repairs at the same rental value agreed in their original lease, unless otherwise agreed by both parties. Violators of the law or its decisions face fines from AED 100 to AED 1,000,000, with repeat offenses within two years subject to doubled fines up to AED 2,000,000. Relevant authorities may also suspend building permits, stop transactions related to the building with government or private entities, including the Dubai Land Department, and halt lease certifications for units in the building until violations are corrected. The law also defines the responsibilities of building management and the engineering office and sets rules for authority inspections to ensure the building meets certification requirements. The validity of the Quality and Safety Certificate is 10 years for buildings less than 40 years old from the date of their completion certificate and five years for buildings 40 years or older. The Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai may extend this deadline if necessary. The Director General of the Dubai Municipality or relevant authority issues decisions to implement the law, except those reserved for the Chairman of TEC. Any provisions in other laws that conflict with this law are annulled. It also requires that a Quality and Safety Certificate be issued only after a licensed engineering office conducts a comprehensive inspection and assessment of the building's structural and technical condition, following the law's provisions and related procedures. The law allows anyone subject to a decision, action, or measure under this law to submit a written appeal to the Municipality's Director General or relevant authority within 30 days from being notified. A committee will resolve the appeal within 30 days, and its decision is final. The law permits the competent authority to seek help from government bodies, including the police, who must assist promptly. Building owners, contractors, and engineering offices must comply within one year from the law's effective date. Imposing fines or administrative measures does not prevent holding the violator accountable under civil or criminal law, and engineering offices or contractors remain responsible for fulfilling their legal obligations. The law will be published in the Official Gazette and will take effect 60 days after publication.
