Law No. 1

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  • Country: United Arab Emirates
  • Language: English
  • Document Type: Domestic Law or Regulation
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Status: Law in force
DUBAI LAW No. 1 of 2012
Gazette No. 361
Dubai Government Official Gazette
Law No. 1 of 2012 Regarding the International Humanitarian City (IHC)
We Mohammad Bin Rashed Al Maktoum Ruler of Dubai,
After reviewing Law No. 6 of 2007 concerning the establishment of the International Humanitarian City;
Law No. 27 of 2006 of managing the Human Resources in Dubai as amended; and
Law No. 8of 2010 concerning the Financial Audit Department as amended,
Issue the following Law:
Article 1: Name of the Law
The Law hereof shall be called Law No. 1 of 2010 concerning the International Humanitarian City.
Article 2: Definitions
The following words and expressions shall have the meanings assigned opposite to each of them unless the
context requires otherwise:
The State : State of the United Arab of Emirates
The Emirate : Emirate of Dubai
The Ruler : Ruler of Dubai
The City : The International Humanitarian City
The Authority : Authority of the City
The Chairman : Chairman of the Authority
The Board : Board of Directors of the Authority
The Executive Director : Executive Director of the Authority
Competent Authorities : Any governmental, local or federal authority, who shall be held liable for regulating
the humanitarian services by virtue of the effective legislations.
Humanitarian Services : Any humanitarian, charitable, environmental or other activity related to the works of
rescue as a result of humanitarian, natural or environmental catastrophes that shall be offered to third parties and
shall not purport to make profits.
Commercial Activity : Any craft, service or other activity that purports to making profits, allowed to be
practiced in the city according to the provisions of the Law hereof.
Humanitarian Institutions : Any legal entity that does not purport to making profits, shall be established in the
city and shall be licensed by the authority to practice any of the humanitarian services whether by offering
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financial or moral assistance, technical or administrative experience, and it shall include the sub organizations
and international bodies that practice such activities inside the city.
The Commercial Institution : Any legal entity that purports to making profits; shall be established in the city,
licensed from the authority to practice any activity and shall include without limitation the institutions that offer
the support and logistic services for the humanitarian institutions.
City Institutions : Humanitarian and Commercial Institutions.
Article 3: Scope of Application
The provisions of the Law hereof shall apply to the following:
a. The International Humanitarian City which is established by virtue of the foregoing Law No. 6 of 2007 as
a free zone; its location, area and borders are determined according to the annexed map, in addition to
what shall be determined by the Chairman.
b. The Authority of the International Humanitarian City as a public institution that rejoices the legal
personality, financial and administrative independence and the necessary legal capacity to achieve the
goals of the city.
Article 4: Goals of the City
The city purports to achieve the following:
1. Enhance the position of the Emirate as a center for humanitarian emergencies, and disasters through
providing the basic logistic infrastructure, the necessary facilities and services to the humanitarian
institutions in order to enable them to achieve their goals in the whole world from its location in the city.
2. Support, encourage and develop the humanitarian, charitable and environmental services through
recruiting and licensing humanitarian institutions specialized in such aspect and without contradicting the
effective legislations’ in the Emirate.
3. Provide the capability of immediate and effective response in the events of emergencies and disasters and
provide the organized and desired relief efforts to those in need on international level whether through
directly or through the city institutions.
4. Create a conductive environment to support the humanitarian services.
Article 5: Responsibilities of the Authority
The Authority, in order to achieve the goals of the city, shall undertake the following tasks and powers:
1. Set the necessary rules and regulations to regulate the humanitarian services and commercial activities in
the city.
2. License humanitarian and commercial institutions that work in the city.
3. Determine and classify the humanitarian services and commercial activities that may be practiced in the
city, development and update thereof according to the humanitarian needs on international level.
4. Monitor and inspection on the institutions of the city.
5. Purchas, lease, sale, rent and mortgage lands and facilities owned by the city and the disposition thereof.
6. Establish and manage the infrastructure and buildings in the city without contradiction to the adopted
standards and measures at the competent authorities in the Emirate.
7. Cooperate and coordinate with the institutions and international, regional, local and federal bodies
working in the humanitarian field.
8. Attain the loans, credits and financial facilities needed by the city to achieve its goals.
9. Invest and diverse the funds of the authority in commercial, services and financial sectors according to the
policy adopted by the Board thereof.
10. Any other tasks necessary to achieve the goals of the city.
Article 6: Organizational Structure of the Authority
The Organizational Structure of the Authority shall be formed of the following:
1. The Chairman
2. The Board
3. The Executive Director
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4. The Executive Body
Article 7: Appointment and Responsibilities of the Chairman
A. The Chairman shall be appointed by a Decree that shall be issued by the Ruler, he shall undertake the
supervision on the Authority, for such purpose he shall perform the following tasks and responsibilities:
1. Adopt the general policy of the Authority and the strategic and development plans thereof.
2. Adopt the organizational, administrative and financial rules and regulations of the Authority.
3. Supervise the achievement of the goals of the city; approve the services, works, projects and programs it
conducts.
4. Approve the General Draft Budget of the Authority and the final account thereof.
5. Establish any other entities that shall be necessary for the achievement of the goals of the city.
B. The Chairman shall delegate any of his responsibilities stipulated in the Law hereof to any of the members of
the Board or its Executive Director.
Article 8: The Board of Directors
1. The administration of the Authority shall be supervised by a Board of Directors that shall be formed by the
Chairman and Vice Chairman, a number of members not less than five who shall be appointed by a Decree
issued by the Ruler for three renewable years.
2. The Board of Directors shall meet by a call from the Chairman at least once every three months and
whenever necessary. The meetings shall be legal by the attendance of the majority of its members provided the
availability of the Chairman or his delegate among them.
3. The Board shall take its Resolutions by the majority, and in the event of parity, the side of the Chairman shall
have the casting vote, the Resolutions of the Board shall be recorded in minutes of meetings that shall be signed
by the Chairman of the meeting and the attending members.
Article 9: The Board shall undertake the following powers and responsibilities
1. Approve the annual budget and final account of the Authority, the organizational structure of the same and
submit them to the Chairman for adoption.
2. Review the strategic and operational plans, the rules and regulations of the city suggested by the Executive
Director and submit the recommendations thereof to the Chairman to take what he deems appropriate therefore.
3. Review and approve the suggestions of the Executive Director from rules and registering procedures and
licensing of institutions in the city, determine the services offered by the Authority and the prescribed fees
therefore.
4. Appoint auditors and expert consultants to help in determining the initiations pertaining to the city and
budgets related to the execution thereof and determine their fees.
5. Determine the aspects of investment, monitor and establishment of infrastructure of the city.
6. Establsih the institutions and companies affiliated to the Authority and contribute in the establishment thereof
with third parties inside the Emirate or abroad.
7. Any other tasks he shall be assigned of by the Chairman.
Article 10: The Executive Body
A. The executive Body of the Authority shall be formed of an Executive Director and a number of
administrative, technical and financial employees.
B. Appointment, financial allocations and salary of the Executive Director shall be determined by a Resolution
of the Chairman, the Executive Director shall be held liable before the Chairman to resume the tasks assigned to
him by virtue of the Law hereof and the effective legislations’ in the city, and the what shall be assigned to him
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by the Chairman or the Board.
C. The employees of the Executive Authority shall be appointed, the terms of their recruitment, dismissal,
salaries, duties and all other issues related to them shall be determined by virtue of a special system issued
thereof by the Chairman.
Article 11: Responsibilities of the Executive Director
A. The Executive Director shall practice the following tasks and responsibilities:
1. Suggest the operational and strategic plans and policies, submit them to the Board for adoption and take
the necessary procedures to execute such policies and plans after the adoption thereof by the Chairman.
2. Prepare the necessary organizational, administrative, financial and technical regulations to organize the
work of the Authority, the services it offers and submit them to the Board for approval.
3. Prepare the annual and final account of the Authority and submit them to the Board for adoption.
4. Prepare the organizational structure of the Authority and submit it to the Board for approval.
5. Issue the necessary Resolutions to establish the records pertaining to licensing the city institutions and
others form records related to the work of the Authority.
6. Supervise organizing the institutions and occasions related to the goals of the city.
7. Supervise the works, activities and services offered by the city institutions.
8. Coordinate with the ministries, local and federal entities and government departments for the purpose of
achieving the goals of the city.
9. Supervise the Executive Apparatus of the Authority.
10. Represent the Authority before third parties and sign on behalf of it on all the contracts including the
conclusion of contracts of leasing lands and buildings in the city with the city institutions to enable them
to conduct their activities.
11. Conduct all the tasks and responsibilities stipulated in the effective legislations’ at the government bodies
in the Emirate.
12. Open and manage accounts in banks inside the Emirate and abroad based on the consent of the Chairman.
B. The Executive Director may delegate any of his powers stipulated in Paragraph (A) of this Article to any of
the employees of the Authority.
Article 12: Funds of the Authority
Funds of the Authority shall be formed of the following:
1. Movable and immovable assets allocated by the government to the Authority.
2. License fees and services allowance offered by the Authority.
3. Realized returns as a result of investing the properties of the Authority.
4. Bequests and donations approved by the Board.
5. Any other resources approved by the Chairman in a manner that does not contradict the goals of the city
and the effective Laws in the Emirate.
Article 13: Budgets and Accounts of the Authority
1. In organizing the accounts and registries, the Authority shall apply the basics and principles of government
accountability and the international acknowledged standards.
2. The fiscal year of the Authority shall start as of the first of January and shall end on the thirty first of
December from each year.
Article 14: Financial Review
The Financial Audit Department shall review the Authority’s accounts.
Article 15
All the government entities in the Emirate shall be committed to complete cooperate with the Authority to
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enable it achieve its goals.
Article 16: Exemptions from fees and taxes
1. The city institutions and individuals working therein shall be exempted from all types of taxes including the
tax income and duty customs in regard of their transactions inside the city.
2. The funds and activities of the city institutions, during their work in the city shall not be subject to any
nationalizing or restricting measures to the private property.
Article 17: Exemptions from being subject to some Laws
A. The city, its institutions or any individual working therein, related to their operations in the city, shall not be
subject to the legislations, authorities and powers pertaining to Dubai Municipality or the Department of
Economic Development, excluding the legislations related to the safety, health and environment.
B. The Authority may resource to the government entities in the Emirate to benefit from the programs and
systems provided therein to license the city institutions according to what it deems appropriate; such programs
and systems shall be applied according to the effective regulations inside the city, the licenses granted to such
institutions in cooperation with the government entities shall be deemed as if issued by the Authority itself.
Article 18: Exempting the Government from Liability
The government shall not be held liable before third parties for any debts or obligations requested by the
Authority or the parties affiliated thereto, and the Authority shall be the only party held liable for such debts or
obligations.
Article 19: Exemption from Liability
With exception of frauds and major mistakes, the Chairman, Board members or Executive Director during the
administration of the city and its operations shall not be held liable before third parties for any action conducted
by them, or a leave they commit in relation to the administration and its operations; and the Authority shall be
the only party held liable before third parties for such actions or leave.
Article 20: Licensing the City Institutions
A. No individual form any party may conduct any humanitarian or commercial activity in the city unless it had
been licensed therefore.
B. The city institutions shall be licensed in accordance with the regulations and conditions approved by the
authority in this respect, the applicable legislations in the Emirate and the requirements of public interest.
C. Upon licensing the humanitarian institutions and the activities related to collecting donations, the abidance
by the legislations’ shall be considered.
Article 21: Rules of licensing the City Institutions
Establishing, registering, adopting, solving, monitoring and supervising the city institutions and organizing all
the procedures and issues related thereto, determination of the conditions and requirements of licensing and
imposed fees thereon shall be completed according to the rules and regulations issued by the Authority
regarding such matter.
Article 22: Commitments of the City Institutions
The city institutions shall mention next to their names their legal nature and that it is a free zone institution in all
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its actions, contracts, advertisements, invoices, correspondences and publications; and in the event of negligence
thereof, the owner of the institution shall be held liable before third parties for its obligations.
Article 23: Liability of the Authority
The Authority shall not be held liable for any commitments before third parties as a result of the conduct of the
city institutions or their employees to their works.
Article 24: Forbidding the practice of activities
Any of the following activities shall be forbidden to be practiced inside the city:
1. Any activity that contradicts the granted license to the city institutions or the effective rules and
regulations therein.
2. Any activity that involves illegal competition.
3. Any activity that contradicts the enforced legislations in the Emirate or the public order or general ethics.
Article 25: Waiver of the license
Owners of the city institutions shall be forbidden from waiver of the license issued to them by the Authority to
any party before the attainment a prior consent therefore.
Article 26: Sanctions and penalties
The Board shall issue a regulation that shall determine the administrative penalties prescribed for the violation
of any of the provisions of the Law thereof and the rules and regulations issued by virtue thereof, or any of the
Clauses of the license issued by the Authority.
Article 27: Judicial Officers
Employees of the Authority whose nomination is issued by a Resolution of the Chairman shall have the capacity
of judicial officers in proving the violating actions to the provisions of such Law and the rules and regulations
issued by virtue thereof; for such purpose, they shall have to issue the necessary minutes and during their
performance of their duties to resource to the concerned government entities including the policemen.
Article 28: Delegating Powers
The Authority may delegate any of its powers stipulated in such Law to any other party by virtue of an
agreement that shall be entered therefore.
Article 29: Issuance of Executive Regulations
The Chairman shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to execute the Law thereof.
Article 30: Revocations
1. Such Law shall replace Law No. 6 of 2007 concerning the establishment of the International Humanitarian
City.
2. Any text stipulated in any other legislation to the extent of contradiction therein and the provisions of such
Law shall be revoked.
Article 31: Publication and Enforcement
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The Law hereof shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force from the date of its
publication.
[Signed] Mohammad Bin Rashed Al Maktoum
Ruler of Dubai
Issued in Dubai on: 5 January 2012
Corresponding to: 11 Safar 1433 Hijri,
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