Status: Law in force
FED LAW No. 1 of 1972
UAE Official Gazette
Federal Law No . (1) of 1972
Federal Law No . (1) of 1972
REGARDING MINISTRIES COMPETENCIES,
MINISTERS’ POWERS AND LAWS AMENDING THERETO.
We, Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates
After perusal of Articles 47 (2), 54 (4), 58 and 110 (4) of the United Arab Emirates Provisional Constitution.
and according to approval by the Federal Cabinet and Ratification by Supreme Council resolved to promulgate
the following law:
Chapter One
Ministries Powers
Article (1)
Each Federal Ministry shall exercise the jurisdiction conferred thereon by virtue of this law and other Federal
Laws regulations and rules issued under the Constitution.
Article (2)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs jurisdiction shall be according to the law to be issued in respect thereof.
Article (3)
The Ministry of The Interior shall, in coordination and collaboration with the concerned authorities, carry out
the following competencies:
1. Safeguard the Federation security against internal threats.
2. Set the general policy to fight the crime and supervise the implementation of such policy on the State level.
3. Create, organize and control the Federal Security Forces.
4. Coordinate and consolidate cooperation between police forces of the member Emirates in the Federation.
5. Supervise the allocation of funds provided in the Federation budget for internal security affairs, according to
the urgent needs of some Emirates and in agreement with the authorities of the concerned Emirate.
6. Control the traffic in the federal roads considered as main roads by the Supreme Council.
7. Undertake all affairs pertaining to passports, immigration and residence and entry of foreigners.
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8. Supervise the civil defence operations and take the protective procedures and necessary works to avoid the
disasters and mitigate and remove the effects of such disasters.
9. Suggest the regulations related to the Ministry competencies.
10. Any other competencies entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of the laws and regulations and the Cabinet
resolutions.
Article (4)
Ministry of Defense
Ministry of Defense shall be competent to:
– Organization of the Federal Armed Forces and supervise all that related thereto.
– Organize whatever pertinent to the military service general and partial mobilization with the aim to preserve
the Federation Safety and Security in agreement with the U.A.E. concerned authorities.
– Coordinate co-operation between the Federal Armed Forces and individual Emirate Armed Forces to defend
the country against any outside hostility according to Article 142 of the provisional constitution.
– Prepare draft laws for the import of arms and ammunitions which are not intended to be used by the Armed
Forces or the security forces of each Emirate.
– Any other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry under another law.
– Construction, maintenance and refurbishment of buildings, utilities and roads of the Armed Forces
Article (5)
Ministry of Finance, Economy and Industry
Ministry of Finance, Economy and Industry shall be competent to:
– Prepare the Federation’s general budget in cooperation with the other Federal Ministries, according to the law.
– Supervise over and control its implementation in terms of revenues and expenditures after enactment of the
same.
_______
* Added by Law No. (1) of 1994
* Amended by Law No. (1) of 1974
– Collect the public revenues of the Federation.
– Prepare drafts for the Federal financial laws and other laws related to Federal laws and supervise over the
implementation thereof.
– Regulate federal accounting rules, issue necessary directions to that effect and control their implementation.
– Supervise the execution of financial obligations undertaken by the Federation.
– Organize and supervise the affairs pertaining to the Federation’s purchases.
– Standardization and Industrial specifications.
– Administer the Federation’s property matters and everything related thereto.
– Coordinate industrial development plans to ensure the Federation’s desired industrial progress in agreement
with the concerned Emirates.
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– Implement the industrial development projects according to the general policy of the State.
– Lay down the rules organizing the financial affairs in the private sector .
– Prepare studies and researches regarding the development of the existing industries and establishment of new
ones to achieve the best interests of the national economy.
– Prepare the studies and programs related to vocational training in various industrial activities and supervise
implementation thereof.
– Other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of another law.
Article (6)
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice shall be competent to :
– Regulate and supervise the administrative and financial aspects of the Federal Courts Affairs.
– Drafting laws concerning federal judicial authorities, federal public prosecution and general amnesty in
connection with judgments issued by the Federal Courts.
– Undertake studies, legal jurisprudence and all other legal matters required by the work needs in the various
Federal Ministries, including drafting laws, bye – laws and regulations approved by such Ministries.
– Draft major legislations on real property, expropriation for public utility as well as penal laws, laws of civil
and commercial transactions, companies and proceedings before civil and criminal courts and laws protecting
literary, artistic and industrial property and authors rights as well as laws of extradition.
Article (7)
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education shall be competent to:
– Perform all matters related to education and instruction in the Federation and supervise the means of
promoting same in the best way.
– Provide and spread instruction to all nationals and make it compulsory in the elementary stage and free of
charge in all the stages within the Federation.
– Draw up educational schemes and proper curricula, examination regulations and illiteracy eradication
programs.
– Build and supervise schools and vocational, industrial agricultural and university institutions.
– Approve the establishment of schools, vocational, industrial, agricultural institutes and universities and
supervise the same.
– Approve the establishment of private schools, control and guide the same.
– Delegate and supervise academic missions and grant scholarships.
– Other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of another law.
Article (8)
The terms of reference of the Ministry of Health shall be determined as follows:
1. To set the medical and health policies and plans and monitors the implementation thereof.
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2. To prepare and set the necessary mechanisms to coordinate among the different medical service providers in
the State to ensure their integration and develop the provided medical services as well as supervising the
implementation of such mechanisms.
3. To prepare the plans and policies related to the control of epidemics and disease in the State and supervise the
implementation of such mechanisms.
4. To license the practice of the professions of medicine by persons and institutions in the State and control such
practice in coordination with the related authorities.
5. To regulate, manage and supervise the federal medical insurance, control hereof with the related authorities
and suggest the organizing regulations in the State.
6. To technically and administratively control all the medical establishments and pharmacies in the State in
coordination with the related health authorities.
7. To set the necessary mechanisms to promote the medical and health studies and researches and transfer the
medical technologies.
8. To suggest the health and medical regulations in the State, supervise their implementation and issue the
necessary decisions in this regard.
9. To spread the health awareness in the State in collaboration with the related authorities.
10. To represent the State at the local, regional and international health organizations.
11. Any other competencies entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of the laws and regulations and the Cabinet
resolutions.
Article (9)
Ministry of Public Works
Ministry of Public Works shall be competent to :
– Build, maintain and upgrade federal roads.
– Construct the Federation’s buildings and public facilities except those belonging to the Armed Forces and
supervise their maintenance.
– Construction of building and public utilities of the Federation with the exception of those related to the Armed
Forces and supervise their maintenance
– Other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of another law.
Article (10)
[Cancelled by Article 4 of Federal law (1) of 2006].
Article (11)
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs shall be competent to :
– Draft federal laws concerning:
a. Labour and workers.
b. Social security.
c. Control of unemployment and providing jobs for nationals.
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d. Social services and family care.
e. Cooperative societies and encouragement of family savings.
– Provide technical and financial assistance to member Emirates to enable them implement the above
legislations.
– Control the disbursement of funds allocated in the Federation’s general budget for social affairs, according to
the urgent need of some Emirates by agreement with the authorities of the concerned Emirate.
– Control foreign and international bodies and organizations which provide material or moral and work in or
supervise social care and charity works, as well as supervising their registration, direct them and support their
efforts to serve society.
– Other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of another law.
Article (12)
Ministry of Information
Ministry of Information shall be competent to:
– Undertake all matters related to federal information including radio, television, press, printed material and
federal bulletins.
– Coordinate the information policy between the Emirates in line with the Federation’s general policy.
– Coordinate the close cooperation between member Emirates for prosperity and progress of tourism.
– Other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of another law.
Article (13)
Ministry of Planning
Ministry of Planning shall be competent to:
– Draw up and supervise the execution of plans for projects to be carried out throughout the Federation.
– Direct the economic development through scientific planning and technical cooperation with specialized
international organizations.
– Prepare economic studies and researches.
– Other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of another law.
Article (14)
[Cancelled by Article 4 of Federal Law (1) of 2006].
Article (15)
Ministry of Youth and Sports
Ministry of Youth and Sports shall be competent to:
– Draw up the general policy on the care and guidance of youth to raise their standard and consolidate their
patriotism.
– Propose plans, regulations and draft laws on youth care.
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– Set up sports, social and cultural clubs, societies and associations and sports installations and encourage the
youth to join therein.
– Organize the youth leisure times and lay down programs to achieve this goal.
– Enhance youth care activities in the Federation Emirates and provide them with the necessary financial
assistance.
– Organize the participation in Arab and International Sports conferences and tournaments in agreement with the
concerned authorities in the Emirates.
– All other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of another law or regulation.
Article (16)
Ministry of Housing
Ministry of Housing shall be competent to :
– Study and prepare projects of town planning and housing of different kinds and levels.
– Design projects for construction of federal public buildings.
– Take the necessary measures pertaining to the maintenance of federal real property.
– Other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of another law or regulation.
Article (17)
Ministry of Electricity
Ministry of Electricity shall be competent to:
– Propose the general plan for generation and distribution of electricity to be in line with the constructional
development of the Country, the requirements of the economic development plans and provide for the needs of
the people.
– Execute projects related to the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for which credits are
allocated by the Federation from its budget.
– Manage, operate and maintain power generation plants and transmit to the main grids for which funds are
allocated by the Federation from its budget.
– Other jurisdictions entrusted to the Ministry by virtue of a law or regulation.
Article (18)
Each federal ministry shall prepare all the necessary draft laws, decrees, regulations and rules related to its
affairs and present the same to the Federal Cabinet after being formulated by jurisprudence and legislations
department.
Article (19)
Each of the Federal Ministries shall do whatever is required to handle any matters fall within its jurisdiction by
contacting any State, Arab, foreign or international organization or agency and represent the Federation
therewith and at all regional and international conferences provided that the same shall in co-ordination with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Article (20)
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Each Federal Ministry shall exercise its jurisdictions according to the directions of the Cabinet and President of
the Federation in accordance with the federal laws and general policy drawn up by the Federal Supreme
Council.
Chapter Two
Powers of Ministers and Undersecretaries
Article (21)
Each Federal Minister shall exercise the following authority and powers within his Ministry:
– Propose the general policy of his ministry and supervise its implementation after approval.
– Control the work progress at his ministry and issue instructions necessary thereto.
– Implement the federal general budget within the credits allocated to his Ministry.
– Delegate certain powers to the Undersecretary, Directors General or senior staffs at his Ministry.
– Any other powers conferred thereon by the Federal Laws, rules, regulations and resolutions issued thereunder.
Article (22)
Each federal undersecretary with the Minister assistance shall assume the management of the Ministry
departments and sections, run its affairs, implement the set policy, coordinate and organize the work among the
departments reporting to him and shall be accountable for his activities to the Minister.
Article (23)
Federal ministers shall consult the competent authorities in the Emirates with respect of the powers and
jurisdiction exercised by them when their exercising of such powers and jurisdiction has a direct relationship
with a certain Emirate as regards the draft laws proposed by the Federal Ministries the concerned authorities in
the Emirate shall be consulted before approving the same.
Article (24)
– The Federal competent authorities, under their control and agreement with the concerned authorities in the
Emirate shall undertake the projects for which the Federation shall allocate funds from its revenues to spend
thereon.
– However, the services and public utilities projects whether existing or to be established in future for which the
Federation has not allocated funds from its revenues in the annual budget, each Emirate shall undertake the
management of the same and cause to construct whatever deemed necessary through their respective executive
authorities and from their own budgets.
Article (25)
The Cabinet shall issue the necessary resolutions for the approval of the organizational structure of each
ministry .
Ministers each in his capacity shall enforce this law have the same published in the gazette and be enacted as of
date of issue.
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Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan
President of the United Arab Emirates
Issued at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi
On Dhul Hajja 17, 1391 A.H.
Corresponding to February 2, 1972.
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