Federal Law 2 on National Societies and Associations of Public Welfare

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Federal Law No. (2) of 2008 in Regards of the National Societies and Associations of the Public Welfare.

Article (2)
In implementation of the provisions of this law, the society of public welfare means any assembly (group) having a regulation valid for a limited or unlimited period, comprising natural or artificial persons, for the purpose of achieving a social, religious, cultural, scientific, educational, professional, feminine, innovative, or an artistic activity, or provision of humanitarian services, or for serving a charity or consolidation purpose, whether through financial or moral assistance, or by know-how, seeking in all its activities achievement of Public Welfare without obtaining financial profit, and having its membership open for everybody under the provisions of this law. The importance of specifying the objective of the society is represented by the chief purpose for which it has been established.

Chapter One
Incorporation of the Society

Article (3)
To incorporate the society, the following requirements shall be met:
1. Number of the founders shall not be less than twenty members. However, the Minister may apply exceptions in this condition, permitting the number of such founders to be not less than five members.
2. The age of the member should not be less than Eighteen Years.
3. The member should enjoy good conduct and reputation and never been convicted of imprisonment due to committing a felony or a misuse of trust or honor misdemeanor unless he/she is already rehabililitated.
4. All the founder members and staff shall be holders of the United Arab Emirates citizenship.
The aforesaid conditions shall be applied to the societies comprising artificial persons to the extent such conditions can be applied thereto.

Article (4)
The founders shall hold an assembly for setting out the society’s Articles of Association including the following details:
1. The name of the society derived from its objective, place of its headquarters and scope of activity in the State, provided that such a name does not arouse confusion with another society operating within the scope of its activity.
2. Objectives of the Society.
3. Membership conditions and categories, with the procedures of its acceptance and forfeiture, as well as the rights and duties of members.
4. The manner of forming the board of directors, its functions and the work system therein.
5. Rules and principles for regulating the ordinary or extraordinary general assemblies, their functions , assembly invitation procedures and the conditions for valid convention.
6. Rules for amending the society’s articles of association, establishing branches or centers affiliated thereto, or merging the same with other societies, in addition to rules of membership and participation in the bodies, organizations, and conferences outside the State.
7. Resources of the society and the manner of utilizing the same, disposing of them and the method of controlling of spending thereof, beginning and end of its fiscal year, the system for retaining advances and the values thereof for meeting the urgent expenditures, as well as the rules for raising donations.
8. The conditions for winding the society up voluntarily, rules of its liquidation and the decision regarding its funds. The Ministry shall prepare a model society Articles of Association to be used for guidance.