Member News

To clarify impact and implications of this new regulation, we have approached experts withint the membership who specialise in Dubai's construction and contractor sector.

Barry Lee Cummings, Co-founder and Chief Digital Officer at Contractors Direct, said:

"[The announcement] makes for interesting reading and will set the cat amongst the pigeons for those contractors who are not civil defence registered - as we put all our contractors through a due diligence process anyway, this won’t impact us as an organisation, but it does clearly support that clear and transparent insight into residential and commercial fit out for the client and contractor is the way forwards in the region.”

Tim Sephton, Partner at Iterum Project Management, added:

"Regulations in the construction sector are a positive force. By establishing consistent standards for all contractors, we create a more level playing field, ensuring that pricing assessments are based on a like-for-like comparison"

Commenting from a BCCD perspective, Cynthia Corby, BCCD Construction Sector Working Group Lead, and Partner and Regional Construction Lead at Deloitte Middle East, said: 

"Having worked with the Construction Working group at the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai for over 4 years now, where we have engaged with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and other industry groups to explain some of the challenges faced in the industry as well as assist in benchmarking best practice in various areas where this exists globally, it is very encouraging to read about this new law issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Maktoum.

Until the full law is published for us to understand more, we are delighted to read that a central feature of the law is the creation of the Contracting Activities Regulation and Development Committee, which will be formed through a decision by the Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. Chaired by a representative from Dubai Municipality, we understand that the committee will include members from various government entities involved in contracting regulation.

The positive message in this announcement is that the committee will oversee the implementation of the new law, determine the regulatory authority for each contracting activity, and propose new policies or legislation for the sector and very specifically that it will also mediate jurisdictional disputes between oversight bodies, develop a sector-wide code of ethics, and coordinate efforts with both public and private stakeholders.

We welcome the opportunity to engage with this committee given the vast research and surveys we have conducted to date with key industry stakeholders and suggestions from industry, in various white papers issued, in how to address some of the key challenges.

The regulation of contractor’s activities and classification is significant to ensure all entrants to the market are suitably qualified to deliver the emirates iconic and technically challenging projects."

Launched in 2023, the BCCD’s Construction Sector Working Group was established to promote best practice and align with Dubai’s construction priorities. It has since evolved into an active advocacy forum, contributing to policy discussions and supporting foreign direct investment.

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