Law
No. (20) of 2021
Establishing
the Department of
Economy
and Tourism in the Emirate of Dubai[1]
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We,
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai,
After
perusal of:
Law No. (5) of 1995
Establishing the Department of Finance;
Law No. (1) of 1997
Establishing the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and its
amendments;
Law No. (3) of 2003
Establishing the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai;
Law No. (25) of 2008
Concerning the Department of Economic Development;
Law No. (23) of 2009
Concerning the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises Development and its amendments;
Law No. (13) of 2011
Regulating the Conduct of Economic Activities in the Emirate of Dubai and its
amendments;
Law No. (11) of 2012
Establishing the Mohammed bin Rashid Fund to Support Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises;
Law No. (3) of 2013 Concerning
the Dubai Corporation for Festivals and Retail Sector Promotion;
Law No. (15) of 2013
Establishing the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing;
Law No. (16) of 2013
Establishing the Dubai Investment Development Agency;
Law No. (1) of 2016 Concerning
the Financial Regulations of the Government of Dubai;
Law No. (8) of 2018 Concerning
Management of the Government of Dubai Human Resources;
Law No. (3) of 2021 Concerning
the Dubai Industry and Export Development Corporation;
Decree No. (13) of 2011
Concerning the e-Programme for Hotel and Tourism Establishments in the Emirate
of Dubai;
Decree No. (17) of 2013
Concerning Licensing and Classification of Hotel Establishments in the Emirate
of Dubai;
Decree No. (25) of 2013
Concerning the Event eLicensing and eTicketing System in the Emirate of Dubai;
Executive Council Resolution
No. (13) of 2011 Approving Fees and Fines of the Department of Economic
Development;
Executive Council Resolution
No. (48) of 2014 Approving the Fees and Fines Related to Hotel Establishments;
Executive Council Resolution
No. (1) of 2015 Approving the Fees and Fines Prescribed for the Event
eLicensing and eTicketing System in the Emirate of Dubai; and
Executive Council Resolution
No. (10) of 2016 Approving the Organisational Structure of the Department of
Economic Development,
Do
hereby issue this Law.
This Law will be cited as "Law No. (20) of
2021 Establishing the Department of Economy and Tourism in the Emirate of
Dubai”.
The following words and
expressions, wherever mentioned in this Law, will have the meaning indicated
opposite each of them unless the context implies otherwise:
|
UAE: |
The United Arab Emirates. |
|
Emirate: |
The Emirate of Dubai. |
|
Ruler: |
His Highness the Ruler of Dubai. |
|
Government: |
The Government of Dubai. |
|
Executive Council: |
The Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai. |
|
DET: |
The Department of Economy and Tourism. |
|
Director General: |
The director general of the DET. |
|
Affiliates: |
The local entities affiliated to the DET pursuant to this Law. |
Pursuant to this Law, a
Government department named the “Dubai Economy and Tourism Department” is
established. The DET will have legal personality and the legal capacity
required to undertake the acts and dispositions that ensure the achievement of
its objectives. The DET will be affiliated to the Executive Council.
The head office of the DET will be located in
the Emirate. The DET or any of the Affiliates may, pursuant to a resolution of
the Executive Council, establish branches and offices within and outside of the
Emirate.
The DET will have the following objectives:
1.
to
support the Government in achieving its competitiveness vision to position the Emirate as a major hub for global economy and tourism, and in
boosting the
Emirate’s economic and tourism competitiveness indicators;
2.
to
enhance the stability of the Emirate and its position within the global economic
system as an international hub for economy, trade, tourism, logistic services,
and Investment;
3.
to
regulate, encourage, improve, develop, and invest in, the tourism industry and
commerce marketing and promotion in the Emirate;
4.
to
adopt forward thinking in economic planning through developing economic plans and policies to ensure
corporate sustainability and economic growth, while focusing on partnerships
and joint ventures for business development;
5.
to
support decision makers in formulating development policies, developing plans,
and measuring the strategic performance of the economy and tourism sectors in
the Emirate;
6.
to
drive the economic and tourism agenda of the Emirate; and support its economy through adopting diversity, creativity,
innovation, business environment improvement, and investor’s journey
facilitation;
7.
to
contribute to supporting the Emirate's vision of becoming the best city in the
world to live in by promoting the entertainment industry, combining and
developing marketing and recreational activities, festival activities, theme
parks, public events, and similar activities;
8.
to
plan, regulate, and monitor the effectiveness of, the overall economic and
tourism performance in the Emirate; and to boost economic and tourism
development in the Emirate with a view to ensuring the achievement and
implementation of the objectives of the plans and policies set by the
Government for this purpose;
9.
to
enhance and enrich the image of the
Emirate among travellers, investors, and talented people from around the world
by highlighting the dynamic development taking place in the Emirate as well as
the experience it offers to visitors of all ages;
10. to encourage Investment in the
knowledge and innovation industries; attract foreign direct Investment; promote and diversify export
products and markets; and support small and medium-sized enterprises;
11. to develop the exports of the
Emirate; and to build the capacity of the
industrial sector of the Emirate and enhance the competitive edge of its
products in local, regional, and international markets; and
12. to contribute to maintaining
the high-quality economic and tourism services provided to investors, traders,
and all members and segments of the community.
For the purpose of achieving its objectives,
the DET will have the duties and powers to:
1.
prepare,
develop, and manage the comprehensive plans, policies, and strategies related
to the economy and tourism sectors in the Emirate; and submit the same to the
Executive Council for approval;
2.
develop,
implement, and regularly update the plans, programmes, and initiatives which
aim to enhance economic development and attract tourists from around the world
to the Emirate;
3.
supervise
the implementation of the policies, strategies, projects, and initiatives of
the economic and tourism sectors in the Emirate. This includes the policies
that ensure the protection of competition in economic practices;
4.
supervise
the development and growth of new economic sectors, such as circular economy,
participatory economy, Islamic economy, cooperative economy, and similar
sectors;
5.
develop
the policies related to licensing economic professionals and establishments
operating in the Emirate, in accordance with the relevant applicable
legislation;
6.
develop
the policies, strategies, and plans that support the growth of the sectors of
the new economy and digital economy with a view to attracting international
Investments and consolidating the position of the Emirate as the capital of the
new economy;
7.
develop
and implement comprehensive tourism publicity programmes, and manage and
supervise all operations related to the provision of official tourist
information;
8.
establish
and manage a network of international offices to promote the trade, economy,
and tourism of the Emirate in different countries around the world, in
coordination with the concerned entities in the UAE;
9.
enter
into partnerships with the concerned entities within and outside of the Emirate
for the purpose of benefiting from the best practices adopted in the economic
and tourism sectors, with a view to supporting the DET efforts to achieve its
objectives and perform its functions;
10. consider projects related to
tourism in accordance with the legislation in force and in line with the
relevant plans for developing the tourism industry in the Emirate;
11. propose and review, in
coordination with the concerned Government entities, the legislation and
policies supporting the economic and tourism sectors and
the conduct of Economic Activities and tourism activities;
12. enforce and implement the
legislation in force in the Emirate in relation to the economic and tourism
sectors;
13. coordinate with free zones in
the Emirate to achieve the objectives of the comprehensive economic and tourism
plan of the Emirate;
14. endeavour to provide all
means of comfort and leisure to tourists; and facilitate processing their
applications in cooperation with the concerned entities in the Emirate;
15. establish performance
indicators for all economic sectors to assess compliance with the general
policies, strategies, initiatives, projects, and standards of these sectors, in
coordination with the Executive Council and in line with the performance
indicators of Government and public services;
16. register and license
commercial and professional companies, and professionals, working in the
economic and tourism sectors;
17. manage trade protection
processes and audit companies and Economic Activities;
18. raise awareness of the public
and the business community in the Emirate on
economic matters
by holding or participating in symposia, conferences, exhibitions, and other
economic and tourist activities within and outside of the Emirate;
19. regulate and control the
performance of economic and tourism sectors, and tourist activities and
Economic Activities in the Emirate;
20. promote the economy, tourism,
and trade of the Emirate at the local and international levels;
21. represent the Government in
local and international economic and tourism conferences and events;
22. form advisory committees with
a view to cooperating and coordinating with the representatives of the business
sector, Investors, and economic and non-economic stakeholders in the Emirate to
ensure implementation and achievement of the DET objectives and the approved
strategic plans;
23. promote cooperation and
strategic partnerships with Government entities and with the private sector
with a view to supporting the achievement of the DET objectives;
24. compile, in coordination with
the concerned entities in the Emirate, the economic and tourist information and
data required to enable the DET to duly exercise its powers and duties;
25. follow up the proper
performance of the duties and services of the Affiliates, and regularly review
and evaluate their performance;
26. own and take lease of movable
and immovable property, materials, devices, equipment, and systems as required
to enable the DET to exercise its duties and powers under this Law and the
legislation in force in the Emirate; and
27. exercise any other duties or
powers required for the achievement of the DET objectives, as assigned to the
DET by the Ruler or the Chairman of the Executive Council.
With the exception of the regulatory powers
vested in it, the DET may delegate any of its functions under this Law to any
public or private entity pursuant to an agreement concluded with that entity in
this respect. This agreement will determine the rights and obligations of the
DET and the contracted entity as well as the conditions, requirements, and
specifications that the entity must observe when performing the functions
delegated by the DET.
a.
As
of the date on which this Law comes into force, the following public
corporations and entities will be affiliated to the DET:
1.
the
Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
Development;
2.
the
Dubai Corporation for Festivals and Retail Sector Promotion;
3.
the
Dubai Investment Development Agency;
4.
the
Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing;
5.
the
Dubai Industry and Export Development Corporation;
6.
the
Mohammed bin Rashid Fund to Support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises; and
7.
any
other local entity to be affiliated to the DET pursuant to a resolution issued
by the Ruler.
b.
Each
of the Affiliates will retain the legal personality granted to it under the
legislation establishing it or regulating its work; and will exercise the
duties and powers assigned to it by such legislation under the DET supervision,
provided that these duties and powers do not conflict with the functions of the
DET.
c.
Affiliates
must implement the approved plans and policies, and must submit to the Director
General periodic reports on their work, programmes, statistics, and available
information.
a.
The
executive body of the DET will be comprised of the Director
General and a number of administrative, finance, and technical employees.
b.
Law No. (8) of 2018 Concerning
Management of the Government of Dubai Human Resources will apply to the employees of the DET
and of the Affiliates, excluding the Affiliates to be governed by special human
resources regulations pursuant to a resolution issued by the Chairman of the
Executive Council.
a.
A
Director General will be appointed to the DET pursuant to a
decree issued by the Ruler.
b.
The Director General will be
directly responsible to the Executive Council for performing the duties
assigned to him under this Law, the resolutions issued in pursuance hereof, and
other legislation
in force in the Emirate; and for performing any other duties assigned to him by
the Ruler or the Chairman of the Executive Council.
a.
The Director General will
supervise the work and activities of the DET; manage its affairs; and represent
it in its relations with third parties. For these purposes, the Director
General will have the duties and powers to:
1.
propose the general policy and
strategic plans of the DET; present the same to the Executive
Council for approval; and follow up their implementation;
2.
propose, in coordination with
the competent entities, the policies, strategies, and initiatives supporting
the economic sectors in the Emirate; and submit the same to the Executive Council for approval;
3.
approve
the strategic and operational plans; and the
initiatives, programmes, projects, studies, and recommendations; that are related
to the work and activities of the DET and that enable it to achieve its
objectives;
4.
approve the work plans and
programmes of the DET; and review, and assess implementation of, the same on an
annual basis;
5.
prepare
the draft annual budget and Financial Statements of the DET,
and present the same to the competent entities in the Emirate for approval;
6. submit periodic reports to
the Executive Council on the implementation of the strategic plan and the
approved general policies, strategies, and initiatives; and on the performance indicators
and programmes related to implementation of the strategic plans of the Emirate
in relation to the economic and tourism sectors; as well as annual performance
reports on the work and activities of the DET and the Affiliates;
7. supervise
the daily work and the executive body of the DET, and appoint the technical and
administrative staff required to perform the work of the DET and the Affiliates
in accordance with the legislation in force;
8.
propose the organisational
structure of the DET, and submit the proposal to the competent entities in the Emirate for approval;
9.
approve
the bylaws and resolutions regulating the administrative,
financial, and technical work of the DET;
10. propose
fees and charges for the services provided by the DET, and submit the proposal
to the competent entities in the Emirate
for approval;
11. conclude contracts, agreements, and
memoranda of understanding with others, as required for
the achievement of the DET objectives and for enabling it to exercise its
duties and powers;
12. form
specialised permanent and temporary
committees and work teams, and determine their duties and powers; and
13. exercise any other duties or
powers assigned to him by the Ruler or the Chairman of the Executive Council, as required for the
achievement of the DET objectives and for enabling it to exercise its duties
and powers.
b.
The Director General may
delegate any of his duties and powers under paragraph (a) of this Article to
any of the executive directors/chief executive officers at the DET or the
Affiliates, provided that such delegation is specific and in writing.
The financial resources of the DET will consist
of:
1.
the financial appropriations
allocated to the DET in the General Budget of the Government;
2.
fees and charges for the services
provided by the DET; and
3.
any other resources approved by the
Executive Council.
a.
In managing its accounts and
records, the DET will apply the rules and principles of government accounting.
b.
The Financial Year of the DET will
commence on 1 January and will end on 31 December of each year, except that the
first Financial Year will commence on the date on which this Law comes into force and
will end on 31 December of the following year.
All local entities in the Emirate must fully
cooperate with the DET and the Affiliates; meet their requirements; and provide
them with the data, information, documents, and statistics they require and
deem necessary for the achievement of their objectives and exercise of their
functions under this Law, the resolutions issued in pursuance hereof, and other
legislation in force in the Emirate.
a.
As
of the date on which this Law comes into force, the following will be
transferred to the DET:
1.
all
the duties and functions assigned to the Department of
Economic Development and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing under
the above-mentioned Law No. (1) of 1997, Law No. (25) of 2008, and the
legislation issued in pursuance thereof;
2.
the ownership of the real property,
movables, assets, devices, equipment, and other property of the Department of
Economic Development and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing;
3.
the employees of the Department of
Economic Development, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and the
Affiliates, as well as the financial appropriations allocated to these
employees by the Department of Finance, in accordance with the provisions of
the above-mentioned Law No. (1) of 2016 and other legislation in force in the
Emirate. In applying human resources legislation to these transferred
employees, the provisions of paragraph (9)(b) hereof must be observed; and
their existing rights must not be prejudiced; and
4.
the
financial appropriations allocated to the Department of Economic Development
and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing by the Department of
Finance in their respective annual budgets.
b.
The
DET
hereby succeeds to the rights and obligations of the Department of Economic
Development and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
The DET must coordinate with the concerned
entities in the Emirate to comply with the provisions of this Law within no
later than three (3) months from the date on which this Law comes into force.
The Chairman of the Executive Council may, where required, extend this time
limit for the period he deems appropriate.
The Chairman of the Executive Council will
issue the resolutions required for the implementation of the provisions of this
Law.
a.
The
above-mentioned Law No. (1) of 1997 and Law No. (25) of 2008 are hereby
repealed. Any provision in any other legislation
will also be repealed to the extent that it contradicts the provisions of this
Law.
b.
The legislation issued in implementation of the
above-mentioned Law No. (1) of 1997 and Law No. (25) of 2008, including the
legislation relating to the economic and tourism sectors, will continue in
force to the extent that they do not contradict this Law and other legislation
in force in the Emirate, until new superseding legislation is issued.
This Law will be published in
the Official Gazette and will come into force on the day on which it is
published.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Ruler of Dubai
Issued in Dubai on 2 November 2021
Corresponding to
27 Rabi al-Awwal 1443 A.H.
©2021 The Supreme
Legislation Committee in the Emirate of Dubai
[1]Every effort has been made to produce an
accurate and complete English version of this legislation. However, for the
purpose of its interpretation and application, reference must be made to the
original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text will prevail.