Decision of the Chairman of the Department of Municipal Affairs

No. (121) of 2014

Issuing the Executive Regulations of Law No. (2) of 2012

(Maintaining the General Appearance)

The Chairman of the Department of Municipal Affairs,

- Having reviewed Law No. (1) of 1974 regarding the Reorganization of the Governmental Apparatus in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and its amending laws.

- And Law No. (9) of 2007 concerning the establishment of the Department of Municipal Affairs.

- And Law No. (2) of 2012 concerning Maintaining the General Appearance, Public Health, and Tranquility in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

- And based on what was presented to the Executive Council and its approval thereof.

Has decided the following:

Article (1)

For the application of the provisions of this Decision, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context indicates otherwise:

Article (2)

The owner or their legal representative must comply with the following:

1. Periodic maintenance of the building to preserve the general appearance, with the obligation not to make any modification to the external form of the building, whether by addition or demolition, without obtaining a license from the concerned authorities.

2. Fencing, enclosing, or covering any property, in whole or in part, for construction purposes, in accordance with the applicable conditions and specifications that contribute to preserving the general and aesthetic appearance of the Emirate.

3. Maintenance of licensed canopies in front of the building.

4. Obtaining the necessary license from the concerned municipality when adding any tools, equipment, or devices, or carrying out any decoration works or changes to the building facades (such as restaurant chimneys, canopies, air conditioning units, lighting works, and the like).

Article (3)

The owner or their legal representative is obligated to provide the following:

1. A means to transport waste from inside the building to the waste room, take out containers for emptying and return them to their locations immediately, and perform periodic maintenance on them. Private residential units are excluded from this.

2. Appropriate containers in commercial shops for public use to dispose of waste.

Article (4)

It is prohibited for any person to do the following:

1. Leaving, storing, or placing any materials, prefabricated structures (caravans), or hanging any goods, materials, or other items in public places, on building roofs, or on balconies in a way that distorts the general appearance of building facades and their balconies.

2. Drying or hanging clothes and other items on windows, balconies, or roof edges overlooking a public road in a visible manner, or placing clotheslines outside windows, balconies, or roof edges on any side of buildings overlooking a public road.

3. Cleaning or placing carpets, covers, or other items on windows, balconies, or roof edges overlooking a public road.

4. Raising or hanging flags, logos, or symbols in a way that distorts the general appearance.

5. Exploiting or covering the corridors between residential plots and commercial buildings for storage purposes or for unauthorized activities.

Article (5)

Without prejudice to the right of the judicial officer to issue an immediate violation report according to the nature of the violation, the violation shall be recorded according to the following procedures:

1. Issuing the necessary reports and offering reconciliation to the violator in light of the provisions of the Law and this Decision.

2. Notifying the violator of the violation at their declared address by all legally prescribed methods within seven days from the date of the decision's issuance by the concerned municipality.

Article (6)

1. The violator has the right to appeal the decision of the concerned municipality regarding the violation attributed to them to the Grievances Committee, whenever the nature of the violation so requires, within two weeks from the date of being notified of the decision's content, by submitting a request to the Director General.

2. The appellant shall state in their request the reasons justifying their appeal and attach the supporting documents.

3. The Grievances Committee must study the grievance and decide on it, either by rejection or acceptance, within thirty days from the date of its receipt, with a reasoned decision.

Article (7)

The concerned municipality shall take the following actions:

1. Seeking the assistance of the concerned authorities through the judicial officer to remove the violation after the expiry of the period specified in Article (5), at the violator's expense.

2. Preparing an account of the expenses along with the due date for payment and notifying the violator thereof, in the event the removal is carried out by the concerned municipality. This shall be considered a fixed debt owed by the violator, recoverable by all legal means.

Schedule of Violations and Fines

Attached to Decision No. ( ) of 2013

(Maintaining the General Appearance)

- In all cases, the violator is obligated to remove the causes of the violation whenever necessary.

- The fine shall be doubled in case of repetition.

Article (8)

The schedule of violations attached to this Decision shall be enforced.

Article (9)

This Decision shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into effect on the day following its publication.

Saeed Eid Al Ghafli
Chairman of the Department of Municipal Affairs

Issued in Abu Dhabi

On: 23 Rajab 1435 H

Corresponding to: 22 May 2014