Local Order No. (1) of 1977
Concerning Industrial Areas, Exhibitions, and Press Houses
The Head of Abu Dhabi Municipality Department:
- Having reviewed Law No. (1) of 1974 concerning the reorganization of the government apparatus in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,
- And Local Orders Law No. (8) of 1969,
Has decided:
Article (1)
Industrial land areas are designated for the following purposes:
- Factories.
- Contractors' works.
- Car maintenance and workshops.
- Labor accommodation.
- Exhibitions.
- Press houses.
The Head of Abu Dhabi Municipality Department may allocate lands in the same areas for other purposes when deemed necessary.
Article (2)
The Abu Dhabi Municipality Department shall sign the lease contract for the land referred to in the preceding article, on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi, with the tenant for a period ranging from 10 (ten) to 15 (fifteen) years. The annual rent shall be collected from the tenant in accordance with the schedule of rent categories attached to this order.
Article (3)
The lease contract shall state the purpose for which the land was leased, and the tenant must obtain a building permit in accordance with the terms of the contract.
Article (4)
The building permit application shall be submitted in duplicate on the prescribed form, signed by the tenant and the consulting engineer who carried out the design.
The following documents shall be attached to the application:
- The land plot plan approved by the Town Planning section of the Abu Dhabi Municipality Department.
- Three copies of the architectural, structural, sanitary, and electrical drawings.
All submitted drawings and maps must be at a scale of 1/100, except for the general site plan, which must be at a scale of 1/200. The name of the plot tenant must be mentioned on each plan, and the north arrow must be indicated.
Article (5)
In addition to the documents referred to in the preceding article, a detailed statement of the site's uses shall be attached to the permit application, clarifying the following:
Locations of workshops - covered storage - open storage - administrative buildings - covered and open car parks - internal pathways - guard rooms - toilets for workers and employees - waste and garbage collection points - entrances and exits to and from the plot - north arrow.
Article (6)
The application, along with the documents mentioned in the two preceding articles, shall be submitted to the Abu Dhabi Municipality Department to complete the licensing procedures.
Article (7)
Under no circumstances is it permissible to:
- Merge two plots together. In the case of two plots sharing a boundary, the buildings on either plot must be set back two meters from their common boundary.
- Subdivide a single plot into smaller parts.
- Construct residential buildings for employees and workers in industrial areas.
- Carry out any work, store any materials, or dump any waste or refuse outside the plot boundaries.
- Use the plot for any purpose other than that for which the land was leased.
- Use car parks outside the plots for storage, truck parking, or car repairs.
Article (8)
Lands allocated for press houses may not be used for any purpose other than that for which the land was leased. In case of violation, the lease contract shall be terminated, ownership of the buildings shall revert to the government, and the tenant shall only be compensated for the value of the buildings.
Article (9)
The establishment of buildings and facilities in the industrial area is subject to the following conditions:
- Every factory, warehouse, or any type of building on the industrial plot must have fire extinguishing units.
- If the industrial plot is used for establishing buildings for pumping operations and storing lubrication tools, fuels, and the like, the fuel depots must be made of non-flammable material and be sufficiently distant from any place that produces materials that could aid combustion.
- The locations of fuel pumps and lubrication equipment must be determined according to the requirements stipulated by the fire authorities and other competent bodies, which shall grant the necessary license for them.
- A room with a bathroom for the guard may be constructed, provided its area does not exceed 20 (twenty) square meters.
- Drainage pits and all sewage lines must be within the land boundaries.
- Sanitary toilets must be available for workers in the factory or workshop.
- The floor level of the workshop or factory buildings must be at least 40 (forty) centimeters above the public road level.
- The floor level of the administration buildings must be at least 60 (sixty) centimeters above the public road level.
- The maximum permitted height for administration buildings is two stories.
- In the case of establishing a factory that produces any type of smoke or steam, prior approval must be obtained from the competent authorities, and this will only be permitted in suitable locations according to planning considerations, health security, and aviation safety.
Article (10)
An area outside and adjacent to the industrial area shall be designated for labor accommodation. One or more plots shall be allocated to tenants of the industrial area, as the case may be, to build sheds for the accommodation of these workers. Necessary services must be attached. These plots shall be determined by a committee formed for this purpose to consider who requires them. Under no circumstances may these plots be used for purposes other than establishing sheds for labor accommodation, such as building houses or otherwise.
Article (11)
Without prejudice to the penalties stipulated in the following article, if the tenant violates any of the contract terms, the Abu Dhabi Municipality Department shall issue a warning to rectify the violation within a reasonable period. If the tenant fails to rectify the violation, or repeats it, the Municipality shall have the right to remove it administratively, without prejudice to its right to terminate the lease contract and reclaim the plot.
Article (12)
Any violation of the provisions of this order or the decisions implementing it shall be punishable by a fine of not less than 1,000 (one thousand) dirhams and not exceeding 2,000 (two thousand) dirhams, or by imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 (six) months.
Article (13)
This order shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force from the date of its publication.
Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed
Head of Abu Dhabi Municipality Department
Issued in Abu Dhabi:
On: 8 Rabi' al-Thani 1397 H
Corresponding to: March 28, 1977