Dubai Municipality issues warnings to engineering consultancy offices for inflating structural designs of citizens' villas

• Violations detected involving exaggerated structural designs that conflict with Dubai Building Code requirements and increase citizens’ financial burdens.
• Oversight measures reinforce efforts to regulate engineering practices, protect stakeholder interests, and enhance competitiveness of the construction sector.
• Maryam Al Muhairi: “Compliance with the Dubai Building Code is both a professional and ethical responsibility to balance quality with reduced costs.”

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 26 August 2025: Dubai Municipality has announced that it has issued warnings to a number of engineering consultancy offices after detecting professional practices involving exaggerated structural designs for citizens’ villas. These violations were found to contravene the requirements of the Dubai Building Code and had resulted in unjustified increases in construction costs without any proven engineering need.

This step comes in line with Dubai Municipality’s commitment to regulating the construction sector and raising adherence to approved standards. The action follows earlier circulars issued to all consultancy offices in the emirate, mandating strict compliance with the Dubai Building Code and adherence to approved engineering standards. The aim is to ensure structural efficiency without unnecessary design inflation, thereby reducing financial burdens on property owners while safeguarding the rights of all stakeholders.

Eng. Maryam Al Muhairi, CEO of the Buildings Regulation and Permits Agency at Dubai Municipality, said: “Compliance with the Dubai Building Code is a professional and ethical responsibility before being a regulatory obligation. Its objective is to strike a balance between construction quality and reduced costs. We remain committed to monitoring the practices of consultancy offices and contractors to ensure compliance with approved requirements, limiting excessive use of construction materials — including steel — and preventing citizens from bearing unjustified additional costs. This ensures structural efficiency, reduces expenses without compromising safety and quality, and applies best practices to guarantee a safe and sustainable construction environment.”

Dubai Municipality confirmed that repeated violations would negatively affect an office’s annual evaluation and could result in disciplinary measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Earlier this year, the Municipality suspended two engineering consultancy offices and barred them from licensing new projects for six months after detecting professional practices that breached approved regulations and professional ethics—actions deemed harmful to the interests of property owners and developers.

By reinforcing adherence to the Dubai Building Code, Dubai Municipality continues to advance the emirate’s construction sector, enhance its competitiveness, and reduce waste and unnecessary costs. These efforts support an attractive business environment and contribute to Dubai’s leadership in sustainable urban development.