Civil Defense Approval

With the rapid development in Dubai, it was important for the government to come up with an authority which will be responsible to supervise the infrastructure. In 2009, Trakhees – Department of Planning and Development was introduced in Dubai and since then it is providing various public services. Trakhees manages all the lands, complexes & areas owned by ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporations, Dubai World, in the areas defined by PCFC, and its jurisdiction. Trakhees is also responsible for providing business licenses in special development zones and areas.

Trakhees consists of four major departments which include Corporate Excellence Department, Commercial Licensing Department, Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Department, and Civil Engineering Department. Each of these departments is working through creativity and excellence so as to provide quality rich services.

Now, if you are looking forward to get an approval from Trakhees, depending on your business (be it an eatery, hotels, any food-related activity, or any health-related activity), you have to fulfill certain requirements. In order to not miss-out any formality, these requirements are categorized. Let’s discuss the various requirements to obtain Trakhees Approvals:

1. Regulatory Requirements: These are as follows:

1. Following the rules of Dubai World Community Regulations, UAE Laws, and EHS rules.
2. Following the rules of Dubai Municipality, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Waters, ESMA, Dubai Police, and Dubai Customs.
3. In case of Day-Care and Nursery services, it is important to comply rules and standards of Children Day Care.
4. In case of salon services, it is important to comply rules and standards of Beauty Salons Cosmetic procedures/therapies guidelines from DHA, CSS, and EHS.
5. Approval from Nakheel Asset Management.
6. No commencement of construction work without approval from Civil Engineering Department of Trakhees.

1. General Conditions: These are as follows:

1. The owner of the business/property will be responsible for waste disposal generated from the premises.
2. Under no circumstances should the unleased area be used by the owner.
3. Services offered should be strictly as per those mentioned in the license.
4. The contractor should ensure the modification works does not compromise the structural integrity.

1. Floor Area Requirements:

There are other area requirements set by Trakhees, that need to be followed strictly.

1. Facility Requirements: Apart from area requirements, it is important to take care of facility requirements so as to ensure safety and standard. They are as:

1. The water supply shall only be supplied from an approved source by the authority. It is also important to ensure the water is cleaned and treated by the approved EHS third party servicing company.
2. The lighting provided in the premises must be as per the standards set by the authority.
3. The waste management should be up to the mark wherein it should have no adverse effect on the surroundings. Also, the drainage should be designed in a way that it does not contaminate the usable water.
4. The premises should have both natural and artificial means of ventilation. It is worth noting that, similar to water supply management, ventilation shall also be managed in such a manner that the incoming fresh air is not contaminated in any way.
5. As per the nature of the business, the premises should provide an adequate amount of storage for storing goods.
6. The premises must have an adequate number of hand washing stations.
7. An adequate number of changing rooms and locker rooms should be provided for the employees working on the premises.
8. Toilet facilities should be as per the standards. An adequate number of toilets should be provided on the premises. It is also important to provide separate toilets for men and women.

As mentioned above, you must comply with various rules and regulations so that you can get approvals from Trakhees. Even if you get the approval for your business, you still have to maintain quality and standard as per the rules and regulations of Trakhees so that you can retain your license. This is because all the authorities of Dubai are very strict when it comes to safety and security of infrastructure and environment. So, if you are also looking forward to getting an approval from Trakhees or any other authority of Dubai, you must comply with the rules and regulations set by the Government of Dubai.

Since its industrial revolution, Dubai has provided numerous opportunities for everyone looking to achieve heights of success, and it is continuing to do so till date. Today, Dubai has become an international hub where people from all backgrounds are competing against each other. In order to cope up with the growing industrialization and infrastructure demand, it becomes very important to set a bar of standards for ensuring safety and security. The government of Dubai has handed over this responsibility to Trakhees.

It is worth noting that if you are planning to set up your own project in Dubai (under Trakhees Jurisdiction), you have to follow certain rules and regulations set by Trakhees. Moreover, you need to have a permit or approval for commencing the construction work. But the matter of the fact is that sometimes the whole process of getting an approval can be a bit difficult if you have not followed the procedures properly. Let’s make it simple for you and discuss what you need to do so that you can get Trakhees approvals easily:

Procedure For Getting a Building Permit: You cannot commence any construction work at your site before getting a building permit from Trakhees. You must follow the given procedure in order to get an approval:

1. Pre-Approval Formalities: Before applying for an approval, your contractor or consultant has to first get NOC for concept design. This design is then submitted online via e-permit to obtain a Building Permit application ID. A building permit fees notification will then be sent to your consultant and the specified payment is to be made.

1. Application Submission: Once the payment is made to the Trakhees cashier, your consultant has to submit the application at Trakhees Helpdesk along with the payment receipt. However, the documents and the application form are to submitted in a CD containing the documents in pdf format. If the CD contains all the documents as per the requirement, it is accepted and your consultant will receive a submission serial number sent through the mail. If the documents are not complete, Trakhees has full rights to reject your application.

1. Document Distribution: Once your application is accepted by Trakhees, a copy of your documents is sent to a structural engineer who then forwards them to an architect, quality engineer and an HVAC specialist. The Structural engineer will check your drawings and documents for the desired structural calculation. The architect will cross-check your drawings as per various applicable standards. Quality engineer will examine the drawings as per the quality guidelines, and thermal load calculations will be checked by an HVAC specialist. Once all the engineers review the documents and drawings of your project, they will send a copy of their review to the Structural engineer who will then prepare a feedback summary report. This report will be then forwarded to the permit admin, who will then send the letter of approval to your consultant. If the feedback summary report suggests any changes, then you will be required to resubmit your documents after making the specified changes.

1. Drawing Uploaded to Server: If your application and documents are as per the guidelines, the structural engineer, architect, quality engineer, and the HVAC specialist will sign and stamp your drawings and will upload them in the server. Permit admin will then prepare the NOC for building permit and will attach all the recommendations to the permit. Your consultant will be notified if any payment has to be settled by your side. The structural engineer and Sr. Manager Permits will sign the building permit.

1. Permit Issuance: Once you have paid the additional fees (if any), the Director Civil Engineering Department will sign the permit and your consultant will receive a notification from the permit admin for collecting the CD. This CD will contain the building permit, signed drawings, and construction recommendations. It is important to comply with all the recommendations provided in the CD.

1. Points to Remember: At this stage, you will have a building permit from Trakhees, but still you have to take care of certain things. They are as:

1. From the date of issuance, your building permit will be valid for 6 months.
2. You have to commence your construction work as per the recommendations provided by Trakhees.
3. You must also have approvals from Trakhees EHS, DEWA, Etisalat, and DU before commencing any work at the site.
4. All construction work should be as per the standards of Civil Engineering Department of Trakhees.
5. After the completion of the construction work, the debris in the surrounding area should be cleaned within a week.
6. Last but not the least, the Trakhees inspection reports and copy of approved drawings should always be available on the site.

Procedure for Getting an Environmental Permit: Before discussing how to get an environmental permit, it should be noted that there are various types of environmental permits and each of them has their own specific applicability. They can be listed as:

1. Harbor / Open Sea Discharge Permit: Applicable for projects disposing treated wastewater to open sea.
2. Irrigation Permit: Applicable to projects using wastewater for irrigation purposes.
3. Air Emission Permit: Applicable for projects using fuel-burning stacks with air pollution control equipment.
4. Cutting and Relocation of Trees Permit: Applicable for projects that require tree cutting or relocation.
5. Marine Mammal related activity: This category includes a permit to operate captive marine mammal facility, permit to transport marine mammals, permit to conduct scientific research on marine mammals, and permit to import/export marine mammals. This permit is applicable for projects involving marine mammals.
6. Aquatic Animals related activity: This category includes a permit to operate aquarium facility, permit to transport aquatic animals, permit to conduct scientific research on aquatic animals, and permit to import/export aquatic animals. This permit is applicable for projects involving aquatic animals.
7. NOC for Marine Area Management: Applicable for projects managing marine areas.
8. Coral Translocation Permit: Applicable for projects performing coral translocation activity.
9. NOC for Dredging and Reclamation: Applicable for projects performing dredging and reclamation activity.
10. NOC for Conditional Environmental Activity: Applicable for projects performing activities related to environmental issues.
11. Sand Transportation Permit: Applicable to those involving shifting transportation of sand from one construction site to other.

Procedure: The step by step procedure for getting an environmental approval from Trakhees is as follows:

1. Application Submission: Depending upon the type of permit you require for your project, a permit application form is to be submitted along with the documents mentioned on the form. After you fill up the form, it is to be submitted to EHS Main Office Reception. You can also submit the application should e-mail. Remember to submit all the documents as mentioned in the form, or else your application will be rejected.

1. Review of Application: The environmental department will review your application form and you will be notified in case of clarification from your side. You may also be required to submit some additional documents.

1. Site Inspection: When your application is reviewed and everything is done, an officer from the environmental department will visit your site for an inspection. You will be notified of the inspection so that you can coordinate with the officer and agree upon the date & time of the visit.

1. Permit Approval / Rejection: After considering all the facts, the environmental department will approve or reject your permit application. If it is approved, a permit will be issued to you.

1. Payment: You are required to pay an amount towards your permit issuance and each permit requires a specific amount of payment to be made. No permit will be issued unless you do not make the payment. Below is the required amount of payment to be made for each type of permit:

1. Renewal: In case of Harbor Discharge Permit, Irrigation Permit, and Air Emission Permit, forty-five to sixty days prior to the permit expiry date, the environmental department will initiate the renewal process. This will be followed by a surprise site inspection and the inspection reports will be released within five working days for Air Emission, seven working days for Irrigation, and eight working days for harbor water, from the date of inspection. You will then be required to submit the application along with the specified payment amount and a renewed permit will be issued to you.

The option for purchasing or renting property in Dubai could be simple now with the assistance of Emaar approval. A few years back, if you are a foreigner in Dubai, then it could have been difficult to get ownership of a property. However, times have changed, and foreigners could easily buy property in Dubai. On the other hand, there are certain concerns which you should focus on to get the job done simply.

Dubai is one of the countries that has been recording immense development over the years. Many industries have been coming up yearly creating a big job market for many Dubai people thus the growth of the economy of Dubai. With this immense economic growth, there arose a need to have a body that will oversee the management of infrastructure. The rapid growth of buildings and other infrastructure requires strict guidelines to ensure that quality is not compromised. For this reason, Trakhees regulations and standards were then created, in 2009, with the main intent of guarantying development of very sustainable and environmentally friendly structures.

Trakhees is in charge of various entities such as lands, port areas, Dubai World and other areas within its mandate. Additionally, Trakhees are also responsible for the issuance of business licenses in development areas. Trakhees is comprised of four sections that all ensure quality and efficiency is maintained in infrastructural development. These sections include Environment, Health and Safety Department, Commercial Licensing Department, Civil Engineering Department and Corporate Excellence Department.

If you wish to get Trakhees Approvals, you have to follow few guidelines listed below:

Regulatory Requirements:

• No construction work should start without approval from the Civil Engineering Department of Trakhees,
• Approval from Nakheel Asset Management.
• Adherence to rules of Dubai World Community Regulations.
• Day-care and nursery amenities should comply with guidelines for Children Day Care

General Guidelines:

• The owner of any premises is solely responsible for all waste management and disposal.
• The unleased area can never be used by the owner.
• Services offered should be in line with those detailed in the license given.
• Any modification work should not compromise the quality of the building.
• Salon facilities should adhere to the rules and guidelines of Beauty Salons Cosmetics as per EHS.

Facility Requirements:

• Workers should be provided with adequate lockers and changing rooms within the premises.
• Washroom facilities in the premises should be up to standard and both men and women should have separate washroom amenities.
• According to the type of the business, there should be adequate space.
• Lightning standards should be adhered to as set by the authority.
• The premises should have well-structured means of ventilation both artificial and natural such that fresh air is never contaminated.
• Water is supplied by a supplier who is approved by the necessary body. Water is treated by a body approved by the Environment, Health and Safety Department.
• There must be adequate hand washing sites for workers in that premises.

Adherence to these rules is a must if you are looking forward to getting a Trakhees approval. Other than the mentioned rules, you must also observe space area, various business facilities are accorded different floor cover. Even after getting Trakhees approval for your business, that’s not all, you still need to ensure that you continue complying with these rules the day in day out. Trakhees online will help you understand these rules and regulations in a better way.

Warehouses are required to abide by certain Building Regulations and Design Guidelines in order to get a license approval for both establishment and for any subsequent Fit-out modifications done to it. The approvals are demarcated between 2 jurisdictions. Warehouses located in Al Quoz, Dubai Investment Parks and Ras Al Khor come under the jurisdiction of the “Dubai Municipality and Civil Defense” whereas, the Jebel Ali Free Economic zone (JAFZA) are required to get a Trakhees license.

Let’s have a look at the general guidelines:

• The locations for warehouses are required to be chosen as special areas usually set aside for industrial types of work. This is as per the Land Use and Classification and Regulations in the Emirates.
• Unless considered otherwise by the authority, warehouses are required to provide skylight openings of at least 5{0eae52fa29939d8be95e5d87686dbae0f164db59518e7c8936993a7728ee1f75} of floor area in order to provide natural ventilation and lighting.
• The net internal height of any storage area such as a depot or a workshop must be between 4 and 9 meters in height unless indicated otherwise by the authority.
• A maximum limit of 20{0eae52fa29939d8be95e5d87686dbae0f164db59518e7c8936993a7728ee1f75} of the industrial area can be set aside to set up commercial activity. Outside of this area, commercial activity or goods display for trading cannot be carried out.
• Provisions for canteen, pantry and changing rooms with lockers are required to be provided for employees. People with disabilities may be employed only when special provisions for them are incorporated into the design of the space.
• Kitchens and related cooking activities are not allowed on site.

Sanitary Provisions:

• Wash closets (WC) and Basins (WB) are required to be provided for male and female staff at the rate of 1 per 25 staff. If the staff number exceeds 100 then WC’s and WB’s are to be provided at the rate of 1 per 40 urinals.
• Toilet corridors need to have a minimum width of 1.2 meters with stall dimensions of 0.9 X 1.25 meters.
• Vending equipment, waste receptacles and dispensers need to be 1 meter above the floor level with the waste receptacles embedded into the walls out of the way of people.
• Common toilets for both sexes are prohibited and doors to male and female washrooms are to be separated well. Self-closing doors to be provided wherever possible.

Parking provisions:

• 1 parking space per 50 square meters of office space to be provided. For vehicles such as buses, parking space provided depends on the operations carried out and number of workers. Parking provision for visitors is 10{0eae52fa29939d8be95e5d87686dbae0f164db59518e7c8936993a7728ee1f75} of space provided for the staff.
• Construction of perimeter fencing must be on property and must not exceed 2.4 meters in height.
• Minimum width of all warehouse doors is 3 meters.

Mezzanine floor constraints:

• A mezzanine floor is simply an intermediate floor space provided above the warehouse floor. Its function may pertain to the space below or above it.
• 100{0eae52fa29939d8be95e5d87686dbae0f164db59518e7c8936993a7728ee1f75} of the mezzanine floor can be used for the purpose of car parking or as an extension of the building’s usage purpose.
• Balconies or terraces are not permitted to be built on mezzanine floors and second mezzanines are not permitted when the first one is being detached and used independently.
• The internal height of ground floor has to be a minimum of 3 meters. With the addition of a half mezzanine floor it has to be between 2.4 – 4 meters. Finally, with the addition of a full mezzanine, the permitted internal height is between 2.6 – 3 meters.
• Mezzanine floors installed must be done so without disturbing the existing warehouse structures.

Fire safety provisions:

• Smoke detectors are required to be fitted in every partitioned area within the building and tested by a EHS (Environment, Health and Safety home)-Approved Fire contractor.
• Fire extinguishers of 9-pound water type and 5-pound capacity carbon dioxide type must be provided at strategic locations on site.
• Sprinkler systems to be provided where there is storage of fire hazardous material and sprinkler piping system is to be tested and approved by the concerned Fire department.

Before commencing any work related to the planning and construction of a project under Dubai Municipality or DM jurisdiction, it is important to first acquire approvals from the DM. DM provides various approvals for individual, commercial and Government services, i.e., individuals, businesses, as well as Government bodies need to acquire a permit or approval before commencing any project work in Dubai. So, let’s discuss some of the approvals provided by DM and what procedure it requires for you to get a DM approval.

New Building Permit:

• The building department of DM provides approvals for new buildings. Any individual, business, or Government body with a proposed building plan can avail this service and get an approval for their project. The approval can be acquired for either Structural plan, or Architectural Plan, or both. The various types of projects that are covered under this service include single and multi-story buildings, industrial structures, villas, and floor ratio area. Before commencing any physical on site, it is important to get the primary approval from DM in order to make sure the project work is as per the standards and guidelines of DM, otherwise, no physical work should be started. However, DM does not require you to get a primary approval, instead, you can directly apply for the final approval.

Procedure to get a New Building Permit from DM:

In order to make sure you get the approval easily, you must follow the given procedure:

• Following the approval from DM, you will get your permit from DM website.
• When all the documents are successfully submitted, you will be required to pay certain fees. In case of villas and multi-story buildings (up to 7 floors), an amount of 100 AED is to paid. 150 AED is to be paid for multi-story buildings with more than 7 floors and 250 AED is to be paid for floor ratio area buildings. Once the payment is done, you will receive a payment voucher.
• Visit DM website and apply for the New Building permit. You will be required to submit the structural and architectural drawing as per the type of service you are applying for.
• From the date of submission, within 3-5 working days, you will receive a reply from DM regarding the approval or rejection of your application.
• If the application is rejected, you should then check for the amendments in your application and then re-submit your application on DM website. The entire process of approval or rejection takes up to 5 working days.

Approval for issue or renewal of DM Plans:

• This service is provided by the Survey Department of DM and provides various sub-services like Land Boundary information, zoning regulations, approved number of floors, use of land, land area, setback area, owner of the title, etc. The most important benefit of this service is that it does not take any long duration of time, i.e., in case of renewal of villas, you can get the approval within 15 minutes, and rest of the services take only 1 working day.

Procedure to get an approval for new or renewal of DM plans:

In order to ensure a smooth procedure for this approval, follow the given instruction:

• Once your application is reviewed, you will receive notifications regarding the approval or rejection from DM via SMS.
• Visit DM website, or call the customer care center of DM, or visit Al Manara Center on Sheikh Zayed road, or visit Al Tawar center in Deira, or Hatta Center, and submit the application form. You will have to submit your UAE identity proof.
• Once you submit the application, a DM plan to register land will be issued to you. For this step, you will be required to submit a copy of Land Department plan not more than 2 years old, and a delegation letter, if your land is within government projects.
• Now you will be required to pay the fees of 200 AED. You will receive a payment voucher that may be helpful for future queries.
• Apart from villas, all other services take 1 working day to complete.