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Engineering consultancy · office grades & staffing

The team behind
your office grade.

Separate the manager, technical team and project capacity before planning an engineering consultancy office.

Dubai Municipality qualification material supplied by the founder · Last reviewed: 20 October 2026 · Current matrix: To be confirmed

Reference matrix — current applicability is To be confirmed.

The figures below come from the supplied DM qualification sheet. The current DM document entry links to a structural-auditing list rather than this staffing matrix; older direct links currently redirect to the homepage. The 2025 law also changed the governing framework. We have therefore kept each numerical grade reference unconfirmed for a new application. This guide does not present the matrix as a verified current approval checklist.

VANTABLACK / THE CONNECTED ROUTE

Build the evidence behind the office grade.

Follow the numbered route
Select a checkpoint for detail
  1. 01Define the target projectsView checkpoint

    Business facts and scope to clarify

  2. 02Compare the staffing rolesView checkpoint

    Sources, evidence and open questions

  3. 03Check experience evidenceView checkpoint

    Required records and responsibilities

  4. 04Confirm current grade rulesView checkpoint

    Evidence, review and unresolved gaps

  5. 05Plan the permitted scopeView checkpoint

    Written scope and acceptance

The supplied staffing matrix is a reference requiring current authority confirmation. This map does not establish a category or a right to upgrade.

Open full-size topology ↗
Read the steps
  1. Define the target projects — Business facts and scope to clarify
  2. Compare the staffing roles — Sources, evidence and open questions
  3. Check experience evidence — Required records and responsibilities
  4. Confirm current grade rules — Evidence, review and unresolved gaps
  5. Plan the permitted scope — Written scope and acceptance
Building consultancy offices

Compare the roles, not just the grade name.

The supplied matrix concerns Architectural Engineering Services together with Building Structural Engineering Services. These are consultancy references. They are not the building-contractor categories.

SUPPLIED REFERENCE · TO BE CONFIRMED

G+4

Third category · Ground floor plus four floors

Listed technical team
2 engineers
Manager experience
5 years
Project-area reference per engineer
12,000 m²
View team & track-record details
G+4 — supplied technical roles
RoleNumberExperience
Architect — Design15 years
Structural — Design & Supervision15 years

Office track record

10 completed building projects, including 3 at G+3 / G+4.

Current application, eligibility and whether the manager can count within the listed team: To be confirmed with DM.

SUPPLIED REFERENCE · TO BE CONFIRMED

G+12

Second category · Ground floor plus twelve floors

Listed technical team
3 engineers
Manager experience
10 years
Project-area reference per engineer
15,000 m²
View team & track-record details
G+12 — supplied technical roles
RoleNumberExperience
Architect — Design17 years
Structural — Design & Supervision27 years and 5 years

Office track record

10 completed building projects, including 3 at G+9 / G+10 / G+11 / G+12.

Current application, eligibility and whether the manager can count within the listed team: To be confirmed with DM.

SUPPLIED REFERENCE · TO BE CONFIRMED

Unlimited

First category · No floor-count limit stated for this reference category

Listed technical team
5 engineers
Manager experience
15 years
Project-area reference per engineer
18,000 m²
View team & track-record details
Unlimited — supplied technical roles
RoleNumberExperience
Architect — Design210 years each
Structural — Design110 years
Structural — Design & Supervision27 years and 5 years

Office track record

Not stated in the supplied table. To be confirmed; do not interpret this as no track-record requirement.

Current application, eligibility and whether the manager can count within the listed team: To be confirmed with DM.

The source lists technical-team minimums.

Additional staff may be required as project areas and work stages change.

The current criteria and their application remain To be confirmed.

Avoid a costly misunderstanding

Project capacity is not office size.

What the area figure describes

The supplied table relates area per engineer to project workload and work stages. Its notes say that additional project area can require additional technical staff.

What it does not establish

It is not a requirement to rent an office of 12,000, 15,000 or 18,000 square metres. Do not use those figures as a premises budget. The minimum physical-office requirement for the selected local-office route is To be confirmed.

Other engineering disciplines

Non-building work follows its own classification.

Supplied staff reference

The non-building section lists a manager with 5 years of experience and one engineer per licensed activity with 5 years of experience. Current acceptance, any role overlap and the complete team for the selected activities are To be confirmed.

Responsible project authority

The supplied material says that the authority regulating the specialty determines the applicable project classification and may set the required number of engineers. Do not transfer a building-height grade automatically to another discipline.

Engineering project management

An activity row and an office standard answer different questions.

Activity qualification

10 years

Listed in the activity reference for Projects Management Engineering & Technical Feasibility Studies Services, code 742138.

Supplied office standard

First-class reference

The supplied office matrix lists a manager with 15 years and a technical team of 5: two architects with 10 years each, and three structural engineers with 10, 7 and 5 years.

Before commitment

Confirm the full scope

The supplied note covers local offices and foreign branches. Current applicability, role overlap, the selected licence scope and combined-discipline requirements are To be confirmed.

Do not treat the 10-year activity qualification as a replacement for every manager or office requirement, or apply these engineering conditions to all businesses using the words “project management”.

Before an application

Confirm these points with the authority.

  • The current grade matrix and its application under Law No. 14 of 2025.
  • The proposed activities and whether the supplied combined building-consultancy matrix applies.
  • Manager eligibility, engineer registration, UAE Society of Engineers membership and Dubai proficiency tests.
  • Whether the manager can count in the listed team, and whether an engineer may cover more than one consultancy activity.
  • How project-area workload and work stages affect additional staffing.
  • How past-project evidence applies to a new office, reclassification or a different office structure.
  • Current premises requirements, separately from project-area capacity.
Common questions

Read the staffing table with the right context.

Does G+4 mean a four-storey building in total?

The supplied reference uses G+4 for a ground floor plus four floors. G+12 means a ground floor plus twelve floors. Confirm the approved project scope rather than relying only on the label.

Does the area-per-engineer figure specify how large my office must be?

No.

The table notes relate additional technical staff to project area and work stages.

The figures shown here are project-capacity references, not a minimum office-floor-area requirement.

Local office premises requirements remain To be confirmed.

Can the office manager count as one of the engineers?

To be confirmed for the current application. The supplied table lists manager experience and technical staff separately. Do not add or combine those numbers automatically.

Can one engineer cover several consultancy activities?

To be confirmed. The contracting material contains a multiple-activity provision, but that does not establish the same treatment for consultancy activities.

Does the minimum team guarantee a grade or project approval?

No. The technical team is only part of the assessment. The authority must confirm the applicable classification, evidence and project permissions.

Is engineering project management the same as general business project management?

This reference concerns Projects Management Engineering & Technical Feasibility Studies Services, DM code 742138. Do not apply its engineering office standards automatically to a differently scoped business consultancy activity.

Your next step

Plan the technical team before committing to the office.

Bring the proposed services, office structure, manager’s experience, engineers’ qualifications and expected project scope to the consultation. We can identify the points requiring current authority confirmation before a scoped proposal.

Dubai Municipality: supplied Engineering Consultancy Qualification Standards; Law No. 14 of 2025 · Last reviewed: 20 October 2026.
Numerical staffing matrix: current applicability To be confirmed. General planning guidance; authority approval is required.

Apply this to your business

Can the business deliver the intended project scale?

Why this matters

Activity wording, engineering classification, professional authority and technical capacity must describe the same work. The intended project pipeline controls the feasibility questions.

What could change the answer?

A broader project, direct engineering responsibility or different contracting category can change staffing, approvals and operating capacity.

Check these details first

  • Design, advice, installation or contracting scope
  • Project scale and required classification
  • Qualified manager and technical team
  • Signing authority and any project-specific permissions

Choose your next step

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