In short
Local engineering consultancy offices in Abu Dhabi are classified Special, First or Second by DMT. Special needs AED 2 million net equity, ISO 9001, professional indemnity insurance and three engineers with ten years experience per activity; a new office normally starts at Second.
Engineering consultancy offices in Abu Dhabi, from design and supervision firms to surveyors and building inspectors, are classified by the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) through TAMM. A firm must choose to be classified as a consultant or as a contractor, not both. This guide covers the consultant side; the classification certificate guide covers both.
Consultant categories and requirements
| Category | Net equity | ISO 9001 | Professional indemnity insurance | Largest single project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special | AED 2 million | Required | AED 2 million a year, AED 200,000 per claim | No limit |
| First | AED 1 million | Required | AED 1 million a year, AED 100,000 per claim | AED 100 million |
| Second | Not required | Not required | AED 500,000 a year, AED 50,000 per claim | AED 30 million |
For the building, infrastructure, specialised infrastructure and urban design domains, each activity also needs:
- Special: three engineers with ten years experience each, and AED 240 million of projects in the last ten years, each at least AED 10 million
- First: two engineers with seven years each, and AED 30 million of projects, each at least AED 1.25 million
- Second: one engineer with four years, and no project history
Auditing and building inspection, transportation, specialised works, technical works and surveying have lighter requirements and need no project history.
Starting category for a new office
A new local consultancy office normally starts at Second. It can start at First if all owners have the experience required for First, or if UAE national owners previously owned a Special or First classified office for at least three years.
Branches, associate and peer review offices
- Foreign consultant branches can be classified Special or First. The parent must have been established for at least five years, and the branch needs a full time technical director with ten years experience for Special or seven years for First.
- Associate engineering offices and peer review engineering offices are separate firm types, classified at Special.
ADGM engineering firms
Since March 2026, DMT and Abu Dhabi Global Market run a unified engineering classification system. ADGM licensed engineering firms can now be classified and registered through TAMM under the same standards as mainland firms, and can work with mainland registered engineers.
Engineer grades
Separately from firm classification, individual engineers in Abu Dhabi are graded Intern, Practitioner, Professional or Expert under an administrative decision of 2025. The firm’s classification counts engineers through their DMT licence and years of experience.
Financial file for consultants
For Special and First, net equity comes from the audited statements of the last financial year, and DMT requires its financial data template and an Arabic auditor declaration. Since November 2025 the audited report is accepted for 18 months. Our audit team prepares both with the audit, and our documents checklist lists the rest of the file.
Frequently asked questions
Can an engineering consultancy also be classified as a contractor?
No. DMT requires each firm to be classified as either a consultant or a contractor.
What is the highest consultant category?
Special, with no limit on project value.
Do Second category consultants need ISO 9001?
No. ISO 9001 is required for Special and First. Professional indemnity insurance is required at every category.
Based on DMT’s published classification basics for consultancy offices, the DMT classification FAQ and the Abu Dhabi Media Office announcement of 25 March 2026. Reviewed by the ZS classification team, October 2026.