Lift and Elevator Codes and Standards in United Arab Emirates
Lifts are regulated emirate by emirate. In Dubai, Dubai Municipality requires a valid certificate of examination for lifts and lifting equipment, issued after testing by a third party accredited by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), and lifts must be under a maintenance contract with an approved company. In Abu Dhabi the Civil Defence Authority requires residential and commercial buildings to hold a lift maintenance contract with an approved company (AED 5,000 fine), citing federal Cabinet Resolution No. 24 of 2012; lifting-equipment inspection there follows the ADQCC specification ADS 22/2017. Civil Defence applies the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code, including firefighter lifts. Standards family: EN in practice - Dubai Municipality specifies the EN 81 series as the basis for sourcing and installation (trade press, c. 2016), and the federal level has only an energy rule for lifts (UAE.S 5042:2022, mandatory under Cabinet Resolution No. 23 of 2022); no federal lift-safety technical regulation and no act making GSO EN 81-20 binding was found.
Who regulates lifts
Emirate level: Dubai Municipality (Dubai); Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority and Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (Abu Dhabi); Civil Defence for fire. Federal: Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) for lift energy efficiency and product conformity (ECAS)
Periodic inspection
Dubai: third-party examination by an EIAC-accredited body, at least every 12 months under DM guideline GU48 (secondary sources report biannual for public lifts - unconfirmed). Abu Dhabi: inspections under ADS 22/2017; interval not confirmed.
Installer and maintenance licensing
Dubai: installation and maintenance by DM-registered approved companies (secondary); contractors must register and be graded in DM's Contractor Register under Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025 (secondary). Abu Dhabi: maintenance by an approved company.
Laws, codes and standards
- Dubai Municipality Local Order No. 11 of 2003 — Local Order on public health and community safety in the Emirate of Dubai (lift certificate of examination requirement)Mandatory · Government of Dubai
- Cabinet Resolution No. 23 of 2022 / UAE.S 5042:2022 (2022) — Cabinet Resolution on the mandatory application of technical regulations for efficient energy consumption - UAE.S 5042:2022 Efficient Energy Consumption for ElevatorsMandatory · Cabinet Resolution No. 23 of 2022 (issued 21 March 2022, Official Gazette No. 724, 31 March 2022); 180 days to comply · UAE Cabinet / Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology
- Cabinet Resolution No. 24 of 2012 — Federal resolution on safety and prevention standards for buildings and facilities (cited for lift maintenance contracts)Mandatory · UAE Cabinet
- Dubai Building Code (2021) — Dubai Building CodeMandatory · Decree No. (45) of 2021 Concerning the Dubai Building Code · Dubai Municipality
- UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice (2017 update) — UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of PracticeMandatory · Civil Defence · UAE / Dubai Civil Defence
- ADS 22/2017 (2017) — Abu Dhabi Specification for lifting equipment inspectionsMandatory · Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council · ADQCC
- EN 81 series (as specified by Dubai Municipality) — European lift safety standards specified by Dubai Municipality as the basis for product sourcing and installationReferenced by law · Dubai Municipality approval practice · CEN
- EN 81-20 / EN 81-50 / EN 81-70 / EN 81-72 / EN 81-73 / EN 115 — European lift and escalator safety standards as accepted by Dubai MunicipalityReferenced by law · Dubai Municipality approval practice (shop drawings submitted for DM approval) · CEN
- GSO EN 115-1 (2023) — Safety of escalators and moving walks - Part 1: Construction and installationVoluntary · GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)
- GSO EN 81-20 (2025) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Lifts for the transport of persons and goods - Part 20: Passenger and goods passenger liftsVoluntary · GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)
- GSO EN 81-50 (2025) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Examinations and tests - Part 50: Design rules, calculations, examinations and tests of lift componentsVoluntary · GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)
- DM-HSD-GU48-ECLA2 (V5 (2025)) — Technical Guidelines for Examination and Certification of Cranes, Hoists, Lifts and Other Lifting EquipmentMandatory · Dubai Municipality Local Order No. 11 of 2003 (per secondary source) · Dubai Municipality, Health & Safety Department
Lift associations and bodies
- Lifting Equipment Engineers Association - Middle East Regional Council (LEEA)
- Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
- Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC)
- Dubai Municipality (DM)
- Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT)
- Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC)
Last verified 2026-10-17. Standards are copyrighted: we list which one applies and its legal status, not its text.