To become a member at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, you have mainly to acquire a licence from any of the following authorities:

• Department of Economic Development,
• Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones – ICAD,
• Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority,
• The Abu Dhabi Media Free Zone, or
• Masdar City.

Article (5) of the Commercial Companies Law No.(8) of 1984 specified each and every legal form of companies applicable in the UAE as the Law stipulates that:

Companies being established in the UAE should take one of the following legal forms:

1. Companies:
• General Partnership,
• Limited Liability Company,
• Limited Partnership,
• Joint Participation / Venture,
• Partnership Limited with Shares,
• Public Joint-Stock Company and
• Private Joint-Stock Company.
2. Individual Businesses:
• National Individual Business
• Foreign Individual Business
3. Branches of foreign and GCC companies
4. Associations & Businessmen Councils

• National Individual Business
1. A copy of the licence,
2. A copy of the passport or UAE ID card,
3. A copy of the approved authorized signatory statement,
4. A copy of the lease contract (with the investment contract, the building owner's powers of attorney and the site plan attached thereto),
5. The original approval from The Centre of Waste Management,
6. The original membership of the Abu Dhabi Chamber if is still valid and
7. Renewing the required approvals annually.
• Foreign Individual Business
1. A copy of the licence,
2. A copy of the Services Agent's passport,
3. A copy of the owner's passport,
4. A copy of the services agent's contract,
5. A copy of the lease contract (with the investment contract, the building owner's powers of attorney and the blueprints of the land),
6. The approval from The Center of Waste Management,
7. The original membership of the Abu Dhabi Chamber if is still valid,
8. The services agent's signature on the application and
9. Renewing the required approvals annually.
• Companies Except Joint Participation / Venture Ones
1. A copy of the licence,
2. A copy of the partnership contract,
3. Copies of the partners' passports,
4. A copy of the authorized signatory for the company,
5. A copy of the lease contract (with the investment contract, the building owner's powers of attorney and the site plan attached thereto),
6. The original approval from The Center of Waste Management,
7. The original membership of the Abu Dhabi Chamber if is still valid and
8. Renewing the required approvals annually.
• Branches of Foreign and GCC Companies
1. A copy of the trade licence,
2. A copy of the lease contract (with the investment contract, the building owner's powers of attorney and the site plan attached thereto),
3. A copy of the services agent's passport,
4. A copy of the Ministry of Economy's approval,
5. The original approval from The Center of Waste Management,
6. A copy of the services agent's contract,
7. The original membership of the Chamber in case of renewal or modification,
8. A copy of the foreign company's commercial register (translated and attested),
9. A copy of the foreign company's memorandum of association (translated and attested),
10. Agency / power of attorney of the foreign company's representative in Abu Dhabi (translated and approved),
11. A copy of the foreign-company representative's passport,
12. A copy of the foreign-company representative's authorized signature (translated and attested),
13. A copy of the parent company's undertaking to be held responsible for its branch and
14. The decision of the Board of Directors (General Assembly/Meeting) on opening a branch in Abu Dhabi (translated and attested).

• Registering a new membership::

Registering new members and providing all the distinguished services which the Chamber provides for members and to preserve their legal rights

Required Documents:

• A copy of the (owner – partner – service agent)'s passport,
• A copy of the lease contract (to which the investment contract, the building owner's powers of attorney and the site plan), if any,
• A copy of the authorized signature,
• A copy of the partnership contract or the approved agency contract attested by the Notary Public,
• A copy of the licence issued by the competent authority (Department of Economic Development – the Tourism Authority – Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones – the Media Free Zone Authority – Masdar City),
• A copy of the partners’ licences (if the partner is a company),
• The approvals issued by the appropriate authorities concerned with economic activities,
• A copy of the licence of the head office (for branches) and
• The approval of The Center of Waste Management.

Fees:

• As per the type of the membership and the economic activity.

Note:

• Memberships shall be issued after issuing the licences
• Membership Renewal:

Members registered with the Chamber should renew their membership every one or two years in order to keep practising their business or vocational activities.

Required Documents:

• A copy of the (owner – partner – service agent)'s passport,
• A copy of the lease contract (with the investment contract, the building owner's powers of attorney and the site plan), if any,
• A copy of the authorized signature,
• A copy of the partnership or agency contract attested by the Notary Public,
• A copy of the licence issued by the competent authority (Department of Economic Development – the Tourism Authority – Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones – the Media Free Zone Authority – Masdar City),
• A copy of the partners’ licences (if the partner is a company),
• The approvals issued by the appropriate authorities associated with the economic activities,
• A copy of the licence of the head office (for branches) and
• The approval of The Center of Waste Management.

Fees:

• As per the type of the membership and the economic activity.

Note

• Membership renewal for some economic activities shall be processed before licensing and posterior to the fulfillment of external approvals.
• Cancelling A Membership

This procedure aims at cancelling memberships exercising the activities of which by members registered with the Chamber is undesirable.

Required Documents:

• (The original) of a cancelling letter from the licence-granting authority,
• A copy of the newspaper advertisement,
• The original membership certificate if the same is still valid and
• Termination of the partnership / agency / liquidation decision, if any.

Fees:

• There are no fees on cancellation.

This procedure aims at controlling the approval and attestation of a certain person's signature on a Chamber member-business or -company's documents or bills.

Required documents:

• The original document required to be attested,
• A copy of the signatory's passport and
• A copy of the signature-related power of attorney.

Fees:

• Attestation fees are AED 80. This action shall be applicable to members registered with the Chamber and those who have valid memberships or else such fees will be doubled in case of the expiry of the membership.

This procedure aims at controlling the approval and ratification of a true copy of a Chamber’s membership certificate.

Required Documents:

• A letter from the concerned person and
• Ratifying the signature of the signing person

Fees:

• AED 20 for an attested copy or AED 120 for an original certificate.

This service grants companies the ability to modify their membership at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Amendment of the trade name shall result in issuing a new membership certificate, provided that the membership be valid.

Required Documents:

• A Trade Name-Approving Form from the Department of Economic Development,
• A letter from the licensing authority addressed to the Abu Dhabi Chamber,
• A signature-approving document
• A supplement of the partnership or agency contract attested by the Notary Public,
• An advertisement in the daily newspapers,
• The approvals issued by the appropriate authorities associated with the economic activities and
• The original Chamber’s membership certificate.

Fees:

• AED 100 inclusive of the fees for both amendment and the certificate.

This service aims at effecting an amendment in the membership during its validity, from changing its legal form whether this change was a result of adding or deleting a partner or changing the nationality of one of the partners from a foreign nationality into a UAE one or just changing the legal form of the business / company or issuing a new membership certificate, provided that the membership is still valid.

Required Documents:

• A letter from the licence-granting authority regarding the change,
• An advertisement in the daily newspapers,
• A copy of the (supplement of the memorandum of association, sale and assignment contract, agency contract and termination of the services agency), if any,
• The approvals issued by the appropriate authorities associated with the economic activities and
• The original Chamber’s membership certificate.

Fees:

• AED 100 inclusive of the fees for both amendment and the certificate.

This service aims at effecting an amendment in the membership during its validity by means of effecting an amendment onto the capital amount invested in the membership or issuing a new membership certificate, provided that the membership is still valid.

Required Documents:

• A letter from the licence-granting authority regarding the change,
• A supplement of the partnership or agency contract attested by the Notary Public and
• The original Chamber’s membership certificate.

Fees:

• AED 100 inclusive of the fees for both amendment and the certificate.

This service aims at effecting an amendment in the membership during its validity, including changing the company's location from one place to the other, the necessary obtainment of a new membership certificate in the new site or issuing a new membership certificate, provided that the membership is still valid.

Required Documents

• A letter from the licence-granting authority regarding the change,
• A copy of the lease contract (with the investment contract, the building owner's powers of attorney and the site plan), if any, the building owner's powers of attorney and attestation of the Municipality), if any,
• The approvals issued by the appropriate authorities associated with the economic activities,
• The original Chamber’s membership certificate and
• The approval of the Center of Waste Management.

Fees:

• AED 100 inclusive of the fees for both amendment and the certificate.

This service aims at effecting an amendment in the membership during its validity - including selling all or part of a membership's shares or adding or deleting one of the partners - as well as at providing distinguished and fast-accomplished services that serve the owners of free businesses.

Required Documents:

• A letter from the licence-granting authority regarding the change,
• An advertisement in the daily newspapers,
• A copy of the (supplement of the memorandum of association, sale and assignment contract, agency contract and termination of the services agency), if any,
• The approvals issued by the appropriate authorities associated with the economic activities,
• The original Chamber’s membership certificate and
• The approval of the Center of Waste Management.

Fees:

• AED 100 inclusive of the fees for both amendment and the certificate.

This service grants companies the ability to request the addition or deletion of a trade activity.

Required Documents:

• A letter from the licence-granting authority regarding the change,
• The approvals issued by the appropriate authorities associated with the economic activities,
• The original Chamber’s membership certificate,
• A membership application (signed by the owner, proxy signatory, partner and the services' agent) and
• The approval of the Center of Waste Management.

Fees:

• As per the type of membership and economic activity.