Law No. (18) of 2018 Concerning the Establishment of Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

Article 1 — In the implementation of the provisions of the present Law, the following ¶

words and phrases shall have the meanings corresponding thereto unless
the context requires otherwise:
Emirate : The Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Government : The Government of Abu Dhabi.
Executive Council : The Executive Council of the Emirate.
Governmental Entities : The departments, public authorities and
institutions as well as the bodies, centres,
council, funds and any other entity affiliated
to the Government.
Governmental Companies : The companies wholly owned by the
Government or Governmental Entities.
Office : Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
Director-General : The Director-General of the Office

Article 2 — An Authority shall be established pursuant to the provisions of the present ¶

Law under the name “Abu Dhabi Government Media Office”. This Authority
shall have an independent corporate personality, enjoy full legal capacity to
act, and affiliated to Abu Dhabi Executive Office.

Article 3 — The Office’s headquarters shall be located in Abu Dhabi City. Branches for ¶

the Office may be established inside or outside the Emirate pursuant to
a resolution by the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office following the
approval of the Executive Council.

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Article 4 — • The Office shall assume the following competences: ¶

1. Prepare and lay down the media and government communication
strategy and policy for the Emirate and obtain the approval of the
Executive Council thereon.
2. Approve the media plans of the Governmental Entities and Companies,
submit them to Abu Dhabi Executive Office in preparation for their
approval by the Executive Committee.
3. Follow up on the compliance of the Governmental Entities and Companies
in the implementation and execution of the media policies and plans.
4. Regulate and unify media approach, authorities and sponsorship
applications in the Emirate.
5. Represent the Government in the media; prepare and organise the
press conferences of the Emirate and Government, and their strategic
messages.
6. Arrange dialogues and interviews of the Chairman of the Executive
Council as well as the Government’s officials with the different local and
foreign media, follow up the broadcasting and communication of the
same, and monitor the their effects on the public opinion in coordination
with the concerned entities.
7. Provide the different media resources with news concerning the
Executive Council and its activities as approved by the General
Secretariat of the Executive Council.
8. Provide the different media with news regarding the committees of the
Executive Council and the Governmental Entities and Companies as
well as the media coverage of its activities.
9. Follow up and monitor the different kinds of local and international
media content as well as the public opinion trends.
10. Conduct everything related to preserving the reputation of the Emirate.

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11. Prepare the manuals required for the usage of the logo of the Emirate and
its government branding identity, obtain the approval of the Executive
Council thereon, follow up their implementation, maintain and enhance
them, and provide any services associated therewith.
12. Maintain, document, and archive media content of all types including
press, television and radio dialogues and interviews of the Governmental
Entities and Companies.
13. Submit periodic reports and analytical studies to Abu Dhabi Executive
Office concerning matters related to the Office’s competences as
stipulated in the present Law.
• The Executive Council may amend the Office’s competences set forth in
any legislation whether by deletion, addition or transfer.
• The Office may delegate some of its competences to any other Governmental
Entity or outsource some of them to the private sector after obtaining the
approval of the Executive Council.

Article 5 — • The Office shall be managed by a Director-General appointed by a ¶

resolution of the Chairman of the Executive Council.
• The Director-General shall assume the steering and supervision of the
Office’s operations and be responsible for them before the Chairman of
Abu Dhabi Executive Office. He shall in particular assume the following
competences:
1. Propose the strategic and executive plans of the Office and present
them to the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office in preparation
for submitting them for approval in accordance with the applicable
legislations.
2. Follow up on the implementation of the strategic and executive plans of
the Office as well as the programs and projects managed or implemented
by the Office.

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3. Propose the initiatives, programs, projects, studies, and recommendations
related to the operations and activities of the Office and present them
to the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office for approval.
4. Prepare the draft annual budget of the Office and present it to the
Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office in preparation for submitting it
for approval in accordance with the applicable legislations.
5. Propose the organisational chart of the Office and present it to the
Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office in preparation for submitting it
for approval in accordance with the applicable legislations.
6. Appoint experts, consultants and technicians, temporarily or
permanently, and determine their remuneration. He may engage experts,
and consulting institutions and offices as he deems appropriate.
7. Open bank accounts in the name of the Office in accordance with the
applicable legislations.
8. Form committees and internal working teams from among the
employees of the Office and determine their tasks and the procedures
of the conduct of their work.
9. Propose the fees, tariffs and prices related to the competences of the
Office and present them to the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office
in preparation for submitting them for approval in accordance with the
applicable legislations.
10. Represent the Office before Courts and third parties.
11. Any other competences assigned thereto by the Executive Office.
• The Director-General may delegate some of his competences to senior
employees of the Office provided that such delegation is made in writing.
• The Executive Council may delegate any of the Director-General’s
competences to any committees or workig teams appointed by it from
among the employees of the Office or from outside the Office.

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Article 6 — • The Office may have a Board of Trustees consisting of not less than ¶

three and not more than seven members including the Chairman, whose
appointment and remuneration are determined by a resolution of the
Executive Council.
• The Board of Trustees shall be responsible for the operations of the Office
before the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
• The Board of Trustees shall provide advice to Abu Dhabi Executive Office
and the Director-General of the Office in the matters related to some or
all the competences of the Office. The Board of Trustees shall provide
them with the recommendations and suggestions concerning the plans,
programs, projects and activities supervised, managed or implemented
thereby.
• The Board of Trustees shall hold its meetings in accordance with the rules
and regulations approved by the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
• The Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office may assign the Board of
Trustees to follow up on the operations of the Director-General where
necessary.

Article 7 — The Office shall submit to Abu Dhabi Executive Office, on an annual basis or ¶

whenever requested by Abu Dhabi Executive Office, a report on its operations,
achievements, budget, administrative and financial affairs, and the stages of
progress achieved thereby in the implementation of the competences and
tasks assigned thereto.

Article 8 — Abu Dhabi Executive Office may, by a resolution of its Chairman, assume ¶

all the operations and support services, including the Human resources,
financial, procurement and information technology affairs as well as the
other operations related to the corporate affairs of the Office.

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Article 9 — All the Governmental Entities and Companies shall commit to provide the ¶

Office with all the information, documents and data it may need with regard
to its competences.

Article 10 — A resolution by the Executive Council may exempt any Governmental Entity ¶

and Company from some or all the provisions of the present Law where
necessary.

Article 11 — The financial resources of the Office shall consist of the following: ¶

1. The annual appropriations allocated thereto by the Government.
2. Any other revenues approved by the Executive Council.

Article 12 — The fiscal year of the Office shall commence on the first of January and end ¶

by the 31st of December of each year, except for the first fiscal year, that
shall commence from the date of entry into force of the present Law and
end by the 31st of December of the following year.

Article 13 — The Office shall have one or more external certified auditors to audit the ¶

accounts and financial statements of the Office. Their appointment and the
determination of their remuneration shall be decided by a resolution of the
Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office in accordance with the applicable
legislations.

Article 14 — • The Office shall be subject to financial laws and regulations applicable in ¶

the Emirate.

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• The employees of the Office shall be subject to the human resources laws
and regulations applicable in the Emirate.
• The Nationals among them shall be subject to the Law of Civil Retirement
Pensions and Benefits in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as applicable in the
Emirate.

Article 15 — • The aforesaid Chairman of the Executive Council Resolution No. (3) of ¶

2012 shall be repealed.
• Any provision contrary to the provisions of this Law shall be repealed.

Article 16 — This Law shall be effective from the date of its issuance and published in the ¶

Official Gazette.
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Ruler of Abu Dhabi
Issued by us in Abu Dhabi
On 6 September 2018
Corresponding to 26 Dhi Al-Hijjah 1439 Hijri

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