Law No. (29) of 2019 Concerning the Establishment of Abu Dhabi Research and Development Authority

Article 1 — In the implementation of the provisions of this Law, the following words and ¶

phrases shall have the meanings corresponding thereto unless the context
requires otherwise:
State: The United Arab Emirates
Emirate: The Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Goverment: Abu Dhabi Goverment
Executive Council: The Executive Council of the Emirate
Department: The Department of Education and Knowledge.
Authority: Abu Dhabi Research and Development Authority.

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Article 2 — An authority shall be established pursuant to the provisions of this Law ¶

under the name of “Abu Dhabi Research and Development Authority”. The
Authority shall have an independent corporate personality, enjoy full legal
capacity to act, and be affiliated to the Department.
The Executive Council may change the Authority’s affiliation to any other
entity determined thereby.

Article 3 — The main office of the Authority shall be located in Abu Dhabi City. Branches ¶

of the Authority may be established inside or outside the Emirate by a
resolution of the Chairman of the Department following the approval of the
Executive Council.

Article 4 — • The Authority shall assume the following competencies: ¶

1. Propose general policies, strategic plans and initiatives related to the
research and development system and submit them to the Department
in preparation for approval by the Executive Council.
2. Determine the priorities of the research and development system in
the Emirate in all fields in consistence with the overall directions and
aspirations of the government.
3. Prepare the plans and programmes including the funding programmes
aimed at expanding the research and development capabilities in the
Emirate.
4. Lay down the controls and standards based on which the research
and development contracts are approved, funded and concluded for
individuals and institutions, and submit them to the Executive Council
for approval.
5. Manage and Implement the programmes of academic research and
development related to research funding of researches and academic
institutions at the Emirate level to serve the vision and aspirations of
the Emirate.

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6. Launch, adopt and supervise the research and development initiatives
funded by the Government.
7. Cooperate and coordinate with all the parties concerned with research
and development for the enhancement of this field.
8. Study the funding grants applications of the academic institutions and
individuals in the research and development field and approve their
disbursement in accordance with the approved controls and standards.
9. Study the grants and funding applications submitted thereto by
the governmental entities regarding non-academic institutions and
corporations and express an opinion thereon.
10. Build and develop scientific and research partnerships with local and
international funding institutions and exchange experiences in order to
guarantee sustainable research and development growth.
11. Conclude agreements and memoranda of understanding with research
and scientific institutions inside and outside the State for the purposes
of cooperation in the research and development fields.
12. Provide advice and issue reports and studies in the research and
development fields.
13. Hold and participate in local, regional and international conferences,
seminars, meetings and workshops.
14. Implement strategies related to commercial activities and intellectual
property resulting from researches funded by the Authority.
• The Executive Council may amend the competencies of the Authority
occurring in this Law or any other legislation by deletion, addition or
transfer.
• The Authority may delegate some of its competencies to any other
governmental entity or outsource some of them to the private sector
following the approval of the Executive Council thereon.

Article 5 — • The Authority may have a Chairman who shall be appointed by a Chairman ¶

of the Executive Council Resolution and shall supervise the competencies

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and tasks of the Authority and its Director-General.
• The Executive Council may assign any other competencies or tasks to the
Chairman of the Authority.

Article 6 — • The Authority shall have a Director-General who shall be appointed by an ¶

Executive Council resolution and shall assume the conduct and supervision
of the Authority’s functions. For this purpose, he shall:
1. Propose strategic and executive plans of the Authority and submit them
for approval in accordance with applicable legislations.
2. Follow up on the implementation of the strategic and executive plans
of the Authority as well as the programmes and projects managed,
implemented or supervised thereby.
3. Manage, develop and implement all the strategic and executive
functions delegated to the Authority, either directly or through the work
teams appointed or entrusted thereby with tasks by him, consistently
with the applicable legislations.
4. Propose the initiatives, programmes, projects, studies and
recommendations related to the Authority’s functions and activities and
submit them for approval in accordance with the procedures followed
by the Department.
5. Propose the annual draft budget of the Authority and submit it for
approval in accordance with the applicable legislations.
6. Propose the organisational structure of the Authority and submit it for
approval in accordance with the applicable legislations.
7. Appoint the experts, consultants and technicians temporarily or
permanently, and determine their remuneration. He may seek the
assistance of any experts and consulting offices and institutions he
deems appropriate.
8. Open bank accounts in the name of the Authority in accordance with
the applicable legislations.
9. Form internal committees and work teams from among the Authority’s

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employees and others, and determine their tasks and work procedures.
10. Propose the legislations, organizational and executive regulations,
rules, policies, resolutions and circulars related to the Authority’s
competencies and submit them for approval according to the applicable
legislations.
11. Propose the fees, tariffs and prices related to the Authority’s
competencies and submit them for approval in accordance with the
applicable legislations.
12. Represent the Authority before the courts and third parites.
13. Any other competencies or tasks assigned thereto by the Executive
Council.
• The Director-General may delegate some of his competencies to any
senior employee of the Authority, provided that the delegation is made in
writing.
• The Executive Council may delegate any of the competencies of the
Director-General to any committees or work teams appointed from among
the employees of the Authority or others.

Article 7 — • The Authority may have a Board of Trustees consisting of at least five ¶

members including the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, to be appointed
by an Executive Council resolution.
• The Board of Trustees shall provide advice and consultancy to the
Department and Authority in relation to all or some of the Authority’s
competencies, and shall provide recommendations and suggestions
regarding the plans, programmes, 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 the Department.
• The Chairman of the Department may delegate the Board of Trustees to
follow up on the works of the Director-General, if necessary.

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Article 8 — The Authority shall submit to the Department every six months or whenever ¶

requested, a report on its works, achievements, budget and administrative
and financial affairs, the phases of progress made in the implementation of
the competencies and tasks delegated thereto.

Article 9 — The Department may, by a resolution of the Chairman, provide logistic support ¶

and assume all operational works related to support services including Human
Recources and financial affairs, procurement, electronic systems and other
works and services related to the corporate affairs of the Authority.

Article 10 — The financial resources of the Authority shall consist of the following: ¶

1. The annual appropriations allocated thereto by the Government.
2. The grants and donations offered thereto following the approval of the
Executive Council.
3. The financial support offered by both the private and public sectors as
well as various individuals and institutions funding scientific research,
allocated for funding particular researches or activities and to be disbursed
in accordance with the disbursement purposes designated thereto, and
that outside the budget approved for the Authority.
4. Any other revenues approved by the Executive Council.

Article 11 — The fiscal year of the Authority shall start on the first of January and end on ¶

the last day of December of each year, except for the first fiscal year which
shall start from the effective date of this Law and end on the last day of
December of the following year.

Article 12 — The Authority shall have one or more external certified auditors to verify its ¶

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financial accounts and statements. They shall be appointed by a resolution
of the Depatment that also determines their remuneration, in accordance
with the legislations applicable in the Emirate.

Article 13 — • The Authority shall be subject to the financial laws and regulations ¶

applicable in the Emirate except for the contracts related to scientific
research.
• The Human Recources rules and regulations applicable in the Emirate
shall apply to the Authority’s employees.
• The Nationals among them shall be subject to the civil retirement pensions
and benefits applicable in the Emirate.

Article 15 — This Law shall be effective from the date of its issuance and published in the ¶

Official Gazette.
Issued by us in Abu Dhabi
On: 30 October 2019
Corresponding to: 2 Rabi’ Al Awwal 1441 Hijri
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Ruler of Abu Dhabi

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Decrees
Decrees

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