Law No. (7) of 2021 Concerning the Establishment of The Creative Media 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:
Emirate : The Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Government : Abu Dhabi Government.
Executive Council : The Executive Council of the Emirate.
Department : The Department of Culture and Tourism.
Authority : The Creative Media Authority.

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Director-General : Director-General of the Authority.
Creative Products : Goods and services that include a degree of creativity or
innovation and rely on intellectual capital as one of the
basic inputs, in relation to media production, interactive
media, or any other activity that the Executive Council
decides to consider as included within the creative
products.
Interactive Media : All forms of digital media including electronic games,
electronic sports, content platforms, virtual reality,
visual effects, applications and all forms of interactive
content.
Media Production : Creating all forms of content including but not
limited to: Cinematography, advertisements, dramas,
documentaries, photography visual effects and other
media and news photography, as well as all aspects of
the content creation process.
Electronic Games : All types of games that use an electronic interface or
hardware to play them.
Electronic Sports : The activity of playing electronic games competitively
against competitors or other participants electronically.
Establishments
and Companies
: Sole proprietorships and commercial companies of all
types, licensed to work in Media Production, Interactive
Media and Electronic Games in accordance with the
provisions of this Law.
Activity : Any craft, professional, service or any other activity
related to Media Production, Interactive Media and
Electronic Games, authorised to be practiced in
accordance with the provisions of this Law.
Incentives
Programme
: A program regulating the mechanism of granting
incentives for Media Production and Interactive Media
in the Emirate in accordance with the provisions of this
Law.

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• An authority under the name of “Creative Media Authority” shall be
established pursuant to the provisions of this Law, it shall have an
independent legal personality, shall enjoy full legal capacity to act, and
shall be affiliated to the Department.
• The Executive Council may change the affiliation of the Authority to any
other entity specified by it.
• Creative Products and the field and activity of Media Production and
Interactive Media shall be considered within the culture sector and the
tourism sector, and the Department undertakes to regulate them in
accordance with the provisions of aforementioned Law No. (8) of 2018.

Article 3 — The Authority’s main office shall be located in Abu Dhabi City and it may, ¶

upon a resolution issued by the Chairman of the Department, open branches
or offices inside or outside the Emirate, after the approval of the Executive
Council.

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

1. Suggest the Authority’s policies and strategic plans and submit them to
the Department in order to be approved by the Executive Council.
2. Regulate, authorise, supervise and control Media Production and
Interactive Media activities in the Emirate, including free zones, with the
exception of governmental entities and companies or media activities
related thereto.
3. Coordinate with the concerned entities regarding licences for Media
Production and Interactive Media activities in the Emirate in accordance
with the legislations in force.
4. Conclude agreements and memoranda of understanding regarding the
development of activities related to Media Production and Interactive
Media in the Emirate, including investment contracts related to the
infrastructure necessary to carry out the mentioned activities.
5. Conduct research and studies related to Media Production and
Interactive Media activities in order to promote and develop them in the
Emirate.

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6. Establish or participate in companies related to the Authority’s
competencies.
7. Prepare and develop initiatives to attract, stimulate and develop the
Media Production and Interactive Media sector for local and international
talents, institutions and small and medium enterprises in the Emirate.
8. Establish an electronic system, after approval of the Department, to
grant permits and approvals for Media Production and Interactive
Media in the Emirate in coordination with the concerned entities and in
accordance with the legislations in force.
9. Prepare, develop and implement initiatives related to the Electronic
Games and Sports industry in the Emirate, launch programmes to
stimulate talent and partnerships, educate the public, and accredit,
sponsor and finance Electronic Sports teams in the Emirate after the
approval of the Department.
10. Issue permits for all activities, clubs and teams that are formed to
participate in Electronic Gaming activities, Electronic Sports and related
events.
11. Support and launch local, international and specialised awards that
contribute to the development of Media Production and Interactive
Media in the Emirate.
12. Coordinate with the competent entities to develop and implement a
programme for granting creative visas and work permits to bring in
talented people, specialists and experts in the field of Media Production
and Interactive Media in accordance with the legislations in force.
13. Develop initiatives, launch incentive programs, and qualification
principles and criteria related to supporting Media Production and
Interactive Media activities in accordance with the legislations in force.
• The Executive Council may amend the competencies of the Authority
stated 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 after
obtaining the approval of the Executive Council.

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Article 5 — • The Authority may have a chairman whose appointment is issued by a ¶

Chairman of the Executive Council resolution and who shall supervise the
functions 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 appointed by a Chairman of ¶

the Executive Council resolution, to manage and supervise the Authority’s
functions, and he shall in particular assume the following competencies:
1. Suggest the strategic and executive plans for the Authority and submit
them for approval in accordance with the legislations in force.
2. Follow up on the implementation of the Authority’s strategic and
executive plans, programmes, projects and activities managed or
executed by it.
3. Manage, develop and implement all the strategic and executive tasks
entrusted to the Authority, either directly or through the work teams he
appoints or entrusts with tasks, in a way that does not contradict the
legislations in force.
4. Suggest initiatives, programmes, projects, studies and recommendations
related to the Authority’s functions and activities and submit them for
approval according to the procedures followed at the Department.
5. Suggest the annual draft budget of the Authority and submit it for
approval in accordance with the legislations in force.
6. Suggest the organisational structure of the Authority and submit it for
approval in accordance with the legislations in force.
7. Appoint experts, consultants and technicians on a temporary or
permanent basis, and determine their fees, and he may resort to the
experts, institutions and consulting offices he deems fit.
8. Open bank accounts in the name of the Authority in accordance with
the legislations in force.
9. Form internal committees and work teams either from among the
Authority’s employees or others, specify their tasks and the procedures
of their work.
10. Suggest legislations, organisational and executive regulations, rules,
policies and resolutions, including violations and administrative fines

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related to the Authority’s competencies, and submit them for approval
in accordance with the legislations in force.
11. Suggest fees, tariffs and prices related to the Authority’s competencies
and submit them for approval in accordance with the legislations in
force.
12. Represent the Authority before the Courts and third parties.
13. Any other competencies or tasks assigned by the Executive Council.
• The Director-General may delegate some of his competencies to any of
the senior staff of the Authority, provided that the delegation is in writing.
• The Executive Council may delegate any of the competencies of the
Director-General to any committees or work teams that it appoints either
from among the Authority’s employees or others.

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

members, including the Chairman of Board of Trustees, who are appointed
by virtue of an Executive Council resolution.
• The Board of Trustees shall provide advice and consultation to both the
Department and the Authority regarding all or some of the Authority’s
competencies and shall provide recommendations and proposals to
them regarding the plans, programmes, projects and activities that it
supervises, manages or implements.
• 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 assign the Board of Trustees to
follow up on the work of the Director-General if the work requires the
same.

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

whenever it is required to do so, a report on its functions, achievements,
budget, administrative and financial affairs, and the stages of progress it has
made in carrying out the functions and tasks entrusted to it.

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Article 9 — By a resolution of the Chairman of the Department, the Department may ¶

provide logistical support and all operational works regarding corporate
services to the Authority, including human and financial resources affairs,
procurement, electronic systems and other works and services.

Article 10 — The Authority’s financial resources shall be consist of: ¶

• The annual appropriations allocated to it by the Government.
• The donations and contributions granted thereto after the approval of the
Executive Council.
• Any other revenues approved by the Executive Council.

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

31st of December of every year, except the first fiscal year that shall start
on the date of entry into effect of this Law and end on the 31st of December
of the following year.

Article 12 — The Authority shall have one or more accredited auditors to verify its accounts ¶

and financial statements, who shall be appointed by virtue of a resolution
issued by the Chairman of the Department according to the legislations in
force, specifying as well as the remuneration thereof.

Article 13 — • Without prejudice to any more severe penalty provided by another ¶

law, whoever violates the provisions of the legislations, regulatory and
executive regulations and the rules, policies, resolutions and circulars
issued by the Department and related to the Authority’s competencies
shall be punished by an administrative fine.

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• The Authority shall collect the administrative fines and the Chairman of the
Department shall, after obtaining the approval of the Executive Council,
issue a table specifying the violations and administrative fines prescribed
for each, without exceeding the fine limit set forth in the aforesaid Law
No. (8) of 2018.
• The provisions of administrative penalties set forth in the aforesaid Law
No. (8) of 2018 shall apply, and the regulatory and executive regulations
issued by the Department shall specify the procedures for imposing such
penalties and the rules of their application and grievance against them,
including the procedures for reconciliation.

Article 14 — The Chairman of the Judicial Department - Abu Dhabi shall, in agreement ¶

with the Chairman of the Department, determine the Authority’s employees
who shall have the law enforcement capacity for the crimes falling within
their jurisdiction. They shall have the right to inspect and control to verify
the commitment of all entities, companies and persons to implement the
provisions of the legislations related to the Authority’s competencies.

Article 15 — The employees of the Department determined by a resolution of the Chairman ¶

of the Department, shall be transferred to the Authority without prejudice to
their financial and pension allocations.

Article 16 — • The Authority shall be subject to the financial laws and rules in force in ¶

the Emirate.
• The Authority’s employees shall be subject to the human resources laws
and rules in force in the Emirate.
• The national employees shall be subject to the pensions and civil
retirement benefits law in force in the Emirate.

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Article 17 — • The licences and permits granted to Establishments and Companies ¶

prior to the issuance of this Law shall remain in effect until their expiry,
provided that the licence or permit is renewed according to the provisions
of this Law.
• The regulations, rules and resolutions in force shall remain in effect to
the extent that they are not contradicting the provisions of this Law, until
the issuance of the regulations, rules and resolutions implementing the
provisions thereof.

Article 19 — 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: 18 August 2021
Corresponding to: 9 Muharram 1443 Hijri

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