MINISTERIAL DECREE NO.

816 OF 2017
ON
TASHEEL CENTERS

The Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation:

- HAVING REVIEWED FEDERAL LAW NO. (1) FOR 1972 AND THE
AMENDMENTS THERETO REGARDING MINISTRY COMPETENCIES AND
MINISTERIAL POWERS, AS AMENDED,
- FEDERAL LAW NO. (8) OF 2010 CONCERNING THE REGULATION OF
LABOR RELATIONS, AS AMENDED,
- CABINET RESOLUTION NO. (25) OF 2016 CONCERNING THE
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN
RESOURCES AND EMIRATISATION AND
- AT THE PRESENTATION OF THE UNDERSECRETARY OF HUMAN
RESOURCES AFFAIRS,
Decrees:
Article 1
Wherever they occur in this Decree, the following words and expressions shall have
the meanings assigned against each, unless the context requires otherwise:
State: United Arab Emirates
Ministry: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
Minister: The Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation
Undersecretary: The Ministry of Human resources and Emiratisation’s
Undersecretary for Human Resources

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Establishment: Every economic, technical, industrial or commercial unit
where workers are employed, aiming at producing or
marketing goods or providing services of any kind and is
governed by the provisions of the Law on the Regulation
of Labor Relations No 8 of 1980, as amended.
Licensee: A natural or legal person obtaining a license from the
Ministry to establish and operate a Tasheel Center
according to the provisions of this Decree and the
Ministry’s applicable regulations.
Tasheel Center A center with the mandate of providing the services of
document printing and the reception and printing of
documents and data through Tasheel System, to enable
the provision of the Ministry’s services to customers,
including establishment services, work permits and any
other services to be added to the centers’ service guide.
Licensing Approval: The approval issued by the Ministry to advise the
licensee to commence the establishment and fit out of
the Center in preparation for operation.
Operating Approval: The approval issued by the Ministry to advise the
licensee to commence the operations of the Center and
deal with the public to provide the service.
Customer Service A national employee appointed by the licensee to provide
Employee (Customer the services to the customers through the center’s front
Happiness offices.
Consultant):

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Operating Approval: The approval issued by the Ministry to advise the
licensee to commence the operations of the Center and
deal with the public to provide the service.
Licensing Approval: The approval issued by the Ministry to advise the
licensee to commence the establishment and fit out of
the Center in preparation for operation.
Licensing Guide: The guide that contains all the details of the conditions
and procedures established by the Ministry to grant
Tasheel Center licenses.
Specification Guide: The main reference that defines all technical and other
specifications that must be met in a Tasheel Center, both
inside and outside.
Operation Guide: The guide that contains all the details of conditions,
procedures and controls required to ensure the quality of
the service provided by the center and follow up its
activities and ensure the governance of the relationship
between the worker and the employer in the center.
Visual Identity Guide: The guide that determines the special and distinct
character of the Center in terms of interior decorations,
furniture and logo.
Service and Fee The main reference for defining all the services provided
Category Guide: by the centers and the categories of the fees applicable
for each service.
Ministry’s Applicable The regulations and laws already applied by the Ministry
Regulations: to the category of support service workers. They include

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 the laws, regulations, decisions and circulars valid on the
effective date of this Decree and those that may be
issued in future, whether they are originally issued for
this specific category or for another category of workers
registered with the Ministry but whose provisions are
applied to this category of workers or Tasheel centers,
being establishments registered with the Ministry.

Article 2
a- The guides provided for in Article 1 hereof, as well as service fees, shall be
issued by the Undersecretary. These guides may include provisions
additional to those included herein. To grant a preliminary approval, the
applicant must receive a complete copy of these guides and sign a receipt
thereof and an undertaking to strictly observe them and any amendments that
may be made to them. The Ministry shall keep Tasheel centers of any
amendments thereon. These guides shall be an integral part hereof.
b- Tasheel centers shall be classified under Category (1), according to the
applicable establishment classification decree, provided Emiratisation
percentages provided for in item (a) of this Article are met.
Article 3
None of Tasheel center activities may be conducted without a license issued by
the Ministry.
Article 4
The following requirements must be met by any applicant for an approval of Tasheel
center license:

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1- The natural person must be Emirati, has completed 21 years, having full
capacity and with good reputation and behavior. If the applicant is a legal
person, then it must bear the UAE nationality.
2- Every partner in the legal persons must be of good reputation and behavior.
3- The license applicant (whether owner or partner) may not be a Ministry
employee in relevant operational sectors, or one of their first-class relatives,
including husbands and wives.
4- The applicant must submit a feasibility study prepared by an approved office
in the state, in the cases and according to the standards required by the
Ministry.
5- The applicant may not be the owner of or a partner in an establishment
meeting one of the requirements of establishment suspension provided for in
the Ministry’s applicable regulations.
6- The applicant must submit an undertaking, according to the undertaking form
approved by the Ministry, that he agrees and shall observe the contents of
the Guides provided for in Article 2 hereof.
7- The applicant must provide any financial guarantees or securities required by
the Ministry for such license according to the controls, requirements and
procedures set out in the Guides issued by it.
- The Ministry may disapprove the issuance of the required license in any of
the following cases:
a- If the applicant was already granted a license that was terminated for any
reason.
b- If it is established that the applicant has repeatedly violated the Ministry’s
applicable regulations.

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 c- If the Ministry finds that granting the license may adversely affect the
conduction of this activity or the provision of this service to customers by
already established centers.
Article 5
By way of exception from the provisions hereof, and subject to the controls and
conditions issued by the undersecretary, the power to provide some of Tasheel
System services may be vested on certain establishments not satisfying some of
service centers’ conditions and criteria provided for herein, to cover remote
geographies where it is difficult to find investors to open these centers.
Article 6
The applicant shall be granted the licensing approval by a decision from the Minister
to complete the works according to the operating guides, within the time frame set
out by the competent authorities in the Ministry. The operating approval shall be
granted by the undersecretary based on a report raised by the competent authorities
in the Ministry to the effect that the center has met all the requirements set by the
Guides for operation, including the provision of the required securities or
guarantees.
Article 7
The licensee may not assign or sublet his license to third parties or change the
partnership structure through addition or deletion without the Ministry’s written
approval.
Article 8
a) The licensee shall appoint an Emirati national approved by the competent
authorities in the Ministry, to be the manager of the center, provided this

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 manager shall have full legal capacity, be of good reputation and behavior
and appropriately qualified.
b) The center’s owner or partner may be its manager, according to the controls
set by the Ministry, if the said person meets the requirements for such
position.
Article 9
The center may open branches in the same Emirate where it is licensed, or in any
other Emirate, after having a new license from the Ministry. The center may provide
its services to customers state-wide.
Article 9
Without prejudice to any harsher penalties applicable to Tasheel service centers
that may be provided for in other regulations, the center’s license may be cancelled,
by a decision from the Minister based on a recommendation from the
undersecretary, if it is established to the competent authorities in the Ministry that
any of the following conditions is satisfied:
a- If any of the documents or information provided for licensing purposes is
found untrue.
b- If the center violates any of the provisions of this Decree or the guides issued
by the Ministry in this regard.
c- If the center stops meeting any of the requirements upon the satisfaction of
which the license was issued.
d- If the center commits any of the gross violations set out in the Operating
Guide.
Article 11
If the center’s license is cancelled, the following actions must be taken:

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 a- The center must be advised of the cancellation decision using the Ministry’s
applicable notification methods, stating the reasons behind the decision.
b- All fines due on the center up to the date of cancellation must be collected.
c- All economic activity licensing authorities in local governments (economic
departments and municipalities) and departments of residency and foreigners
affairs must be advised to take their actions according to the suspension or
cancellation decision, including the cancellation of any licenses, permits or
authorizations issued to the center.
d- Owners of cancelled centers must be obliged to settle the dues of their
workers during the period determined by the Ministry.
All this shall be without prejudice to any other harsher measures that may be
applicable by the Miniskirt against any violating establishments.
This Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and become effective as of
the day following to the date of its publication.
Article 12
The center shall maintain the strict confidentiality of all the data and information that
comes to its knowledge in the course of performing its duties. These data and
information may be used, disseminated or supplied to other parties only with the
prior written consent of the Ministry.
Article 13
This Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall become effective
as of the date of its issuance and DECREE NO. 843 of 2014 regarding the licensing
of Tasheel Service Centers shall be cancelled to the extent the provisions thereof
are in conflict with or in violation of the provisions of this Decree.

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Nasser Bin Thani Al Hamili
Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation
Issued on 1/11/2017