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Dubai Municipality

Planning, building regulation and public services across Dubai. Find the right application, understand the stages and use the municipality’s official channels.

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Part of everyday life in Dubai

Dubai Municipality works across the built environment, public health and the city’s shared spaces.

  • Planning and buildings

    Planning, surveying, building regulation and architectural heritage sit within the municipality’s responsibilities.

  • Health and safety

    Its remit includes food and consumer-product safety, public health and laboratory testing.

  • Public spaces and infrastructure

    Parks, beaches, drainage, wastewater and waste management are also part of its work.

For an existing property, the approved drawings, proposed changes and inspection record matter as much as the project’s name.

Read the official overview

From the first drawings to completion

Start with the right permit, understand review comments and plan the inspection stages before work begins.

  • Which permit covers a villa extension?

    In Gravity’s DM villa projects, extensions use the modification or addition permit route. Start with the plot reference, the proposed changes and any existing approved drawings; Gravity can request missing drawings from DM.

    These are the records needed to brief the consultant. The consultant’s formal submission checklist is a separate step. Compare the existing villa with its approved drawings before developing the extension design.

    Browse DM building services

  • What does a CFR review comment mean?

    In Gravity’s submission experience, CFR means “consultant for review”: the consultant needs to revise the design, drawings or supporting documents. The reviewer may also request an engineering meeting.

    Keep the full comments from every review round beside the drawing revision that was submitted. Match each comment to a response and a revised file, so a resubmission resolves the underlying issue.

    View DM’s permit process

  • What happens if an inspection is missed?

    Required inspections belong in the construction programme. A final completion application does not replace the earlier checks attached to the permit.

    In Gravity’s experience, a missed inspection may lead DM to request as-built documents, including structural as-built information depending on the work missed. Confirm the required response before concealing or progressing the affected work.

    Check inspection and completion services

Documents and preparation

Use these records to prepare the brief and manage the application. The appointed consultant should confirm the formal checklist for the selected DM service.

  • Property and approved records

    Collect the plot reference, available approved drawings and previous permits. Record any difference between the existing building and the approved set.

  • The complete proposed scope

    Show the extension or modification clearly, including the rooms, structural work and building services affected. This helps establish the application before preparing the formal submission.

  • A traceable review record

    Keep each submitted drawing set, its revision and the corresponding DM comments together. Identify the responsible designer for each response.

  • An inspection plan

    Record the inspections attached to the permit, who requests them, who attends and how outcomes or corrective work will be closed.

Plan the time and budget

Processing time

There is no single approval time for every Dubai Municipality application. Check the selected service’s published processing time and allow separately for design preparation, other approvals and responses to comments.

Fees and other costs

Check the fee listed against the exact application in the official service directory. A permit fee is separate from professional fees and any other required approvals.

Check the official requirements

Application guidance reviewed 24 October 2026. Background information checked 17 October 2026. Confirm current requirements before applying.

Checks before submission

Resolve these points before submitting or arranging the start of works.

  • Do not treat missing records as approval

    An existing-condition survey helps describe the property. It does not regularise unapproved work or establish that an extension is permitted.

  • Resolve the cause of repeated comments

    Review the complete comment history before changing the design team. If the consultant changes, plan the appointment and document handover.

  • Keep the site on the approved revision

    Make sure the contractor has the current approved drawings, permit conditions and inspection requirements. Keep site changes and approval records coordinated.

Practical guides

Go further into the documents, decisions and approval steps that matter to your project.

Common questions

Is there a separate villa-extension permit?

Gravity’s DM villa extensions follow the modification or addition permit route. Confirm the selected service against the plot and full proposed scope.

What if the original drawings are missing?

Start with the plot reference and any records available. Gravity can request the existing drawings from DM; this is separate from preparing the consultant’s formal submission package.

Does CFR mean that the project cannot proceed?

CFR means consultant for review in Gravity’s submission experience. Review the actual comments: they may require design, drawing or document revisions, or a meeting with the reviewer.

Does the completion application replace earlier inspections?

No. Plan the inspections required by the permit during construction. A missed inspection may require additional as-built information and a project-specific response from DM.

Project support from Gravity

A brief history

  1. 1950s

    The early municipality

    The municipality’s history begins in the period when Dubai was growing around its creek.

  2. 2000

    Services move online

    Its historical timeline records the launch of an e-government project for city services.

  3. 2021

    Environmental observation

    The launch of the environmental satellite DM Sat-1 appears among the municipality’s milestones.

Read the official background

Leadership and location

Director General

H.E. Eng. Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita

View the official profile

Head office, Deira

Building 20, Block A, Baniyas Road, Dubai.
View official location & hours800 900

Use the official contact page to confirm the appropriate service centre and opening hours before visiting.

Official sources

Application guidance reviewed 24 October 2026. Background information checked 17 October 2026. Confirm current requirements before applying.

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