Skip to main content
In effectFederal Decree by Law

General UAE Legal Questions LawFederal Decree by Law No. (11) of 2007 Regarding the Regulation and Determination of the Competences of the General Secretariat of the Cabinet

UAE Federal Decree-Law·Federal Decree by Law No. (11) of 2007

مرسوم بقانون اتحادي في شأن تنظيم وتحديد اختصاصات الأمانة العامة لمجلس الوزراء

Authoritative Arabic version per the official UAE Legislation portal

Issued Date
November 13, 2007
Effective from
November 13, 2007
Articles
9
Last synced
Jul 20, 2026

Plain-language summary

  • Creates the General Secretariat of the Cabinet as a federal government body.
  • Defines the Secretariat's duties: supporting the Cabinet and coordinating between ministries.
  • Establishes the organizational structure and reporting lines within the Secretariat.
  • Applies to all federal government entities that work with the Cabinet.
  • Sets rules for how the Secretariat manages Cabinet meetings and decisions.

Establishes the General Secretariat of the Cabinet and defines its competences, responsibilities, and organizational structure within the UAE federal government…

Synced from the official UAE Legislation portal · Plain-language summary by the LEXAI editorial team

Article-level text

Key Articles

9 articles

  1. 1

    Article 1

    Article (1) In application of the provisions of this Decree by Law, the following words and expressions shall have the meanings assigned thereto, unless the context otherwise requires: The State : The United Arab Emirates. Cabinet : The Council of Ministers of the United Arab Emirates. Minister : Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs. The General Secretariat : The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. Secretary General : The Secretary General of the Cabinet.

    -- 1 of 4 --

    Federal Decree by Law of 2007 Regarding the Regulation and Determination of the Jurisdictions of the General Secretariat of the Cabinet 2

  2. 2

    Article 2

    Article (2) The Cabinet shall have a General Secretariat vested with the necessary powers to carry out its duties in accordance with the provisions of this Decree by Law, and the rules, regulations and resolutions issued for its implementation.

  3. 3

    Article 3

    Article (3) The General Secretariat shall assist the Cabinet in performing its functions by exercising the following competences: 1. Preparing the Cabinet agenda, arranging its meetings, drafting its resolutions and following up on their implementation. 2. Providing legal, administrative and technical support regarding the matters presented to the Cabinet and submitting appropriate recommendations thereon. 3. Contributing to the preparation of draft laws in their final form and undertaking constitutional procedures followed to issue such laws. 4. Drafting Federal decrees and regulatory decisions of the Cabinet. 5. Submitting proposals to the Cabinet regarding the development of the functions of Ministries, Federal authorities and institutions. 6. Following up on and evaluating the performance of the councils and committees formed by the Cabinet and submitting recommendations in this regard. 7. Organizing communication between the Cabinet, and the various ministries, authorities, and institutions of the State 8. Preparing and distributing the Official Gazette of the State. 9. Proposing manuals and procedures for the functioning of the Cabinet. 10. Proposing draft laws, regulations, rules and resolutions related to the functions of the General Secretariat. 11. Proposing the draft annual budget and the final account of the General Secretariat. 12. Representing the Cabinet and the General Secretariat in legal actions filed by or against them and having the right to appoint one or more lawyers from within or outside the Government, to handle such legal actions. 13. Any other competences assigned to the General Secretariat by the Cabinet or its Prime

    -- 2 of 4 --

    Federal Decree by Law of 2007 Regarding the Regulation and Determination of the Jurisdictions of the General Secretariat of the Cabinet 3 Minister.

  4. 4

    Article 4

    Article (4) The Minister shall be the Head of the General Secretariat, and shall represent it before supreme State bodies and shall exercise the following powers: 1. Proposing the general policies of the General Secretariat and supervising its implementation. 2. Exercising general supervision over the functions of the General Secretariat and issuing the necessary instructions in this regard. 3. Approving the draft annual budget and the final account of the General Secretariat and submitting them to the Cabinet for approval. 4. Issuing the organizational structure of the General Secretariat. 5. Any other powers stipulated by Federal laws, rules , regulations and resolutions. The Minister may delegate some of their powers to senior officials of the General Secretariat.

  5. 5

    Article 5

    Article (5) The General Secretariat shall have a Secretary General, who shall be appointed pursuant to a Federal Decree upon the proposal of the Minister, to assist the Minister in managing the General Secretariat and directly supervising its functions. Particularly, the Secretary General shall exercise the following competences: 1. Participating in setting the general policy of the General Secretariat, developing its programs, and supervising the implementation thereof. 2. Proposing policies and rules that contribute to the improvement and development of the performance of the General Secretariat. 3. Drafting the annual budget and the final account and submitting them to the Minister. 4. Attending the Cabinet sessions. 5. Supervising the preparation of the Cabinet agenda. 6. Carrying out any other competences assigned thereto by the Cabinet or the Minister. The Minister may delegate some of their powers to senior officials of the General Secretariat.

    -- 3 of 4 --

    Federal Decree by Law of 2007 Regarding the Regulation and Determination of the Jurisdictions of the General Secretariat of the Cabinet 4

  6. 6

    Article 6

    Article (6) The General Secretariat shall have its independent administrative, financial and functional rules and regulations governing the performance of its functions, including all employment and disciplinary rules and regulations applicable to its employees, which shall be issued by a resolution from the Minister. In the absence of any provision in such rules or regulations, the applicable laws shall apply.

  7. 7

    Article 7

    Article (7) The General Secretariat shall be allocated the necessary funds to achieve its assigned objectives through the Ministry of Finance and Industry. Disbursement from this budget and oversight thereof shall be conducted in accordance with the rules applicable to the General Secretariat, and it shall be exempt from the provisions of external financial control.

  8. 8

    Article 8

    Article (8) Any provision that contradicts or conflicts with the provisions of this Decree by Law shall be repealed.

  9. 9

    Article 9

    Article (9) This Decree by Law shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall enter into force from the date of its publication. Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the United Arab Emirates Issued by Us: Date: 03 Dhu al-Qa'dah, 1428 A.H Corresponding to: 13 November 2007 AD

    -- 4 of 4 --

Note: The Arabic text of this legislation is the authoritative version as per the official UAE Legislation portal.

Reading shortcut

Ask LEXAI a question about Federal Decree by Law No. (11) of 2007.

Plain-English answers, with a citation back to the exact article. Free to use, no sign-up.

LEXAI provides general legal information, not legal advice. For your specific case, speak to a licensed UAE lawyer.

Keep reading

General

Lawyer Marketing in the UAE: A Practical Guide for Solo and Small Firms

A practical, compliance-first guide to lawyer marketing in the UAE — directory listings, content and search, referrals, Google Business, and social media — built for solo practitioners and small firms who want to be found and contacted directly.

9 min read

General

SEO for Lawyers in the UAE: A Practical Guide for Solo & Small Firms

A practical, advocacy-compliant SEO guide for UAE solo practitioners and small law firms: local SEO, Google Business Profile, the keywords clients actually search, content, and free directory listings.

9 min read

General

Law Firm vs Solo Lawyer in the UAE: How to Choose

Confused between a UAE law firm (maktab muhamah) and a solo advocate? Learn how firms are licensed, when a large firm helps, when a specialist solo is the smarter choice, and how cost and access differ.

8 min read