Engineering consultancy firms in Dubai have been warned over unnecessary increases in construction costs when working on villas for Emiratis.
Dubai Municipality said it issued the warnings after detecting "exaggerated structural designs for citizens' villas", resulting in higher costs.
The action comes after a notice was sent to consultancy offices ordering engineering standards meet Dubai Building Code stipulations.
“Compliance with the Dubai Building Code is a professional and ethical responsibility before being a regulatory obligation," said Maryam Al Muhairi, chief executive of the buildings regulation and permits agency at the municipality.
"Its objective is to strike a balance between construction quality and reduced costs. We remain committed to monitoring the practices of consultancy offices and contractors to ensure compliance with approved requirements, limiting excessive use of construction materials, including steel, and preventing citizens from bearing unjustified additional costs.
"This ensures structural efficiency, reduces expenses without compromising safety and quality, and applies best practices to guarantee a safe and sustainable construction environment.”
The municipality this year suspended two engineering consultancy firms and banned them from licensing projects for six months after they were found to have breached approved regulations and ethics.
