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Social clubs must have licence to operate

Community Development Authority in Dubai emphasises that social clubs in Dubai cannot operate secretly

Dubai: Social clubs or organisations in Dubai cannot operate secretly and without a licence as they risk getting prosecuted, a senior official from the Community Development Authority (CDA) said.

CDA in Dubai regulates all non-profit social clubs and organisations that hold social, cultural, or entertainment activities within the emirate to ensure the quality of services based on Executive Council Resolution No 4 of 2011.

CDA has strictly implemented this rule since 2014. Some organisations that applied for a licence but did not get it were asked to stop operations as per the law.

Some organisations, however, continue to operate, not under their organisation’s name, but they hire event management companies or operate as part of their consulate’s official functions because of the challenges they face in getting a licence.

“Social clubs have to be licensed... They should have clear targets as to what they are going to do, how they are going to serve the community, how they are going to work with us and with others for social cohesion. We don’t want social clubs to operate in isolation,” Khalid Al Kamda, CDA director-general told Gulf News.

Once licensed, social clubs can then open a bank account, employ people, hold activities, or seek support externally.

Al Kamda cautioned organisations that have been operating under wraps to come forward and register.

“You cannot operate quietly because if you put anything on social media, it will be tracked. If you do activities without a licence, you will be prosecuted,” Al Kamda said.

Any organisation found violating this rule may face a fine ranging between Dh2,000 and Dh10,000. But Al Kamda clarified that their priority is to help and not to fine people.

“We’re here not as an authority to penalise. We’re here as an authority to authorise people to do the right thing and to help clubs get officially recognised.”

Organisations that stopped operations since the rule was strictly enforced said there are barriers why they cannot get a licence, which the authority can address.

K.L. Gopi, 52, a former Indian social club head, said they stopped their operations as soon as they were informed by CDA. Their group was a leading cultural organisation set up in 1980 that also held charity activities with the support of the Indian consulate.

“We were told by CDA officials before that while they always support the people, at the same time as part of national security, they have to put restrictions on social clubs. We understand that,” Gopi told Gulf News. “CDA then asked us to merge with already licensed social clubs but since we have different [thrusts], we couldn’t.”

Gopi said other licensed social clubs’ membership fees are also not affordable for their members.

For M.G. Pushpakaran, from the Overseas Indian Cultural Congress, they have stopped operations but hope that a resolution can be arrived at.

“We’ve been told that CDA can only give five licences per country. There are 2,000 applications for licences from our state alone. In the future, if CDA can issue more licences, then we’ll apply again,” Pushpakaran told Gulf News.

For most Filipino organisations, having a permanent office for their clubs is the main deterrent, as this would eat up a huge chunk of their operating budget.

Al Kamda encouraged organisations facing challenges in getting licensed to approach the authority for help.

“Come forward. Don’t be afraid of us. We are an authority that will help you get a licence. We will find a solution for you. If there are any obstacles, we will sort out these obstacles for you.”