# Dubai and Abu Dhabi Camp-Kitchen Food-Safety Penalty Research

**Research date:** 19-Aug-2026  
**Scope:** Penalty and enforcement consequences potentially relevant to camp-kitchen inspections. This is not legal advice. An authority/counsel must verify the exact current violation item and amount against the live official schedule before a case-specific conclusion is made.

## 1. National Food Safety Law — Exact Monetary Penalties Applicable Across the UAE

Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 Concerning Food Safety applies to food organizations across the food chain, including preparation, storage, transport, service and sale. The official English text states the following criminal/financial penalties, without prejudice to more severe penalties under any other law:

| Breach category | Statutory penalty under Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 |
|---|---|
| Trading adulterated, harmful or spoiled food | Imprisonment for at least 3 months and a fine of **AED 100,000–AED 2,000,000**, or either penalty. |
| Trading without licence food containing pork, derivatives/products, alcoholic substances or material contrary to Islamic Sharia | Imprisonment for at least 1 month and a fine of **AED 50,000–AED 500,000**, or either penalty. |
| Trading/circulating/publishing false food description to mislead consumers | Fine of **AED 10,000–AED 100,000**. |
| Disposing of/altering food or fodder held under custody without written permission | Imprisonment from 3 months to 2 years and a fine of **AED 100,000–AED 300,000**, or either penalty. |
| Trading food/fodder contrary to technical regulations (subject to the harmful-food provision above) | Fine of **AED 10,000–AED 100,000**. |
| Other provision for which no specific penalty is prescribed | Fine of not less than **AED 10,000**. |
| Repeat offence | Penalty is **doubled in all cases**. |

The same Law authorises warning, administrative closure for up to 3 months, early resumption if the breach is removed, final closure and licence withdrawal request if the breach is not removed after administrative closure. The Executive Regulations confirm the closure and appeal framework, with a 30-day appeal against an administrative/final closure decision.

**Official source:** https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1161/download ; Executive Regulations: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1160

## 2. Dubai — Confirmed Local Enforcement Framework

### Local Order No. 11 of 2003, Dubai Public Health and Community Safety

The official Dubai legislation text establishes that food-establishment licensing/renewal is subject to competent-department approval; food establishments are subject to health control/supervision; dealing in adulterated, spoiled or harmful food is prohibited; and medical fitness/health cards are required for persons dealing in food. The general sanction provision states:

- Fine of **AED 100–AED 500,000** for violating the Local Order, implementing bylaw, resolutions or instructions, unless a stricter penalty applies elsewhere.
- A repeated *same* violation within one year results in **doubling of the fine**, capped at the AED 500,000 maximum.
- The competent department may suspend or revoke a permit/licence for up to **one month**; disconnect water/electricity for up to **three months**; confiscate/destroy non-compliant goods/products/materials; and/or impound non-conforming vehicles.
- If the violator fails to remedy the violation/harm within the prescribed timeframe, the department may remedy it and recover costs **plus 25% administrative fees**.

The Order says the implementing bylaw determines acts that constitute violations and their prescribed penalty. This research did **not** locate a current, official, camp-kitchen-specific Dubai fine matrix that maps individual inspection items (e.g., poor hygiene, pest evidence, temperature log failure or expired food) to exact AED amounts. Therefore, do not assume every inspection finding attracts the AED 100–500,000 range, nor that it is the only applicable fine. The federal criminal/financial penalties may apply to serious food-safety conduct.

**Official sources:**
- Dubai Local Order No. 11 of 2003 — https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2003/Local%20Order%20No.%20(11)%20of%202003%20Concerning%20Public%20Health.html
- Dubai Municipality enforcement example — https://www.dm.gov.ae/dubai-municipality-closes-and-fines-25-food-establishments-in-45-days/

## 3. Abu Dhabi — Confirmed Administrative Penalty Structure

### Fine Schedule and Current Amendment

Official WAM reporting confirms that ADAFSA Resolution No. 3 of 2021 established an administrative schedule covering 150 food/agricultural/animal-welfare violations, including 16 general violations and 22 food-facility health/hygiene and infrastructure/equipment violations. The authority’s official regulations page is indexed as listing this resolution. Search results from the official ADAFSA site also identify **Decision No. 6 of 2025**, which amends parts of Resolution No. 3 of 2021. A direct official PDF link was discovered but was inaccessible from this environment; consequently, this research cannot responsibly state the current AED amount assigned to an individual specific food-facility violation under the amended schedule.

### Confirmed Enforcement Ladder

The Abu Dhabi Media Office confirms Resolution No. 2 of 2022 uses a graduated, risk-based administrative enforcement structure. It describes seven types of administrative penalty: notice; warning; financial, administrative and technical supervision; temporary suspension of activity; temporary/permanent suspension of authority services/programmes; licence cancellation/suspension; and temporary/permanent facility closure. A temporary activity suspension applies to a high-risk violation with an imminent serious effect on public health. Closure can follow progression through prior penalties, a serious safety/public-health violation not immediately remedied, a confirmed poisoning case, or a high-risk violation/violations.

The same official release states an appeal against administrative penalties can be submitted within **60 days** of notification, and absence of a response within **90 days** of submission is considered acceptance of the complaint. WAM’s 2021 announcement also states Resolution No. 4 of 2021 offered a 25% reduction if a reconciliation case was resolved within 60 days; users should verify whether this still applies after later amendments and which procedure applies to a particular case.

### Inspection / Closure Evidence

ADAFSA closure notices confirm that recurring high-risk violations and ineffective corrective action can result in administrative closure. Examples cited in official notices include pests/insects, poor hygiene, inadequate storage and food without proper labelling. The closure remains in effect while causes exist; resumption is only after rectifying the situation, fulfilling requirements for the activity and removing causes of the violation.

**Official sources:**
- WAM, ADAFSA issues two resolutions on violations and fines — https://www.wam.ae/en/article/hszrcoi2-adafsa-issues-two-resolutions-violations-and
- Abu Dhabi Media Office, ADAFSA reinforces regulatory penalties — https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/government-affairs/abu-dhabi-agriculture-and-food-safety-authority-reinforces-regulatory-penalties-to-reduce-improper-practices-and-protect-community/
- ADAFSA 2026 closure notice — https://www.adafsa.gov.ae/en/mediahub/news/Pages/02042026.aspx
- ADAFSA 2025 closure notice — https://www.adafsa.gov.ae/en/mediahub/news/Pages/16042025news.aspx
- ADAFSA Arabic regulations page (official index; dynamic access issue) — https://adafsa.gov.ae/ar/policies/Pages/regulations-and-decisions.aspx
- Officially indexed 2025 amending Decision No. 6 PDF — https://adafsa.gov.ae/CMS/RegulationsAndDecrees/09102025.pdf

## 4. Practical Meaning for Camp Kitchens

| Inspection finding / condition | Dubai response exposure | Abu Dhabi response exposure | National escalation risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor, isolated issue corrected promptly | Local notice/warning/violation and case-specific municipal fine may apply; exact item amount to confirm. | Notice/warning under risk-based ladder; current schedule amount must be verified. | General statutory provisions may still apply if a law/regulation is breached. |
| Repeated hygiene, pest, storage, label, temperature-control or record failures | Local fines, suspension/permit measures, possible product destruction or closure based on severity and repeat status. | Escalation through warnings/administrative sanctions; official notices show repeated high-risk failures can lead to closure. | Serious conduct can engage AED 10,000+ and/or higher specific federal penalties. |
| Harmful, adulterated or spoiled food / confirmed serious risk | Local containment, seizure/destruction, closure and possible local sanctions. | High-risk suspension/closure and potentially scheduled administrative fine. | AED 100,000–2,000,000 and at least 3 months’ imprisonment, or either; double for repetition. |
| Failure to remove breach after closure/administrative action | Suspension/revocation or other local measures; remedial costs +25% under Local Order framework. | Closure remains until causes removed and requirements fulfilled; possible licence/service measures. | Administrative closure up to 3 months then final closure/licence withdrawal request; penalty can also apply. |

## 5. Key Limitation

An inspection report/notice will identify the precise legal provision, schedule item and whether the enforcement action is a notice, warning, administrative fine, closure, product action or criminal referral. The exact site-specific financial consequence cannot be calculated without that official violation item, the current schedule, repeat-offence history, risk category and any amendment to the listed regulations.