Federal Law No. (1) of 2018 Regarding Holy Quran Memorisation Private Centres
Federal Law No. (1) of 2018
This law regulates private centres that teach and memorise the Holy Quran, including licensing, permitted activities, management, teachers, curricula, premises, finance, supervision, violations and closure.
Overview
What this legislation covers
This law regulates private centres that teach and memorise the Holy Quran, including licensing, permitted activities, management, teachers, curricula, premises, finance, supervision, violations and closure.
Who or what it applies to
- Private centres teaching or memorising the Holy Quran within the statutory definition.
- Founders, managers, teachers, supervisors, employees and students of such centres.
- Competent licensing and supervisory authorities in each Emirate.
- Premises and activities associated with licensed centres.
Key points
Important points at a glance
Creates a federal framework for private Quran memorisation centres.
Defines the competent authority responsible for licensing centres in each Emirate.
Restricts covered Quran memorisation activities to licensed centres.
Sets the permitted activities of centres and conditions for adding related activities.
Requires a licence before establishing or operating a covered centre.
Regulates founders, management and persons responsible for centre operations.
Requires compliance with approved curricula, teaching methods and authority instructions.
Regulates teachers, supervisors and staff and allows qualification/background conditions.
Provides controls for premises, health, safety and suitability.
Regulates centre names, advertisements, fundraising/financial activity and records.
Allows inspection and supervisory action by the competent authority.
Provides warnings, suspension, closure/cancellation and other consequences for non-compliance.
Existing centres were required to regularise their status under the transitional rules.
Cabinet Resolution No. (69) of 2020 is the Executive Regulation and is active.
The current institutional framework should be read with Federal Law No. (2) of 2024 on the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat.
Practical explanation
Understanding the law
Purpose and practical effect
This law regulates private centres that teach and memorise the Holy Quran, including licensing, permitted activities, management, teachers, curricula, premises, finance, supervision, violations and closure.
Who and what the law applies to
- Private centres teaching or memorising the Holy Quran within the statutory definition.
- Founders, managers, teachers, supervisors, employees and students of such centres.
- Competent licensing and supervisory authorities in each Emirate.
- Premises and activities associated with licensed centres.
Important definitions
- Centre: a private entity practising one or more of the Quran memorisation activities regulated by the law.
- Concerned Authority: the authority/entity responsible for licensing Quran memorisation centres in the relevant Emirate.
- Authority: the federal Islamic-affairs authority identified by the legislation.
- Licence: the authorisation required before a centre may lawfully operate.
Main rights, duties and legal consequences
- A licensed centre may conduct approved activities within the terms of its licence.
- Students and parents are entitled to services delivered through lawful, supervised centres.
- Competent authorities may inspect, supervise and require correction of violations.
- Operators must follow approved religious, educational, administrative and safety standards.
Practical compliance / procedure checklist
- Determine the competent authority for the Emirate where the centre will operate.
- Prepare the licensing application, premises documents, management/staff information and required approvals.
- Obtain the licence before advertising or commencing regulated activities.
- Use approved curricula and appoint qualified/approved teaching staff.
- Maintain operational, student, staff and financial records required by the Executive Regulation.
- Seek approval before changing premises, management or material licensed activities.
- Renew and regularise the licence under the current competent-authority procedures.
Important dates and deadlines
- Issued: 18 February 2018.
- Effective: 25 May 2018.
- Executive Regulation: Cabinet Resolution No. (69) of 2020; official portal records effect from 10 May 2022.
- Original transitional regularisation periods for pre-existing centres should be checked only if dealing with a historic case.
Enforcement and legal exposure
Operating without a required licence or breaching licensing, teaching, financial or supervisory rules can lead to administrative sanctions, closure/cancellation and any additional liability provided by the law or other applicable legislation.
Practical scenarios
- A new private Quran centre must be licensed before opening classes.
- A centre changing location should verify whether prior authority approval and a licence amendment are required.
- An operator collecting donations should not assume the centre licence itself authorises fundraising; separate donation rules may apply.
- A teacher appointment should be checked against current qualification and approval conditions.
Current-law interaction
No amendment to the principal law was identified in the source reviewed. Current administration should be read together with Cabinet Resolution No. (69) of 2020 and the 2024 institutional law governing the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat.
Research status
Legal-status and source verification for this package was carried out on 2026-09-07. UAE federal legislation often operates together with Cabinet resolutions, Executive Regulations, ministerial decisions, local Health/competent-authority rules and later amendments. The current official source should be rechecked before a live filing, licence application, clinical decision, enforcement step or court submission.
Practical notes
- Use the current official Arabic text for interpretation and application; the English package is a structured legal-information rendering.
- Verify the latest consolidated law, Executive Regulation, Cabinet/ministerial decisions and relevant Emirate-level rules immediately before case-specific reliance.
- Exact penalties, thresholds, exceptions, consent rules and procedural deadlines must be checked against the current article and implementing instrument.
- The supplied cover artwork is editorial artwork and does not constitute an official UAE Government publication or legal-status certificate.
Legislation text
Text and provisions
Official-text notice. This file is a comprehensive structured English legal-information rendering based on the sources listed in this package. It is not represented as the controlling verbatim English text. The official Arabic text prevails for interpretation and application. Exact offences, penalties, thresholds, exceptions, licences, consent requirements and deadlines must be checked against the current official article and implementing instrument.
Federal Law No. (1) of 2018 Regarding Holy Quran Memorisation Private Centres
Verified legislative metadata
| Instrument | Federal Law No. (1) of 2018 |
|---|---|
| Issued | 2018-02-18 |
| Effective | 2018-05-25 |
| Status | Active / in force |
| Official Gazette | Official Gazette No. 627 |
| Official source | UAE legislation source |
Purpose and scope
This law regulates private centres that teach and memorise the Holy Quran, including licensing, permitted activities, management, teachers, curricula, premises, finance, supervision, violations and closure.
Structured legislative map
Definitions and objectives
Defines the centre, authority and regulatory concepts and states the objectives of organising Quran memorisation activity.
Permitted activities
Specifies activities a licensed centre may carry out and activities requiring additional approval.
Licensing
Requires prior licensing and sets the application/approval framework.
Founders and management
Regulates legal capacity, management responsibility and approved organisational arrangements.
Staff and teachers
Provides qualification, suitability and professional requirements for persons teaching or working in centres.
Premises and safety
Requires compliant premises and observance of safety, health and authority standards.
Curriculum and teaching
Subjects teaching content, curriculum and religious instruction to competent-authority rules.
Financial and administrative records
Requires records and regulates financial matters, donations and fees as provided by law/regulation.
Supervision and inspection
Allows competent authorities to inspect centres and require corrective action.
Violations and sanctions
Provides administrative consequences and other penalties for unlicensed or non-compliant operation.
Transitional provisions
Regulates existing licences and the period for existing centres to adjust their status.
Executive Regulation
Cabinet Resolution No. (69) of 2020 supplies detailed licensing and operational rules.
Key statutory points
- Creates a federal framework for private Quran memorisation centres.
- Defines the competent authority responsible for licensing centres in each Emirate.
- Restricts covered Quran memorisation activities to licensed centres.
- Sets the permitted activities of centres and conditions for adding related activities.
- Requires a licence before establishing or operating a covered centre.
- Regulates founders, management and persons responsible for centre operations.
- Requires compliance with approved curricula, teaching methods and authority instructions.
- Regulates teachers, supervisors and staff and allows qualification/background conditions.
- Provides controls for premises, health, safety and suitability.
- Regulates centre names, advertisements, fundraising/financial activity and records.
- Allows inspection and supervisory action by the competent authority.
- Provides warnings, suspension, closure/cancellation and other consequences for non-compliance.
- Existing centres were required to regularise their status under the transitional rules.
- Cabinet Resolution No. (69) of 2020 is the Executive Regulation and is active.
- The current institutional framework should be read with Federal Law No. (2) of 2024 on the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat.
Amendments and interaction with other legislation
No amendment to the principal law was identified in the source reviewed. Current administration should be read together with Cabinet Resolution No. (69) of 2020 and the 2024 institutional law governing the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat.
Legal-reading rule
This package is designed for website publication, internal research and client-facing orientation. It maps the law's operative subject matter and current regulatory context, but a paraphrase cannot replace the statutory wording. Where the outcome depends on a defined term, licence category, medical condition, consent requirement, penalty, exception, transition rule or deadline, open the current Arabic article and the relevant Executive Regulation or competent-authority decision before relying on it.
Verification
Official source & references
Official legislation sourcehttps://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1966Open ↗Official Gazette: Official Gazette No. 627
This page is a research and educational resource. Legislation can be amended, repealed, supplemented by regulations or interpreted by courts and authorities. Obtain advice before relying on it for a live matter.