Jurisdictions and governing law

This page explains where JOOM offers services, the entities through which it works in each country, the professional and legal requirements that apply, and which law and courts or arbitration apply to our work. It supplements Working with JOOM: agreements. Company information is in the Legal notice.

Our principle: local law, local licences, local entities

1. We provide design and engineering services in a country only through persons and entities that are registered, licensed and approved to provide them there.
2. We do not offer to practise, sign, stamp or submit documents in a country where the law requires a locally registered or licensed professional or office, unless such a person or office is engaged and named in the agreement.
3. Mandatory law of the country where a project is located always applies to the project, whatever the agreement says about governing law.

Where we work

JOOM works in the United Kingdom, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America and Europe.

In each of these places JOOM's network includes companies that are registered in the country ("Local Entities"), or in the relevant state, region or emirate, and that hold, or are able to obtain, the registrations, licences and insurance that local law requires for the services they provide. Where a project is located in one of these places, the agreement names the Local Entity that provides the services, with its registration number and registered address, and states which professional signs, stamps and submits documents where the law requires it.

At a glance

United Kingdom (England and Wales)

1. Entity. Services in the United Kingdom are provided by SAMADROCK LTD, a company registered in England and Wales, trading as byJOOM, or by another entity that is lawfully able to provide them and is named in the agreement (including JOOM Architecture and Engineering Ltd or a successor company once it is Active). See section 2 of Working with JOOM: agreements.
2. The title "architect". In the United Kingdom, the word "architect" in a business name or title is protected by section 20 of the Architects Act 1997 and may be used only by a person registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB), and by a company or partnership only as the Act and the ARB allow. JOOM uses "architecture" to describe the services it offers. Where an individual is described as an architect for UK work, that person is registered with the ARB, and the agreement says so.
3. Regulatory framework. Where relevant to the project, the Planning Acts, the Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the Building Safety Act 2022 and its regimes for higher-risk buildings, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and the Equality Act 2010 apply, and the agreement will state which roles we accept.
4. Law and courts. Unless an agreement says otherwise, an agreement for services in England and Wales is governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own law and courts, and the agreement for a project there will say which law applies.
5. Consumers and tax. UK consumer law protects consumers (see section 12 of Working with JOOM: agreements). Value-added tax and other taxes are charged as the law requires.

Arab Republic of Egypt

1. Entities. In the Arab Republic of Egypt, JOOM works under entities that are registered in Egypt (the "Egyptian Entities"). An Egyptian Entity holds the commercial registration, the tax registration and the professional licences that Egyptian law requires for the services it provides, and the Egyptian Entity responsible for a project is named in the agreement for that project with its commercial register number, tax number and registered address. Where SAMADROCK LTD or any other non-Egyptian entity contributes services from outside Egypt, it does so under or through the Egyptian Entity and does not itself practise in Egypt.
2. Professional practice. The practice of engineering and architecture in Egypt is regulated, including by the Law on the Engineers Syndicate (Law No. 66 of 1974, as amended) and the rules for licensing engineering offices. Engineers who practise in Egypt must be registered with the Egyptian Engineers Syndicate, and drawings and documents that must be signed or stamped by a registered professional will be.
3. Building and planning. Design and construction in Egypt are subject to the Building Law (Law No. 119 of 2008) and its executive regulations, the Egyptian Code for building and fire safety, planning requirements of the competent urban-planning and governorate authorities and, for new urban communities, the requirements of the relevant development authority. Permits and approvals are obtained from those authorities, and the agreement says who applies for them.
4. Ten-year liability. Architects and contractors are liable under Articles 651 to 653 of the Egyptian Civil Code (Law No. 131 of 1948), for ten years, for collapse and for defects that threaten the stability of a building, and any agreement to remove or limit that liability is void. Nothing we say or sign excludes or limits it where it applies.
5. Companies and investment. The Egyptian Entities are formed under Egyptian companies and investment law, including the Companies Law (Law No. 159 of 1981) and the Investment Law (Law No. 72 of 2017), and foreign participation in a project is reported and approved as that law requires.
6. Personal data. The Egyptian Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 151 of 2020) and its executive regulations apply to personal data in Egypt (see the Privacy notice).
7. Consumers and electronic transactions. Consumer Protection Law No. 181 of 2018 and the Electronic Signature Law No. 15 of 2004 apply. Agreements with Egyptian consumers are provided in Arabic.
8. Taxes and currency. Value-added tax (Law No. 67 of 2016), income and withholding taxes, stamp duty and the foreign-exchange rules of the Central Bank of Egypt apply as the law provides, and the agreement says in which currency payment is made.
9. Law and disputes. Unless the agreement says otherwise, an agreement for services in Egypt is governed by Egyptian law. Disputes are resolved by the competent Egyptian court or, if the agreement provides for it, by arbitration seated in Cairo under the Rules of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), the Arbitration Law (Law No. 27 of 1994) applying to the arbitration agreement and to the arbitration. An arbitration agreement must be in writing.
10. Language. Where Egyptian law, an authority or a court requires Arabic, the Arabic version is provided, and the agreement states which version prevails between the parties.

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

1. We work in Jordan only through persons and entities registered and licensed in Jordan, including engineers registered with the Jordan Engineers Association, and in accordance with the Jordanian building and planning law and the requirements of the relevant municipal authority.
2. The Jordanian Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 24 of 2023) applies to personal data in Jordan (see the Privacy notice).
3. The agreement states the law and the courts or arbitration that apply. Unless it says otherwise, mandatory Jordanian law applies to a project in Jordan.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

1. Entities. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, JOOM works with companies registered in the Kingdom (the "Saudi Entities"). A Saudi Entity holds the commercial registration, the tax and zakat registrations and the investment, municipal and professional licences that Saudi law requires for the services it provides. The agreement names the Saudi Entity responsible for a project.
2. Professional practice. Engineering and architectural services in the Kingdom are regulated. Engineers and engineering consultancy offices must be registered with, and are classified by, the Saudi Council of Engineers, and drawings that must be signed or stamped by a registered professional will be. Foreign ownership of a practising entity is subject to the Kingdom's investment licensing rules.
3. Building and approvals. Design and construction are subject to the Saudi Building Code, to municipal planning and building-permit requirements, to civil-defence fire and life-safety approvals, and to the utilities' requirements. Projects for large developers and national programmes may also be subject to the employer's own design standards.
4. Mandatory liability. Rules of Saudi law on the liability of designers and contractors for defects apply where the law makes them mandatory, and nothing we say or sign excludes them.
5. Personal data. The Saudi Personal Data Protection Law, supervised by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, applies to personal data in the Kingdom (see the Privacy notice).
6. Taxes. Value-added tax, zakat, income tax and withholding tax apply as the law provides, and the agreement says who bears them and in which currency payment is made.
7. Law and disputes. Unless the agreement says otherwise, an agreement for services in the Kingdom is governed by Saudi law. Disputes are resolved by the competent Saudi court or, if the agreement provides for it, by arbitration under the Saudi Arbitration Law, for example under the rules of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration.
8. Language. Proceedings in Saudi courts are in Arabic. Where Saudi law, an authority or a court requires Arabic, the Arabic version is provided, and the agreement states which version prevails between the parties.

United Arab Emirates

1. Entities. In the United Arab Emirates, JOOM works with companies licensed in the relevant emirate or free zone (the "UAE Entities"). A UAE Entity holds the trade licence for engineering or architectural consultancy and the registrations that the competent authority requires. The agreement names the UAE Entity responsible for a project and the emirate or free zone in which it is licensed.
2. Professional practice. Consultancy offices are licensed and classified by the competent emirate authority, and engineers and architects are registered as that authority requires. Drawings that must be signed or stamped by a registered consultant will be.
3. Building and approvals. Design and construction are subject to the building regulations of the emirate, the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code, the requirements of the master developer (including no-objection certificates), green-building regulations where they apply (for example the Estidama Pearl rating in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai Green Building Regulations), and utilities approvals.
4. Ten-year liability. The UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985), in Articles 880 to 883, makes contractors and architects liable for ten years for collapse and for defects that threaten the stability of a building, and treats agreements that exclude or limit that liability as void. Nothing we say or sign excludes or limits it where it applies.
5. Personal data. The UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) applies to personal data in the UAE, and the data-protection laws of the Dubai International Financial Centre and the Abu Dhabi Global Market apply in those zones (see the Privacy notice).
6. Taxes. Value-added tax (Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017) and corporate tax (Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022) apply as the law provides, and the agreement says who bears them and in which currency payment is made.
7. Law and disputes. Unless the agreement says otherwise, an agreement for services in the UAE is governed by the law of the emirate and the federal law that applies there. Disputes are resolved by the competent UAE court, by the courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre or the Abu Dhabi Global Market where the agreement chooses them and the law allows, or by arbitration under the UAE Arbitration Law (Federal Law No. 6 of 2018), for example at the Dubai International Arbitration Centre.
8. Language. Arabic is the language of the onshore courts. Where UAE law, an authority or a court requires Arabic, the Arabic version is provided, and the agreement states which version prevails between the parties.

United States of America

1. Entities. In the United States, JOOM works with firms registered in the relevant state (the "US Entities"), each authorised to offer architectural or engineering services in that state. The agreement names the US Entity responsible for a project and the state in which it is registered.
2. Professional practice. Architects and engineers are licensed by each state, not nationally. Documents for permit are sealed by an architect or professional engineer licensed in the state of the project (the "architect of record" or "engineer of record"). Where JOOM prepares the design, a locally licensed architect or engineer of record is engaged and named in the agreement, and some states also require the firm to hold a certificate of authority.
3. Building and approvals. Design and construction are subject to the building code adopted in the state and locality (commonly based on the International Building Code), local zoning and permit rules of the authority having jurisdiction, energy codes, and accessibility laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.
4. Law and professional liability. State law governs contracts and professional liability, including limitation periods, statutes of repose, certificate-of-merit rules and the enforceability of limits on liability and indemnities. Where the law of the state makes a rule mandatory, it applies.
5. Intellectual property. US copyright law protects architectural works and drawings, including under the Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act.
6. Personal data. There is no single federal privacy law. State privacy laws, for example the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended, apply where they cover the processing (see the Privacy notice).
7. Compliance and tax. US anti-corruption (including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act), sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and export-control laws apply to work with a US connection. Federal, state and local taxes apply as the law provides, including withholding on payments to foreign persons.
8. Law and disputes. Unless the agreement says otherwise, an agreement for services in a US state is governed by the law of that state. Disputes are resolved by the competent court of that state or, if the agreement provides for it, by arbitration, for example under the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

Europe

1. Entities. In Europe, JOOM works with companies and professionals registered in the country of the project (the "European Entities"). The agreement names the European Entity responsible for a project.
2. Professional practice. The right to practise architecture and engineering, to use the title architect, to sign and to submit applications is regulated country by country, even though European rules support the recognition of qualifications and the cross-border provision of services. Where the law requires a locally registered architect or engineer to prepare, sign or submit documents, one is engaged and named in the agreement.
3. Building and approvals. National and regional building codes apply, supported by the Eurocodes and their national annexes and by energy-performance rules. We identify the codes and approvals that apply to the project at the start.
4. Mandatory liability and insurance. Many countries impose mandatory liability on designers and builders and require insurance, often for a long period after completion, and these rules cannot be excluded. The agreement states how they are met.
5. Personal data. European data-protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation and the national laws that supplement it, applies where it covers the processing (see the Privacy notice).
6. Consumers. European consumer law, including the 14-day right to withdraw from contracts made away from premises or at a distance, protects consumers and cannot be removed.
7. Law and disputes. Unless the agreement says otherwise, an agreement for services in a European country is governed by the law of that country, subject to the European rules on the choice of law and jurisdiction, and disputes are resolved by the competent court of that country or, if the agreement provides for it, by arbitration, with an award enforceable under the New York Convention.
8. Taxes and language. Value-added tax and other taxes apply as the law of the country provides. Where national law or an authority requires the local language, that version is provided.

Other countries

We will accept work in another country only after taking local legal advice, identifying the locally licensed entity or professional, and recording the licensing, tax, data-protection and dispute-resolution position in the agreement. A project in a country not named on this page is not covered by this page until the agreement says so.

Default rules for agreements

Where an agreement does not say otherwise:

Mandatory law and international business

1. Nothing in our terms is intended to remove a right or protection that mandatory law gives you or that applies in a country where a project is located.
2. We comply with the anti-corruption, sanctions, export-control and anti-money-laundering laws that apply to our business, including those of the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. See Business conduct and compliance.
3. If a requirement of one country's law conflicts with a requirement of another's, we will raise it with you and seek advice before proceeding.

Changes

This page will be updated if our entities, licences or the law change.