The Council Approves Joint Ownership of an Engineering Office

The Council for Regulating the Practice of Engineering Professions (CRPEP) recently announced that it has approved ownership of an engineering office, previously licensed with the Engineering Council, by three engineers who are all licensed in the same category as the engineering office, each holding equal shares.
The Council stated that it encourages such type of joint ownership as it guarantees the survival of these offices and their continuation in the event of the death of one of the owners, as the current regulations governing this sector stipulate that the license of an engineering office shall expire following the death of the owner of the engineering office if the license was based on a single Proprietor basis.
CRPEP further explained that the procedures for collective ownership i.e., the transfer of the ownership of an engineering office owned by one person to several people – has its own procedures at the Council, the most important being the re-evaluation of the licenses of the new owners and ensuring that they meet all the conditions stipulated in the Law and the Executive Regulations. Additionally, one of the owners will need to be assigned the responsibilities as the Director and primary point of contact for the Council and other relevant stakeholders, and to handle the office’s affairs and business in accordance with the provisions of Law No. (51) of 2014 regarding the regulation of the engineering professions and its Executive Regulations.
The Council explained that it is also currently reviewing the Law and the Executive Regulations in an effort to separate an engineering office’s financial ownership and its technical, engineering and financial management, to ensure the long-term continuity and sustainability of the engineering office.
The Council concluded that it urges all engineering offices to take the initiative to opt for joint ownership and thus submit applications for mergers or the addition of owners, whenever deemed necessary to ensure the continuity and development of the engineering sector.