Law No. 6 of 2006 concerning the Management of Groundwater Well Drilling.

This Law, consisting of 32 articles divided in IX Sections, aims at regulating groundwater well drilling operations in the Emirates' territory. It gives the Environmental Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) authority over issuing permits for groundwater wells, credited with putting a stop to uncontrolled drilling for family projects and illegal groundwater selling. EAD is also responsible for monitoring groundwater quality and quantity, regulating well-drilling activities and overall management of groundwater.
Board of Directors of the Agency shall determine terms, technical specifications, drilling practice, typology and conditions for the application and renewal of permits. The Agency may also decide to stop drilling operations if it believes, giving reasons for its decision, that they not met the conditions laid down.
For each farm, the EAD's Management of Water resources decides the surface and the type of cultivation to be irrigated, and the number of wells required. It also supervises drilling operations and their implementation. The chairman of the EAD may in every moment interrupt the groundwater withdrawal to prevent the deterioration of groundwater quality in the area.
The IX Sections of the Law are: Definitions (I); Groundwater Drilling Wells Regulation (II); Issuance of drilling wells license (III); Licensee obligations (IV); Issuance of license for drilling wells groundwater (V); Drilling contractor obligations (VI); Organization of water uses (VII); Sanctions (VIII); and Final Provisions (IX).