Terms and Conditions

POLICY STATEMENT: This Refund Policy provides House of Wisdom (HOW) staff, visitors, guests, customers, and patrons with the procedure, guidelines, limitations, and legal considerations about the management of refunds.

HOW offers a money-back guarantee for all purchases or bookings made on our website or at our office at the House of Wisdom. If you are not satisfied with the product that you have purchased or booked from us, you can get your money back, no questions asked, subject to the terms and conditions herein below set forth.

For the avoidance of doubt, NO REFUNDS shall be processed by the HOW team unless the collection of the original amount is verified and approved by the Finance Department.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS: This Policy shall be limited to the list of refundable eligible items mentioned below. The HOW shall not be responsible and liable for any other services or products unless otherwise expressly written hereof. The HOW shall not be held liable for any damages or losses incurred by the client. 

a. Booking of meeting rooms, pods, and co-working spaces;

b. Booking of outdoor spaces, Wisdom Square, and Al Rasheed Hall;

c. Booking of events and/or workshops; and 

d. Any other activities which are booked in advance.

PROCEDURES: All refunds shall comply with the below-mentioned procedures unless a written confirmation is issued by the Director of Finance and the Director of HOW.

For the avoidance of doubt, the HOW shall impose a reasonable cancellation fee as mentioned below for all cancellations, except for cancellations made within two (2) hours of making the booking.

For clarity, the customer shall provide a copy of the invoice, receipt, or any proof of payment; otherwise, the HOW will not process the cancellation request. 

Upon receipt of the complete documents and request form, to the extent legally and reasonably permissible, the refund shall be processed within ten working days from the receipt of all complete documents. Any delay in the processing shall not hold the HOW liable or responsible for any penalty, surcharges, interest, or additional payment accrued during that time.

Aside from the cancellation charges, the following shall be imposed:

 

Credit card charges 2.5%

Online payment charges 2%

Bank charges will apply accordingly if the amount is refunded through online transfer.

 

For refunds under AED 500.00 per booking, the customer has the options of cheque (issued by the Finance Department), online bank transfer (issued by the Finance Department), or credit note.

 

However, all refunds over AED 500.00 per booking shall be processed through bank transfer or cheque and routed through the Finance Department. Amount lower than AED 500.00 per booking shall be made through the HOW. 

House of Wisdom Membership Refund and Cancellation Policy

This policy outlines the terms and conditions for membership refund and cancellation based on the member's request to cancel their subscription.

Membership Cancellation by Members:

Membership cancellations received within three days of registration may be eligible for a full refund, less any applicable fees and bank charges.

Cancellation requests received after three days will not be eligible for a refund.

Cancellation requests must be submitted via email and received by the stated cancellation deadline.

House of Wisdom reserves the right to terminate or suspend any membership without prior notice if a member fails to adhere to the library's policies and guidelines.

All refund requests must be made by the House of Wisdom (HoW) member or the credit card holder.

Refund requests must include the member's name.

Refunds will be credited back to the original credit card used for payment.

To cancel your library membership, you must return all borrowed items and your membership card. Any outstanding charges on your library account must be settled before cancellation.

The below charges will apply:

1) Credit card charges 2.5% 

2) Online payment charges 2%

POLICY STATEMENT: All video recording/shooting and/or photography is permitted within public access areas on the HOW premises and, as OTHERWISE, STATED IN SECTION 4 HEREOF.

Commercial and Special Photography. Photography requires explicit authorisation from HOW and includes engagements for commercial gain or profit, such as movie f

Photography and video recording within the restricted areas are prohibited unless with a written consent from an authorised HOW staff member. Individuals found in a restricted area will be subjected to investigation, seizure of recordings or photos, and possible legal implications.

This Policy applies in all circumstances, including where HOW may promote an event.

DEFINITIONS: Commercial and Special Photography. Photography requires explicit authorisation from HOW and includes engagements for commercial gain or profit, such as movie films, commercial television productions, photography for commercial advertisements, vlogging, and any other form of capturing photos or recording videos for commercial gain.

Photography. Photography shall mean the taking of moving and/or still images.

Video Recording. Video recording shall mean taking movements and recording the same through a recording device.

Public Area. An area open to unrestricted public access and occupancy that is not otherwise posted or restricted by posted signs or locking devices, signage, building design, and physical barriers, i.e., fencing, bollards, etc., may also distinguish a public area from a restricted location.

Restricted Area. A restricted area is any area not open to or occupied by the public or is open to or occupied by the public on a limited basis. Signage, building design, and physical barriers, i.e., fencing, bollards, etc., may also distinguish a restricted area from a public area.

Restricted areas include but are not limited to the following:

All premises with signages having restrictive access or label as “Authorised Only”

Crew and employee work areas

Maintenance facilities

Office areas

VIDEO RECORDING OR PHOTOGRAPHY BY AN INDIVIDUAL FOR NON-COMMERCIAL GAIN- except in prohibited areas, all individuals may record video or take photos for non-commercial gain within the HOW premises. For the avoidance of doubt, individual vlogger photography or video recording shall be considered for commercial gain. A permit is necessary before recording video and/or taking photos on the HOW premises.

VIDEO RECORDING OR PHOTOGRAPHY BY AN INDIVIDUAL FOR COMMERCIAL GAIN- except as herein provided, all individuals who wish to record video or take photos for commercial gain within the HOW premises shall procure the necessary permit from the HOW management office and comply with all the requirements needed.

HOW is entitled to cancel or postpone a shooting or reject a script without prior notice or reasons provided to the individual or company. 

HOW has the right to review the film/video before it goes on air, including social media channels. 

The individual or company confirms that they are responsible for providing public liability and adequate insurance for the location and will make good of any damage that may occur during shooting time. The individual or company shall pay the cost of any damages or injuries during the shooting. 

The individual or company agrees that all production or crew vehicles may only park in authorised areas and are subject to parking fees. 

The individual or company agrees to stop shooting if music or loud sounds are played during prayer time. 

The individual or company agrees to comply with the social and cultural regulations of the Emirate of Sharjah and the U.A.E. 

The individual or company agrees that all crew and models will respect the U.A.E. dress code by wearing modest clothing according to the regulations of the Emirate of Sharjah.

The individual, company, and crew shall take all necessary precautions and measures regarding general safety and security during the shooting. HOW management accepts no responsibility for the loss and/or damage of any or property or injury of any person. 

The individual or company shall comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations of the Emirate of Sharjah and the United Arab Emirates, as appropriate in Sharjah. Any dispute arising from the execution, interpretation, or termination of this agreement terms shall be resolved by the exclusive jurisdiction of the Sharjah Courts. 

Individual or company is prohibited from Loitering on the HOW premises.

Eating on the premises is limited to only House of Wisdom's authorised restaurants. Bringing outside food or eating indoors and outdoors is strictly prohibited. 

Fees might be applicable and are subject to management's discretion.

In case of agreed fees, the amount shall be payable as a cheque to HOW in advance and to be made in the local U.A.E. currency. 

Individuals, company, and crew shall observe the health and safety protocol on the HOW premises. The individual, company, or crew shall be dealt with for any violation.

The HOW's opening hours are as follows:

Sunday - Thursday

08:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Friday & Saturday

08: 00 am.- 12:00 am. (midnight)

All visitors shall strictly comply with the opening and closing hours of the HOW. No visitors shall be allowed to stay overnight within the premises of the HOW. In such cases, any individuals violating the working hours of the HOW shall be reported to the necessary authorities for investigation.

All visitors must strictly comply with the following terms and conditions:

Event and Venue Booking  

The Hirer or Client agrees to arrive and vacate by the agreed times. The House of Wisdom reserves the right to charge for any additional charges incurred by overstaying.

The House of Wisdom reserves the right to reject any booking that might prejudice the reputation of the Venue.

The Hirer or Client understands and agrees that venue bookings do not encompass full service, including but not limited to AV equipment, tables, chairs, security and staff. Except for in the case of Al Rasheed hall where chairs, microphones and a projector can be provided subject to availability and the terms of agreement. 

The Hirer or Client understands that usage of the venue booking is only permitted during the allotted timeframe as per the agreement. Any additional hours required, including but not limited to installation and dismantling, will require additional booking hours and will be subject to availability and fees. 

Fees and prices of the venue booking will be as outlined in the confirmation agreement. 

The Hirer or Client is responsible for:

Ensuring the venue facilities and any HOW equipment are not lost or damaged.

Ensuring the function finishes within the designated venue hire period and that any decorations and hire equipment is removed at the conclusion of the function.

The Hirer or Client is obligated to share proposed set-up plan, design, type of audio system to be used, as well as DP volts needed for all equipment with the House of Wisdom team no later than 48hours before the event.

Access to set up the Venue for set up, unless expressly agreed otherwise, is from 11:00pm one day prior to event until 7:00am on the same day of the event on weekdays and midnight to 7:00am on the same day of the event on weekends.

The Hirer or Client is responsible for the delivery, collection, safety, and insurance of all equipment, materials, or crew and their personal belongings

The Hirer or Client is not permitted to bring dangerous or hazardous substances, or objects of heavy weight that may cause overloading or strain to the flooring or walls of The Venue.

The Hirer or Client may not alter or attach equipment, fixtures or fittings to the Venue (including stands and other structures) without prior written consent. 

No booking is confirmed until an official agreement has been signed and confirmation to proceed has been communicated.

The House of Wisdom may cancel any booking or terminate an agreement at any time when incidents occur which are deemed outside out of control and affect the venue’s ability to provide the services for which it was contracted. 

The Hirer or Client is responsible for ensuring that crew, staff, and guests are aware of and agree to the terms of this policy.

In the event of any dispute, the decision of the House of Wisdom’s Management shall be final.

The Hirer or Client agrees to send a formal request for any photography, videography or general media coverage to be subject to approval. 

Any required ambiance music that will be played outside the booked venue must be shared as part of the plan submission to be subject for review and approval.

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") explains the information collection, use, and sharing practices of the House of Wisdom ("HOW," "we," "us," and "our").

Unless otherwise stated, this Policy describes and governs the information collection, use, and sharing practices of HOW with respect to your use of our website houseofwisdom.ae and the services ("Services") we provide and/or host on our servers.

Before you use or submit any information through or in connection with the Services, please carefully review this Privacy Policy. Using any part of the Services, you understand that your information will be collected, used, and disclosed as outlined in this Privacy Policy.

We are committed to maintaining high standards of confidentiality and security. HOW follows certain privacy principles to help ensure the confidentiality of the Personal Information we hold.

If you disagree with this privacy policy, please do not use our Services.

HOW has designed this Policy to be consistent with the following principles:

Privacy policies should be human-readable and easy to find.

Data collection, storage, and processing should be simplified as much as possible to enhance security, ensure consistency, and make the practices easy for users to understand.

Data practices should meet the reasonable expectations of users.

a. In this Privacy Policy, "Personal Information" means any information provided to or collected by HOW about an identifiable individual or an individual whose identity may be inferred or determined from the information. This Privacy Policy applies regardless of how Personal Information is recorded (electronically or on paper). This Privacy Policy does not cover any information about more than one individual where the individual's identity is unknown and cannot be inferred from the information (Aggregated Information). HOW retains the right to use Aggregated Information in any way that it reasonably determines is appropriate. This Privacy Policy does not apply to company information or other legal entities.

 

b. HOW take the protection of Personal Information seriously. We require all professionals, staff, other employees, contractors, and agents who provide services in connection with our delivery of services and other services to our clients to comply with these obligations.

We collect information in multiple ways, including when you provide information directly to us, when we passively collect information from you, such as from your browser or device, and third parties.

We may collect Personal Information: (1) to determine whether HOW will enter into a professional relationship, (2) in the course of a professional relationship, or (3) when we otherwise collect Personal Information, for example, when you provide us with information about yourself or someone else associated with your need for the services. We hold this information in strict confidence and do not reveal it to anyone unless expressly or implicitly authorized by the person or organization concerned or where permitted or required by applicable law.

During our relationship with you, HOW will need to collect, use, and sometimes disclose different types of Personal Information for various purposes associated with our services as directed by you or your organization. Given the nature of our services, it is impractical to list all types of Personal.

Information that may be collected, used, or disclosed. However, the Personal Information we collect may include:

full name;

contact information, such as your address, telephone number, email address, or job title;

information and documentation to help establish your identity;

information regarding your requirements, situation, and interests;

whether you have subscribed to or unsubscribed from any of our mailing lists or accepted any of our invitations;

your payment information and

any other Personal Information that you voluntarily choose to provide to us.

We will collect any information you provide to us. We may collect information from you in a variety of ways, such as when you (a) create an online account, (b) make a purchase, (c) contact us or provide feedback, or (d) subscribe to our newsletter. This information may include but is not limited to your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, payment information, geographic location, and other information mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

Device/Usage Information

We may automatically collect certain information about the computer or devices (including mobile devices or tablets) you use to access the Services. As described further below, we may collect and analyze (a) device information such as IP addresses, location information (by country and city), unique device identifiers, IMEI and TCP/IP address, browser types, browser language, operating system, mobile device carrier information, and (b) information related to the ways in which you interact with the Services, such as referring and exit web pages and URLs, platform type, the number of clicks, domain names, landing pages, pages and content viewed and the order of those pages, statistical information about the use of the Services, the amount of time spent on particular pages, the date and time you used the Services, the frequency of your use of the Services, error logs, and other similar information. As described further below, we may use third-party analytics providers and technologies, including cookies and similar tools, to assist in collecting this information.

Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

We also collect data about your Services use through Internet server logs and online tracking technologies, like cookies and/or tracking pixels. A web server log is a file where website activity is stored. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your computer when you visit a website, that enables us to (a) recognize your computer, (b) store your preferences and settings, (c) understand the web pages of the Services you have visited and the referral sites that have led you to our Services; (d) enhance your user experience by delivering content specific to your inferred interests; (e) perform searches and analytics; and (f) assist with security administrative functions. Tracking pixels (sometimes referred to as web beacons or clear GIFs) are tiny electronic tags with a unique identifier embedded in websites, online ads, and/or email, and that are designed to provide usage information like ad impressions or clicks, measure the popularity of the Services and associated advertising, and to access user cookies. We may also use tracking technologies in our license buttons and/or icons that you can embed on other sites/services to track the website addresses where they are embedded, gauge user interaction with them, and determine the number of unique viewers of them. If you receive email from us (such as the CC newsletter, campaign updates, or other ongoing email communications from CC), we may use certain analytics tools, such as clear GIFs, to capture data such as whether you open our message, click on any links or banners our email contains, or otherwise interact with what we send. This data allows us to gauge the effectiveness of our communications and marketing campaigns. As we adopt additional technologies, we may also gather additional information through other methods.

Please note that you can change your settings to notify you when a cookie is being set or updated or to block cookies altogether. Please consult the "Help" section of your browser for more information. Please note that by blocking any or all cookies, you may not have access to certain features or offerings of the Services.

For more information about how we use cookies, please read our Cookie Policy.

To the extent permitted by law, we may also collect information from third parties, including public sources, social media platforms, and marketing and market research firms. Depending on the source, this information collected from third parties could include name, contact information, demographic information, information about an individual's employer, information to verify identity or trustworthiness, and information for other fraud or safety protection purposes.

We may use the information we collect from and about you to:

Fulfill the purposes for which you provided it.

Provide and improve the Services, including developing new features or services, taking steps to secure the Services, and for technical and customer support.

Process transactions.

Send you information about your interaction or transactions with us, account alerts, or other communications, such as newsletters to which you have subscribed.

Process and respond to your inquiries or request your feedback.

Conduct analytics, research, and reporting to synthesize and derive insights from your use of our Services.

Comply with the law and protect the safety, rights, property, or security of HOW, the Services, our users, and the general public; and

Enforce our Terms of Use, including to investigate potential violations thereof.

Please note that we may combine information that we collect from you and about you (including automatically collected information) with information we obtain about you from our affiliates and/or non-affiliated third parties and use such combined information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

We may aggregate and/or de-identify information collected through the Services. We may use de-identified and/or aggregated data for any purpose, including, without limitation, research and marketing purposes.

We may disclose and/or share your information under the following circumstances:

Service Providers.

We may disclose your information with third parties who perform services on our behalf, including event management, marketing, customer support, data storage, data analysis and processing, and legal services.

Legal Compliance and Protection of Creative Commons and Others.

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or on a good faith belief that such disclosure is permitted by this Privacy Policy or reasonably necessary or appropriate for any of the following reasons: (a) to comply with legal process; (b) to enforce or apply our Terms of Use and this Privacy Policy, or other contracts with you, including investigation of potential violations thereof; (c) enforce our Charter including the Code of Conduct and policies contained and incorporated therein, (d) to respond to your requests for customer service; and/or (e) to protect the rights, property, or personal safety of HOW our agents and affiliates, our users, and the public. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection, spam/malware prevention, and similar purposes.

Business Transfers.

As we continue to develop our business, we may engage in certain business transactions, such as transferring or selling our assets. Your information may be disclosed in such transactions (including in contemplation of such transactions, e.g., due diligence). If any of our assets are sold or transferred to a third party, customer information (including your email address) would likely be one of the transferred business assets.

Affiliated Companies.

We may disclose your information with current or future affiliated companies.

Consent.

Your provision of Personal Information to HOW means that you agree and consent to our collection, use, and disclosure of your Personal Information under this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these terms, do not provide any Personal Information to us. However, while providing some Personal Information is optional, certain services can only be offered if you provide Personal Information to us. We may not be able to offer you certain services if you choose not to provide us with any required Personal Information.

Consent may be given in different ways, such as (a) expressly by signing a document, agreeing through electronic means or verbally, or (b) implicitly by providing the Personal Information voluntarily. 

There may be circumstances where you have provided Personal Information for one purpose, and HOW later needs to use that information for a different purpose. In such circumstances, HOW will seek your consent to use the information for the new purpose unless the law permits or requires us to use the information for that new purpose.

Please note that there are circumstances where the collection, use, and/or disclosure of Personal Information may be justified or permitted without consent or where HOW may or must disclose information without consent, in accordance with applicable law.

You have the right to revoke your consent to collecting, using, and disclosing your Personal Information at any time. However, revocation of your consent may prevent us from providing services or products to you; in such circumstances, we will discuss with you the reason we need your Personal Information and why the revocation of your consent affects our ability to provide our services or products to you.

Aggregate/De-identified Information.

We may disclose de-identified and/or aggregated data for any purpose to third parties, including advertisers, promotional partners, and/or others.

The laws in some jurisdictions require companies to tell you about the legal grounds they rely on to use or disclose information that can be directly linked to or used to identify you. To the extent those laws apply, our legal grounds for processing such information are as follows:

Much of our information processing is to meet our contractual obligations to provide services to our users.

In many cases, we handle information on the ground that it furthers our legitimate interests in ways not overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the affected individuals. These include:

Customer service

Marketing, advertising, and fundraising

Protecting our users, personnel, and property

Managing user accounts

Organizing and running events and programs

Analyzing and improving our business

Managing legal issues

We may also process information for the same legitimate interests of our users and business partners.

Where required by law, and in some cases where legally permissible, we handle information based on consent. Where we take your information based on consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent, per applicable law.

We may use third-party web analytics services (such as Google Analytics) on our Services to collect and analyze the information discussed above and to engage in auditing, research, or reporting. The information (including your IP address) collected by various analytics technologies described in the "Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies" section above will be disclosed to or collected directly by these service providers, who use the information to evaluate your use of the Services, including by noting the third-party website from which you arrive to our Site, analyzing usage trends, assisting with fraud prevention, and providing certain features to you. To prevent Google Analytics from using your information for analytics, you may install the official Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

You have various rights with respect to the collection and use of your information through the Services. Those choices are as follows:

You may unsubscribe from our marketing emails anytime by clicking on the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of each newsletter or emailing [email protected] with your request.

Suppose you have registered for an account with us through our Services. In that case, you can update your account information or adjust your email communications preferences by logging into your account and updating your settings.

As described above in the "When We Disclose Your Information" section, we may share your information with trusted service providers or business partners in countries other than your country of residence in accordance with applicable law. This means that some of your information may be processed in countries that may not offer the same level of protection as the privacy laws of your jurisdiction. You acknowledge any such transfer, storage, or use by providing us with your information.

We have implemented technical, physical, and organizational security measures to protect against your information's loss, misuse, and/or alteration. These safeguards vary based on the sensitivity of the information we collect and store. However, we cannot and do not guarantee that these measures will prevent every unauthorized attempt to access, use, or disclose your information since, despite our efforts, no Internet and/or other electronic transmissions can be completely secure.

Considering that the main audience of the HOW or the Services being catered is mainly with children, the HOW may gather personal information and the same shall be subject to strict confidentiality, unless the same falls within the exceptions as provided under the law.

We retain the information we collect for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as long as we are legally required or permitted to do so. Information may persist in copies made for backup and business continuity purposes for additional time.

The Services may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., social media sites like Facebook and Twitter), third-party plug-ins (e.g., the Facebook "like" button and Twitter "follow" button), and other services. If you choose to use these sites or features, you may disclose your information to third parties and their users and the public, depending on how their services function. Creative Commons is not responsible for third-party websites or services' content or privacy practices. The collection, use, and disclosure of your information will be subject to the privacy policies of the third-party websites or services, not this Privacy Policy. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of each and every Site you visit.

You have a right to request access to your Personal Information and a correction if you believe it is inaccurate. If you believe that your Personal Information is inaccurate or you wish access to your Personal Information, you may make a request using the contact information provided below.

 We endeavor to provide timely access to your Personal Information. However, we may require you to verify your identity to our satisfaction prior to doing so. Further, there may be circumstances where access cannot be granted. For example, we will not give access where doing so would lead to the disclosure of Personal Information of another individual and that individual refuses to provide consent to the disclosure or where the information is subject to privilege or other legal restrictions. In such cases, you will be notified of the reason why it is not possible to grant access to your Personal Information.

We will continue to evaluate this Privacy Policy as we update and expand our Services, and we may make changes to the Privacy Policy accordingly. We will post any changes here and revise the date last updated above. We encourage you to check this page periodically for updates to stay informed on how we collect, use, and share your information. If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will provide you with notice as required by law.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact us at [email protected].