Dubai issues 1,221 licences in August

9,071 licences renewed and 1,475 initial approvals

The Business Registration and Licensing (BRL) section in the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai completed 17,710 transactions including 1,221 new trade licences in August according to the ‘Business Map’ digital platform.

Renewal of licences accounted for 9,071 transactions while there were also 2,111 transactions related to trade name reservation and 1,475 initial approvals.

The non-oil private sector in Dubai reported an improvement in output in August, with the headline Dubai Economy Tracker Index (DET) gaining marginally to 55.2 from 54.9 in July.

Overall output rose at a faster rate than in July, driven by ongoing projects.

DED data showed the auto renewal facility being extended for existing licences was used 4,271 times as recorded on the Business Map while there were also 84 e-trader licence transactions and 60 related to instant licence. The Business Map aims to provide a reliable indicator on the economic climate in Dubai as reflected on business registration, renewed as well as new licences and overall economic activity.

Investment magnet

“The August 2018 BRL activity confirms Dubai’s capability to attract investments into varied sectors. While commercial licences accounted for 60.7 per cent, 36.2 per cent were professional licences and 1.8 per cent were related to tourism and 1.3 per cent were industrial licences,” DED said in a statement.

The outsourced service centres of DED accounted for 69.2 per cent (12,262) of the total transactions, which underlines the vital role of the centres in providing value-added services to DED customers.

The region-wise distribution of new licences issued in August 2018 shows Bur Dubai in the lead with 645 licences, followed by Deira (574) and Hatta (2). Meanwhile, the top ten subregions are: Burj Khalifa (13 per cent), Al Marar (7.5 per cent), Port Saeed (7 per cent), New Dubai (6.9 per cent), Naif (5.5 per cent), Dubai World Trade Centre 1 (5 per cent), Al Garhoud (4.7 per cent), Al Rigga (2.6 per cent), Al Karama (2.2 per cent), Al Muraqqabat and Hor Al Anz (2.1 per cent each).

Among the activities covered under the new licences, trade and repair services accounted for 36.5 per cent of licences followed by real estate, leasing and business services (28.6 per cent). Building and construction (17.1 per cent), community and personal services (12.4 per cent), hotels (7.3 per cent) and transport, storage and telecommunications (4.8 per cent) also featured prominently.

The top ten nationalities among new licensees were: Indians, Pakistanis, Egyptians, Chinese, Saudis, British, Jordanians, Bangladeshis, Sudanese and Germans.