More than 18,000 Dubai e-Trader permits issued since 2017
The Dubai government has issued 18,013 e-Trader licences since the programme’s inception in March 2017, the Business Registration and Licensing sector at the emirate’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has said.
The e-Trader licence enables start-ups and freelancers in Dubai to do business online and across social networking accounts. One of the objectives is to thwart the sale of counterfeit goods on these platforms.
Of the licences issued since 2017, 13,671 are professional and 4,342 commercial, the department said on Monday.
Last year, the number of e-Trader permits rose by 6.3 per cent to 6,217, reflecting the growth of the e-commerce sector. In 2020 and 2019, the number of e-Trader licences issued by the Dubai government stood at 5,848 and 4,344, respectively.
“This reflects the continuous focus on promoting e-commerce and the competitiveness of Dubai’s economy … the commitment to realising the vision of the government to drive digital transformation and build awareness about the e-platforms that facilitate commercial activities,” the DET said.
The UAE’s e-commerce market grew significantly after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic as more consumers turned to online channels for their shopping requirements.
It is forecast to grow to more than $8 billion by 2025, an increase of 60 per cent on 2021 figures, according to a report by EZDubai, an e-commerce zone in Dubai South, and Euromonitor International.
Through the e-Trader licence, which is issued electronically,
the DET aims to regulate and enhance the ease of doing business online, and also connect customers with traders.
Under this initiative, the e-Trader licence holder cannot open a physical shop. But if the business is fully owned by an
Emirati, then the licence-holder can have three employment visas issued.
Some of the benefits for the e-Trader licence holders include Dubai Chamber membership for commercial activities, a customs client code that enables imports and exports through dubaitrade.ae, temporary employment services, participation at exhibitions, conferences and training workshops, and special offers from banks such as Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Mashreq, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates Islamic and Dubai Islamic Bank.
The licence can be obtained within minutes by registering on invest.dubai.ae.
The DET was formed after Dubai’s departments of economy and tourism were merged last November to improve the emirate’s competitiveness through measures to promote trade and attract more visitors.
Overall, Dubai issued 55,194 business licences in the first 10 months of last year, 69 per cent more than in the same period a year earlier, reflecting the high-growth opportunities in various sectors, the DET said in November.