More Abu Dhabi business licences being issued

More businesses in Abu Dhabi are getting licences, according to new statistics.

Data from the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) shows there were 3,854 business licences issued in the second quarter of 2019 – a 44 per cent increase from the same period in 2018.

Breaking down the statistics further, 1,947 new licences were issued for businesses in Abu Dhabi itself, while 567 were issued for Al Ain and 87 for the Al Dhafra region. A total of 1,171 businesses obtained new Tajer “golden package” licences – which allows companies to reduce their costs by eliminating the need for a physical office – and 82 were granted instant licences.

Of the 3,854 new licences, 3,654 were for the commercial category. The remainder were for categories such as tourism, agriculture, fishing and professional services.

In addition to the increase in new licences, there were 20,173 licence renewals in Abu Dhabi in the second quarter of 2019. There were also 7,299 amendments to existing business licences.

The increase in business licences in Abu Dhabi follows a similar trend in Dubai. Statistics released by the Business Registration and Licensing (BRL) sector of Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED) showed that a total of 14,737 new business licences (a pace of about 81 per day) were issued from January to June this year, compared to 11,059 during the same period in 2018. The number of licences granted in the first half of 2019 represents a 33 per cent increase from the same timeframe in 2018.

“During H1 2019, more businesses and investors took advantage of the emirate’s competitiveness and increasing opportunities across diverse economic sectors,” the DED said in a statement.