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28 March 2024

5 minutes to open new business; 2 minutes to renew

Published
By Bindu Rai

Abu Dhabi is ready to draw businesses to the capital with a new mobile app that allows entrepreneurs to register their new venture under five minutes.

Those renewing the trade licences can do so under two minutes, said an official from Abu Dhabi’s Department of Economic Development.

The DED is also working on launching a new ‘consulting advisor’ service via the mobile app by next year, which will work as a personal guide to facilitate those launching a new business in the capital.

Ali Fahd Al Nuaimi, Manager of Commercial Relations, DED, Abu Dhabi, spoke to Emirates 24|7, saying: “We are positioning Abu Dhabi to be counted amongst the top five governments in the world, and to do so, our strategy includes drawing new businesses and facilitating enterprises and investment within the emirate.

“With the Abu Dhabi Business Centre app, entrepreneurs are now able to submit all their paperwork online and register their new company under five minutes. Those renewing their trade licenses can do so under two minutes, with the app now allowing all payment transactions to be facilitated with ease.”

He further added: “Our message is very clear: it doesn’t matter if you are within the country or travelling somewhere. You want to launch a business, let us come to you instead.”

Al Nuaimi revealed that 105,000 businesses are currently registered in Abu Dhabi, with the app facilitating an annual growth in new ventures targeting between 5 and 10 per cent.

Those looking to launch a new business can download the app, which provides facilities that includes legal forms, trade name registration, payment gateways for fees and fines, with a transaction requirement option that is equivalent to an ‘info desk’ that answers all your queries to renew, amend or cancel and existing license.

“We want to attract new partnerships and retain the ones that already exist; and to achieve this goal, we reached out to our customer base for feedback,” Al Nuaimi added.

The app also facilitates complaints, with the DED official adding: “Earlier, a complaint took 2-4 weeks to resolve while awaiting approval from all entities involved in the process; now it takes 2-4 days. We are working to make it one day by next year.”

The DED also plans to launch a ‘consulting advisor’ mobile app service that will facilitate all queries that may crop up for a person looking to register a new business in Abu Dhabi, from the documentation required to solving possible problems that may crop up with the venture.

“We are giving ourselves until next year to be ready with a more streamlined way to conduct business in Abu Dhabi,” he added.