1.00 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:57 06:11 12:27 15:53 18:37 19:51
29 March 2024

DED issues 30% more licences in first quarter

DED provides a bouquet of services to ensure time and cost savings Sami Al Qamzi, Director-General, DED. (EB FILE)

Published
By Wam

The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) issued 3,584 licences for several types of businesses in the emirate in the first quarter of 2010, recording a 30 per cent increase from the first quarter of 2009.

Most of the licences were issued in the commercial sector (2752), followed by the professional sector (749), tourism (42) and industry (41).

Readymade garments led the list of the top 10 licensed activities in the commercial category with 465 licences issued, followed by perfumes and cosmetics with 381 and general trade with 344. Restaurants led the list of the top 10 licensed activities in the professional category with 117 licences issued in the first quarter, followed by residences and building cleaning services with 96, and cafés and men's barber shops with 51 each.

In tourism activities, travel agencies and internal tourism organisers led the list with 15 licences each, followed by hotels with nine and leasing of hotel apartments with four licences.

In industrial activities, blacksmithing and welding workshops led the list of the top 10 licensed activities with five licences, followed by metal work industry for construction, turnery and ships and boats repair with four licences each.

The Intlaq scheme, an initiative by the department to encourage more UAE nationals to set up businesses from home, recorded strong performance with 552 licences issued in the first quarter of the year, a 91 per cent increase over the same period last year. The largest growth was recorded in the trade category, followed by the professional category.

Sami Al Qamzi, Director-General, DED, said: "DED provides a varied and integrated bouquet of services to ensure time and cost savings for our clients. These services are tailored to meet all their requirements effectively. The quarterly report confirms the success of our initiatives and procedures, and affirms the growing investor interest in undertaking diverse businesses in Dubai."