The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has permitted commercial and industrial licensees in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to renew their investment activities’ licenses for a period of 3 years. The Department has also allowed investors the option to renew their licences for  one or two years depending upon their requirements,  with an  aim to enhance the ease of doing business and contribute to  business continuity in the emirate by  minimizing the number of procedures involved, which will enable the beneficiaries to save both time and effort.

H.E. Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Undersecretary of ADDED, affirmed the Department’s keenness to continue launching initiatives and programs that can support sustainable economic development and enhance the competitiveness of business environment in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Simplifying such procedures for customers, businessmen and investors will further strengthen Abu Dhabi's position as a leading global destination for investment and business growth, he said.

H.E. added: "The provision of this one, two, or three years renewal option reflects our aspirations to simplify the annual license renewal process, which will benefit both customers and Abu Dhabi government alike. This will also lead to a reduction in the number of processes involved in the renewal of economic licenses registered at ADDED, which amount to around 70 per cent of the total transactions. We believe that this in turn will significantly reduce the volume of transactions conducted for customers.”

H.E. further highlighted that the total number of renewed economic licenses during the first half of 2020 amounted to 33,116, which forms 42.30 per cent of the total number of expired licenses that have been renewed. He further pointed out that offering this renewal option will reduce the number of procedures for both the customer and the Department.

H.E. the Undersecretary pointed out that the initiatives launched by the Department fall in line with the economic initiative packages launched by Abu Dhabi government to support the private sector, considering its pivotal role in driving the emirate’s economic growth and further enhance its competitiveness at the regional and global levels.

Mohammed Ali Al Marar, Director of Commercial Licensing Department at ADDED, clarified that the renewal of economic licenses for commercial and industrial activities can easily be done by logging in to TAMM portal and clicking on the renewal button, followed by entering the license number, and choosing the renewal period.

Al Marar pointed out that since the launch of the initiative, a total of eight economic licenses for commercial and industrial activities have been renewed for more than a year, four of which were renewed for two years and another four for three years. Owners of these licenses will be able to obtain all approvals and accreditations at once covering the whole renewal period, thus saving themselves both time and effort.

Al Marar further stated that in order to benefit from this initiative, customers must submit the documented and registered lease contract that covers the period renewal, along with a valid certificate that meets safety requirements, issued by the General Directorate of Civil Defense, a valid environmental permit, and a valid membership certificate from Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce Industry.

Meanwhile, Ali Al Hammami, Director of the Industrial Organization Department at the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), said that the Department’s initiative to allow the renewal of the industrial licenses for three years contributes to improving the business environment for industrial investors by  saving them time and effort which simplifies  the procedures, given that the procedures of the industrial license have technical requirements that require compliance and provision.

Al Hammami further pointed out that the renewal mechanism of an industrial license in manufacturing sector for two or three years  is done by calculating  the fees of service, activities, products, external bodies and advertising boards covering the number of renewal years that has been requested and will be valid for the total number of years chosen.

He also highlighted that the renewal of the license for more than a year will require a documented and registered lease contract that covers the period renewal, along with a valid certificate that meets safety requirements, issued by the General Directorate of Civil Defense, a valid environmental permit, and a valid membership certificate from Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce Industry.