Sheikh Mohammed during the launch of 'Invest In Dubai' Platform

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, chaired a meeting of The Executive Council of Dubai during which he launched the ‘Invest in Dubai’ platform.

The ‘Invest in Dubai’ platform launched by Sheikh Mohammed at the meeting of The Executive Council at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, offers a unique business set-up experience backed by Dubai’s advanced smart solutions.

The largest one-stop-shop platform of its kind, ‘Invest in Dubai’ enables investors to obtain trade licences and launch their business easily in a matter of minutes.

Sheikh Mohammed commended the Dubai government team led by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and First Deputy Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed issued directives to the team to work to consolidate Dubai’s status as a leading global business destination, stressing that no effort should be spared in achieving this vision.

An integrated portal for doing business in the emirate, ‘Invest in Dubai’ offers users various services, including commercial licencing in which government permits and approvals can be obtained from a centralised platform, eliminating the need to physically visit any service centre.

Also offered on the platform are packages and value-added services that support businesses in launching commercial projects.

Apart from providing a hassle-free process for establishing a business in Dubai, the platform enables investors to gain insights into investment opportunities (or projections for key sectors); and information on investment opportunities in commercial zones (or free zones), competitiveness assessments, locations of businesses in the city, key economic sectors; and cost of incubating businesses; in addition to sector reports and statistics on foreign direct investment (FDI).

‘Invest in Dubai’ provides a comprehensive platform to support investors and entrepreneurs in setting up a business in Dubai. Its services, which cover the entire business cycle, assist businesses in searching for opportunities, registering trade names; getting initial approvals to issue a license; ensuring all government requirements are met; and obtaining trade licenses.

Furthermore, the platform offers a range of packages and value-added services to facilitate the launch of commercial projects.

These include opening a ticket for the new establishment as required by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, allocating labor quotas, opening a ticket at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, notarising the establishment contract by the Department of Economic Development, notarising a rental contract by the Real Estate Registration Department, and obtaining a membership in the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The ‘Invest in Dubai’ platform allows investors to access information regarding the requirements, conditions and fees for issuing trade licenses in Dubai for more than 2,000 commercial activities.

They can also immediately obtain licences for their companies, as well as other commercial licenses. A seamless, integrated, and customer-centered digital process allows users to save time and effort, sparing them the need to physically visit service centers and reduce the paperwork required to establish companies. The platform also allows them to manage their business using a personalised dashboard that provides an overview of partners, licenses, KPIs, and other useful insights.

Dubai encourages investors from around the world to set up their headquarters in the emirate, offering a safe home both for their companies and their families through its dedicated investor visa programme.

The ‘Invest in Dubai’ platform also provides information about the advantages Dubai offers, including its business-friendly regulatory environment and advanced technologies that help boost opportunities for growth.

The initiative will help further enhance the launchpad Dubai offers investors and promising ventures, which has been a key factor in the exceptional success of companies like Souq.com and Careem.

The ‘Invest in Dubai’ platform was developed by Smart Dubai and the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), under the supervision of the General Secretariat of The Executive Council of Dubai.

A team of more than 70 members, representing more than 20 local and federal government entities, worked in direct coordination with the private sector, a strategic partner in the emirate’s economic development, to develop the platform.

The team worked together for a period of four months, putting in more than 80,000 working hours, to develop a comprehensive and integrated platform that meets Dubai’s high standards.

The Dubai Department of Economic Development will be administering the platform, which can be accessed on invest.dubai.ae