Single window for Dubai licensing

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, has issued the new law to regulate economic activities in Dubai.

Law No. 13 of 2011 seeks to create a single-window system to ensure smoother and faster licensing procedures within the framework of the existing legislation by facilitating increased “coordination among various competent authorities”.

According to an official announcement, the law is designed with the aim of creating a more favourable investment climate across various economic sectors. It aims to create an ideal environment for doing business in the emirate in order to achieve higher economic growth rates. The new legislation looks to promote reliance on the accuracy and transparency of information that will be made available using the latest technologies, thus enabling business establishments to benefit from them.

Another objective of the law is to streamline the marketing and promotional plans to spread awareness about Dubai’s economic and investment potential and to harness opportunities available in the emirate.

The law also seeks to identify and classify economic activities in line with the latest internationally accepted regulations.

The legislation also looks to strengthen intellectual property rights regulations and intensify fight against commercial fraud and provide improved commercial and consumer protection in the emirate. It also aims to improve supervision and inspection of establishments licensed to practice in Dubai to ensure their compliance with the terms of the licence.

The law has streamlined the terms of reference of the Economic Development Department for setting rules and regulations in granting licences.

issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com