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Dubai Department of Economic Development's Instant Licence steals the show at Hamdan Hub

Dubai - The DED's Instant Licence, is a one-of-a-kind initiative that provides a commercial licence to businesspersons in a matter of five minutes.

Soon, instant investor bank accounts can be opened via the Dubai Department of Economic Development's (DED) 'Instant Licence', a smart platform that enables businessmen to obtain their business licence in a single step, Khaleej Times has learnt.
The DED's Instant Licence, a one-of-a-kind initiative that provides a commercial licence to businesspersons in a matter of five minutes, received top honours at the 2020 Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart Government Programme Awards organised at Hamdan Hub at The Lodge in Al Quoz on Wednesday.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, handed over the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Programme for Smart Government Flag 2020 to the Dubai Economic Department. The DED will get to keep the flag for an entire year.
Sheikh Hamdan said: "The government entities have embarked on a new journey of excellence and leadership, adopting innovative ideas and creative approaches that enhance their ability to shape a brighter future. This new journey will see the government further enhancing its operations and delivering exceptional services that surpass customer expectations."
He added: "It is important to support the ideas of the youth as they are key to shaping the future. We are committed to enhancing their capabilities so that we can design even better government services. I was very impressed by the ideas submitted by the youth for the Young City Makers Championship. The youth of our country are our greatest wealth and harnessing their talent is key to achieving the best outcomes in every sphere of life."
A total of nine government initiatives from eight government departments battled it out at the 2020 Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart Government Programme Award, with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) presenting two ideas.
The DED took home the flag after competing for a public vote with eight other government initiatives. Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, handed over the flag to Sheikh Hamdan, who then awarded it to Sami Al Qamzi, director-general of the DED.
During the award ceremony, a judging panel led by Sheikh Hamdan listened to a presentation made by the representatives of each of the projects before deciding on the winner by afternoon. Senior officials from the Dubai government, including Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, the secretary-general of the Dubai Executive Council, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, CEO and chairman of the Emirates Group, were present at the event.
'No leased office needed'
Commenting on the benefits of Instant Licence app, Ammar Yasir, a development executive with the DED told Khaleej Times: "The commercial licence can be obtained without requiring a leased office for the first year. The initiative has successfully helped the emirate jump to 25^th rank in World Bank's Doing Business 2019 report. We want to be at the number one position."
Yasir explained: "The service marks the progress of the emirate in reducing the cost of government services and facilitating the process from six steps to one. It also contributed to achieving 98 per cent in customer satisfaction index compared to 95 per cent and is viewed to gain financial savings reaching up to Dh7.6 million in five years."
He said: "It is a one-of-a-kind service in the whole world. Investors can issue their trade licence, Dubai Chamber Certificate, Ministry of Human Relations and Emiratisation's establishment card and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs card all at once through a 24/7 electronic portal with zero documents and zero visits. It is fully automated and does not require any office visits or pending approvals." Users can log in using their unique UAE ID, choose the trade name and economic activity.
In the future, businessmen can open bank accounts on the Instant Licence app, he added. "In the future, when an investor issues a trade licence on the app, he will get an option to open a bank account connected to the trade licence. The DED is working with five banks, and the investor can select the bank of his choice," explained Yasir. The option is expected to go live on the app in the second quarter of this year.
The nine shortlisted initiatives were submitted by eight government entities in Dubai:
>E-Crime initiative by the Dubai Police
>Nol Plus initiative by the Roads and Transport Authority
>Tech Taxi initiative by the Roads and Transport Authority
>Visual Communication initiative by Dubai Courts
>Smart Response (Water) initiative by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
>Mollak initiative by the Dubai Land Department
>Healthcare Professional Licensing initiative by the Dubai Health Authority
>Instant Licence initiative by the Dubai Department of Economic Development
>Al Munasiq initiative by Dubai Customs
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com