The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development has expanded its Tajer Abu Dhabi license package by opening it up to all GCC nationals and UAE residents and increasing the number of eligible activities to 1,057 commercial activities.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has expanded its Tajer Abu Dhabi license package by opening it up to all GCC nationals and UAE residents and increasing the number of eligible activities to 1,057 commercial activities, all exempted from having a physical presence or an office.

ADDED also expanded the legal formats accepted under Tajer Abu Dhabi license to three: Establishment and one-person company for Emiratis and GCC nationals, and limited liability company for residents in partnership with Emiratis.

The move is aligned with the recent economic initiatives of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, that include multiple initiatives to improve the ease of doing business in the Emirate and support entrepreneurs, SMEs and the private sector.

Tajer Abu Dhabi was originally launched by ADDED late last year allowing Emiratis to establish businesses in 100 different business activities without the need of physical presence. The electronic service also sped up the licensing process with licenses granted in only two steps; entering data and paying fees after a review of the application.

Saif Al Hajeri, chairman of The Department of Economic Development - Abu Dhabi, said: "Our goal is to improve the ease of doing business in Abu Dhabi, especially for entrepreneurs and SMEs, which are a key engine of the national economy and have been identified as one of the most important strategic drivers of future growth.

"Tajer Abu Dhabi allows them to start their businesses at a much lower cost since they no longer have to invest in office space and all the associated costs. This will allow them to focus both time and money at the important early stages of their business into growth and innovation, further increasing their contribution to the economy."

ADDED's Abu Dhabi Business Centre has prepared the Golden Package of Tajer Abu Dhabi to include commercial activities under seven categories, namely: Business and Contracting; Commerce; Services and Operations; Consultancy and Design; Transportation and Management; Sales and Maintenance; and productive local families.

The package also helps businesses on social media grow and develop as the license allows them to transact as an entity and therefore export and import, open bank accounts and work with government entities.

Al Hajeri added: "We have expanded the beneficiaries of Tajer Abu Dhabi as a result of the high demand it has witnessed from Emiratis in its first phase. During that phase, we successfully issued 1800 licenses within six months, which represents around 20 per cent of total economic licenses issued in the Emirate during the same period." – TradeArabia News Service