Over 6,000 e-commerce companies set up shop in Dubai in 2021, a 6 percent increase from 2020, UAE state media WAM reported.
Under the e-Trader licence, launched in 2017 by the Business Registration and Licensing (BRL) sector at the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai, 16,409 licenses have been issued so far, with 6,217 issued last year.
“This shows the growing momentum of e-shopping in Dubai, as the emirate has become a platform for the largest e-commerce companies in the world, led by its flexible business and investment environment, government integration with the private sector and its logistical advantages, as well as strategic location that facilitates global trade,” WAM reported.
E-Trader aims to licence start-ups and business activities that operate from their place of residence, online or on social networking sites. The licence, which is issued electronically, aims to guide traders towards the right path to enter the business world.
According to the BRL sector’s report, 79 percent of the e-Trader licences issued in 2021 were professional, and 21 percent were commercial. Information technology, ready-made garments, women’s tailoring and design, handicrafts, men’s tailoring and design, publishing and printing services, facility management, marketing services, and preparation of food, topped the list of activities of the licences issued in 2021.
Through e-Trader licence, DET seeks to regulate and enhance ease of doing business electronically, find a platform that supports and develops trade as well as connect customers with traders. The licensee cannot open a shop/store but can avail of three visas if the ownership is 100 percent Emirati and legal liability falls under the licence holder.
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