Abu Dhabi issued 25,427 new economic licenses in 2021, an increase of 21.5 percent compared to the 2020 figure of 20,925, according to the 2021 Business Activity Report published by the Abu Dhabi Business Center at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) .
The report said that renewed economic licenses increased to 83,484, growing by 15.8 percent, from 72,070 in 2020.
Of the 25,427 economic licenses issued, commercial sector licenses made up 24,077, up 21.4 percent from 19,839 in 2020.
Professional sector licenses totaled 711, were up 35.7 percent from 524 licenses in 2020.
Agricultural, livestock and fisheries sector licenses settled in at 64 in 2021 compared to 70 in 2020. Tourism sector licenses grew to 126 in 2021 from 89 in 2020, an increase of 41.4 percent, while industrial sector licenses grew to 206 from 180 licenses, a 14.4 percent growth on 2020.
Occupational sector licenses rose nine percent from 223 in 2020 to 243 licenses in 2021. ‘Tajer Abu Dhabi’ new licenses issued in 2021 reached 7,106 compared to 7,087 in 2020, while the number of instant licenses issued came in at 2,653 for 2021, compared to 2,159 in 2020.
New licenses for foreign Investors grew from only six in 2020 to 273 in 2021. Freelance licenses issued in 2021 increased to 1,749 from 279 in 2020, with virtual licenses that were launched in Q4-2021 for non-resident foreign investors reaching 11 licenses.
Mohammed Munif Al Mansouri, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Business Centre, said, “We are witnessing the gradual and calculated growth of businesses across all sectors and industries.”