Dubai has launched a digital platform to help entrepreneurs to start a business in the emirate.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Rule of Dubai, made the announcement on his official Twitter handle.
Around 2,000 commercial activities will be unified under the Invest.Dubai.ae, with various local and federal entities linked to financial institutions to speed up the process.
Sheikh Mohammed thanked everyone involved in the launch, saying it is the "culmination of four months and 80,000 hours of work".
The new platform contains interactive tools including a 'Dubai Business Map' that allows investors to search for opportunities within specific commercial zones and the city's free zones. It also has sector reports and statistics on foreign direct investment, as well as tools to search trade names and to obtain trade licences for more than 2,000 commercial activities, according to a Dubai government statement.
It allows potential investors to begin the process of setting up businesses by securing labour quotas, notarising contracts and gaining membership of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among other things.
The platform has been put together over a period of four months, with input from more than 20 local and government federal agencies, the statement said. These included the Ministry of Economy, Dubai Police, The Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Courts, Dubai Customs, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and Dubai Land Department, among others.
Invest in Dubai was developed by Smart Dubai and the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), under the supervision of the General Secretariat of The Executive Council of Dubai.
A team of more than 70 members, representing more than 20 local and federal government entities, coordinated with the private sector, over a period of four months to develop the platform.
The Dubai Department of Economic Development will administer the platform, which can be accessed on invest.dubai.ae.