Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has closed 43 commercial establishments in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the first half of this year as they violated the regulations governing the practice of commercial activity.
Mohammad Munif Al Mansouri, acting executive director of ADDED’s Abu Dhabi Business Centre, said that the closure decisions came after a number of surprise inspection visits and in response to complaints from consumers.
He added that the decision to close these establishments came also as per Resolution No 69 of 2010 on the amendment of the commercial establishments’ violations table in the emirate of Abu Dhabi which is attached to Law No 2 on the establishment of ADDED. He noted that the closure decisions are final and can’t be appealed for any reason as these establishments were proved to expressly violate the licensed commercial activity.
“The Law No 2 on the establishment of ADDED has given it several powers and tasks regarding commercial protection, which helped boost the department’s role in enforcing the regulations and rules that would curb illegal activities and practices of commercial establishments in the emirate,” added Al Mansouri.
Ahmad Tarish Al Qubaisi, acting executive director of the ADDED’s Commercial Protection Directorate, said closure decisions included restaurants that failed to abide by the tobacco law, massage service providers who violated the regulations by employing both men and women, spare parts stores whose licences have expired or who failed to meet the requirements of this activity, tyre stores who didn’t comply with the decision to move outside the island of Abu Dhabi, veterinary clinics that failed to comply with the activity provisions and for other violations monitored by competent authorities.
He said that the closed establishments in Abu Dhabi city were 37 establishments practising the activities of veterinary medicine, massage, auto tyres, refreshments, foodstuff trading, spare parts and supermarkets or “baqala”. In Al Ain, six establishment were closed that work in the fields of coffee shops, massage centres and veterinary medicine.
