Dubai issues 18,013 e-Trader licences

Dubai: As many as 18,013 e-Trader licences have been issued in Dubai until end-March, data showed on Monday.

The growth in the number of e-Trader licences since the beginning of the initiative in March 2017 reflects the emergence of e-commerce as an important economic activity in Dubai.

The e-Trader licence enables start-ups and freelancers in Dubai to conduct business activities online and across social networking accounts. Of the total licences issued, 13,671 are professional and 4,342 are commercial, the report by the Business Registration & Licensing (BRL) sector in the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai, said.

The BRL sector also reported that the total number of e-Trader licences issued during Q1 of 2022 reached 1,605 (1,334 professional and 271 commercial).

According to the report, Portal, Marketing Services Via Social Media, Marketing Management, Web-Design, Social Media Applications Development & Management, Project Management Services, Fashion Designing, Blogging Services, Ladies and Men Garments Trading, Internet Content Provider, Calligraphers & Painters, and Perfumes & Cosmetics Trading, topped the list of activities of the licences issued during Q1 of 2022.

The benefits of getting the e-Trader licence include getting Dubai Chamber membership for commercial activities; privileges/offers from Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Mashreq Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates Islamic and Dubai Islamic Bank; getting Customs Client Code, which facilitates import and export via dubaitrade.ae, temporary employment services, participation in exhibitions and conferences and training workshop, displaying of products in consumer points of sale and providing work space.