All DED services to be online by year end

The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), will offer all its services online by this year end.

Currently, DED  offers online services for a range of business ssrvices including those related to trade licences. 

The department will open a tender for four operators to process all transactions through 25 to 30 business centres in Dubai, according to a report in the UAE daily 'Gulf News'.

The new service, however, will come with extra fees, which will range from Dh50 to Dh70 per transaction, according to the report.

Mohammad Al Shael, CEO of the Business Registration and Licensing Division at DED, was quoted by the paper as saying: "These centres will work beyond the department opening hours which allow time-flexibility for applicants. Also this will reduce traffic at DED counters and the hassle of parking, since we have very limited space for customers."

DED will offer all its services online by the end of this year, Al Shael said.

"Investors in Dubai will soon have two alternatives for processing their transactions at the DED — online or through business centres," he added.

Recently, the DED launched ‘Business Dashboard', an online one-stop facility for a range of business services.

These include reserving trade name, renewal of trade name reservation, updating of trade licence data, renewal of licences, inquiries about the status of the transaction, as well as electronic payment. The most recent service added is the electronic initial approval of licence permits for most activities.

While its 'Business Plus' online service gives an overview of the current economic and business trends, the department's ‘Rasaeli' allows investors to contact DED staff through an account on the website.