A report by the Business Registration & Licensing (BRL) sector in the Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai, states that the number of operating businesses in Ras Al Khor has reached 1,765. The licenses issued according to the activities were: commercial (1,260), professional (406), and industrial (99). The report covers the various business activities and provides an overview of the business opportunities in Ras Al Khor.

The first company in Ras Al Khor was established in 1971 in the field of auto tyre repair, followed by a trading company in 1972, and four companies in 1973 in contracting, building materials, fuel trading, and car workshop.

The total number of investors in the companies operating in Ras Al Khor reached 8,221 including 7,724 businessmen and 497 women entrepreneurs, about 6% of the total. Most of them are UAE nationals, followed by nationals of India, Pakistan, Jordan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Britain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. The operational rate of the companies is 96%, while the number of workers in these companies reached 25,458.

The number of activities carried out by the companies in Ras Al Khor reached 3,026 mostly on: “Food trade”, “Contracting”, “Transport, shipment and storage”; “Automobile repair”, “Restaurants and cafes”, “Buildings, security and cleaning”, “Rental of machinery and equipment”, “Readymade garments”, “Auto parts trading”, and “Mechanical and engineering equipment trading”.

The legal forms of the companies operating in Ras Al Khor are Limited Liability Company (1,239), Sole Proprietorship (385), Civil Company (96), One-Person Limited Liability Company (20), Branches of companies based in other Emirates (12), General Partnership (8), Branches of Gulf Companies (4), and Branches of Free Zone Companies (1).

DED adopts a developed approach to promote the business environment to ensure that the Emirate’s competitiveness is maintained and that the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai as a central hub in the global economy by 2021 is achieved. The BRL sector offers several initiatives such as ease of start-up procedures, business registration, adoption of new e-services, and value-added services for licensed business owners.