The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) announced that Dubai's economic activities in 2009 continued at the same momentum, highlighting the investors' trust in the economic opportunities available in the Emirate and the UAE. DED issued 11,635 licences for various businesses in 2009. The majority of these were issued in the commercial sector recording a 76% increase, followed by the professional sector (22%), industrial (1%) and tourism (1%).

The DED also noted an increase in the number of projects, establishments, and urban development, thereby resulting in an increase in service opportunities and activities.

Licence renewal experienced an increase by 2% in 2009, issuing 86,707 licences in total. Of the total, commercial licenses, topped the list recording a 76% increase, followed by professional, industrial, and tourism by (20%) (2%) and (1%) respectively.

The total number of modified licences issued were 39,469; of those, commercial licenses topping the list by a whopping (80%), followed by professional, industrial and tourism by (16%) (2%) and (2%) each recording increases respectively. The total number of licenses that were cancelled in the year 2009 was 3,167.

Commercial permits issued by the DED in 2009 recorded a 31% increase reaching 17,937 permits, as compared to the numbers in 2008. Of those, 7887 permanent permits were issued. Advertising signs of trade names topped the list of issued permits in 2009 reaching (5,788), and recording a 73% increase of the total permits issued, followed by additional ads (841) by (10%).

The total number of customers in DED's portfolio reached (102,732) in 2009, with an average of 8,561 customers per month.

DED issued 157 licenses to foreign companies in 2009. These include licences to companies from the UK (21%), followed by USA (4%) and Singapore (3.2%).

The report stated that the total number of the top 10 licensed activities in 2009 reached 9,184 licenses, accounting for a 26% increase in the total number of activities. 'Ready-made garments' led the list of licensed activities with (1,569) licences, highlighting an increase by 4%, followed by 'perfumes & cosmetics' (1,336), also reporting an increase by 4%.

The number of inspections carried out by DED officers in the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection Division in 2009 reached 74,181 visits. 55,188 of these visits fulfilled the required conditions, whilst 13,255 were fined. Implementing advertising without a permit was first on the list of violated activities. The second violation was establishing an activity without approval from the concerned bodies - 1951 fines (12% of the total number of violations).

The Intlaq scheme, an initiative by the Department of Economic Development to encourage more UAE nationals to set up businesses from home, reached 1,691 licences issued in 2009. The scheme's highest growth was recorded in the trade category, with 1,480 licenses issued followed by 211 licenses in the professional category. The total number of the top 10 licensed activities reached 2,482, with a 75% of the total number of issued licenses (3,315). 'Ready-made garments' led the list of licensed activities with (806) licences, with a 24% increase, followed by 'perfumes & cosmetics' (667) with a 20% increase.