The Department of Economic Development in Ras Al Khaimah has reported a significant increase in the issuance of new business licenses during the first half of the year, with a growth rate of 17.6%. This brings the total number of licenses to 1,219, compared to 1,037 during the same period in 2024.
Amina Qahtan Al-Shahi, Director of the Commercial Affairs Department, stated that industrial licenses topped the list of the fastest-growing sectors, showing an impressive growth rate of over 111%. Professional licenses also saw a growth of 20%, followed by commercial licenses at 12.6%.
The distribution of new licenses by sector revealed that wholesale and retail trade accounted for the largest share at 44.4%. This was succeeded by the construction sector with 18%, and accommodation and food services at 13.2%. The manufacturing sector ranked fourth at 11.1%, followed by other services at 8.6%. Additionally, the total registered capital for new licenses grew by 7.5% compared to the same period in 2024, with a remarkable surge in industrial licenses, which saw their registered capital increase 7.6 times. The registered capital of professional licenses rose by 24.7%.
In terms of geographical distribution, the Dhait area ranked first with 8.7%, followed closely by Nakheel at 8.4%, and both Al Qusaidat and Julfar at 7.7%. In relation to the ratio of new licenses to total active licenses, Khalifa Bin Zayed city led with 18.9%, followed by Dahan at 13.4%, and Al Ghayl at 9.1%. Regarding investment attraction, Al Hamra Island took the lead by accounting for about one-third of the registered capital of new licenses, followed by the Dhait and Al Ghayl areas, which held 13% and 8.5%, respectively.