United Arab Emirates Law

Welcome to the UAE Investment Map.....
The UAE Investment Map (UAEIM) is a new government initiative designed to promote the UAE internationally across all seven emirates with the objective of enhancing the investment environment and the competitiveness of the national economy.

This web portal is an interactive tool for potential investors to find relevant data and opportunities across the country in a wide array of sectors.

We are in the process of building the Investment Map - please visit us regularly to watch it grow.

Living in Abu Dhabi....

A relaxed city, Abu Dhabi provides plenty of amenities for expat families.

For those looking to settle for a time in a new country, Abu Dhabi is often characterized as being more family focused than the United Arab Emirates' second city of Dubai, with a slower pace of life and a more relaxed atmosphere. The capital also boasts far more green areas with a wide selection of parks, golf courses and playgrounds nestled among the city streets.

Investment Opportunities....
Over the past number of years Abu Dhabi has developed into an industrial city in order to attract investments in booming sectors.

At present, the leading sectors attracting foreign direct investment are oil and gas field machinery and services, power and water, IT, medical equipment, telecoms and franchising.

Abu Dhabi is keen to move its economy away from oil and gas-related industry and towards the renewable energy sector.

By the year 2030 Abu Dhabi aims to boost its economy to nearly $400 billion as part of a development strategy focused on attracting foreign capital and expanding the region's private sector. This strategy, known as the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, will create significant opportunities for citizens of the UAE, particularly those with qualifications in highly skilled, knowledge-based or export-oriented fields.
Playing a lead role in achieving the goals set out by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 is the Department of Economic Development (DED). This department's aim is to transform Abu Dhabi's economy from oil based to knowledge-based by attracting foreign direct investment and encouraging the country's private sector to take the lead as the primary driving force behind the economy.

In view of its important new role, the DED is evolving into a policy maker in the endeavour to achieve economic development in the future.

Abu Dhabi is the welthiest region of the UAE

With its rapidly growing and increasingly diverse economy, modern infrastructure, and foreign investment incentives, the time has never been better to look toward Abu Dhabi for business expansion.

With worldwide investments passing the $1 trillion-dollar mark, the economy of Abu Dhabi has never been stronger and the government's long-term investment strategy looks set to continue this progress.

In terms of GDP and per capita income, Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest region of the UAE. In 2010, the GDP per capita reached $49,600, ranking ninth in the world. At present, over $1 trillion is invested worldwide by Abu Dhabi. The government has recently been diversifying the economic plans of the country.

Abu Dhabi..
About Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi stretches on the eastern coast of the UAE, by the waters of the Arabian Gulf, on a surface of 64,340 square km, constituting 80% of the country's total surface.

Demographics

The population of the city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, has risen to 1,642 million inhabitants in Q2 2009, *according to the Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre, with a growth rate of 4.3% between 2005 and 2009.....

Knowledge development in Dubai....
In May 2007, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice-President of UAE, founded the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation with an endowment of $10 billion, making it one of the largest charitable donations in history.

The foundation's aim is to promote human development regionally through education and knowledge development, promoting scientific research, empowering youth, preserving heritage, and encouraging business leadership, among other means.

Just a few months after setting up the foundation, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum launched Dubai Cares, an international humanitarian movement focused on fighting poverty, spreading knowledge and providing education in the world's poorest countries. In its first two months, the campaign raised a record-breaking $9.26 million.

Dubai Strategic Plan 2015....
The emirate's new vision is helping lead it into the next level of growth and overcome the recession by promoting sustainable growth across six key sectors.

Dubai's Vision 2010, which was achieved in half the time allotted, was oriented towards developing the economy and attracting foreign investment. The emirate's new guiding framework, the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 (DSP), was put forth by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2007 and is a clear roadmap for the emirate's growth and development.

"Building on our achievements, preserving our national assets, and achieving comprehensive and sustainable development, we have directed that our current programs be further developed and that a strategic plan be prepared in light of the latest developments and changes; this plan will complement the first 10-year plan, the targets of which were met and exceeded," said Sheikh Mohammed.

Based on the six "building blocks" of travel and tourism, financial services, professional services, transport and logistic services, trade and storage, and construction, one of the DSP's ultimate goals is to make Dubai a more desirable place to live and do business. It also aims to achieve a GDP of $108 billion and increase real per capita GDP to $44,000 by 2015, although given the financial slump that even Dubai was unable to avoid, these economic goals have been revised to more realistic levels: rather than maintaining double-digit economic growth, Dubai hopes to maintain a 2.5% growth.

Dubai....
About Dubai

The emirate is located south east of the Arabian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature.

Demographics

Dubai includes the biggest city of the UAE with 1,929,110 inhabitants in March 2011, with an annual growth rate of 5%, *according to Dubai Statistics Centre.
Dubai is a new centre for innovation

When the global financial crisis struck, Dubai was directly in harm's way owing to its reliance on tourism, real estate and construction. However, things are looking up already.

GDP growth in Dubai, which had soared between 2000 and 2006 at an annual average of 17.9%, dropped to 6% in 2008 and even contracted in 2009. Nevertheless, the emirate's proven strength, combined with its stability, excellent infrastructure, and relatively simple bureaucracy, kept confidence high among investors. Proof of this arrived when the Financial Times named Dubai the top destination city in the world for foreign direct investment (FDI).

The year 2011 saw an economic turnaround, with 3.5% economic growth. Also, the emirate's foreign trade reached an all-time high of $300 billion.

Although Dubai rose to regional prominence thanks to the discovery of oil, leaders have led the economy away from the non-renewable resource towards other sectors. Today, oil and gas account for less than 6% of revenues, while tourism, real estate and construction top the list of earners. Trade, entrepot and financial services follow.

Sharjah is a cultural center for the Arab world

After 40 years guiding the Emirate of Sharjah, Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi has turned the Emirate into a recognized cultural hub of the Middle East. With more than 17 museums and 400 mosques, it is no wonder that Sharjah was named the Cultural Capital of the Arab World by UNESCO in 1998 and the Capital of Islamic culture for 2014.

Currently under way in the emirate of Sharjah is a unique project, the largest of its kind in the region to date. Known as The Heart of Sharjah, its goal is to restore the traditional heritage areas of the emirate, preserve national historic landmarks, and link them together.

Scheduled for completion in 2025, it will seek to reflect what Sharjah was like over half a century ago, creating an attractive environment for tourism and trade that has contemporary artistic touches, but the feel of the 1950s, with commercial, cultural, and residential activities housed in renovated, old, or ancient houses.

The past is important in Sharjah, and The Heart of Sharjah project is emblematic of a society that seeks to weave modern life with its history, to plan ahead while safeguarding the national historical character.

Today, the third largest and most populous of the United Arab Emirates, Sharjah is one of the region's most modern and dynamic commercial and trade centers. Strategically located, with seaports on both the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean, and an international airport that is the region's largest airfreight cargo handler, it is the industrial and manufacturing heart of the UAE.

In addition to its rapidly growing economy, what distinguishes Sharjah is its commitment to art, culture, and preserving the local heritage. Indeed, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, the ruler of Sharjah, has described culture as the cornerstone of the emirate's overall development.

Sharjah....
About Sharjah

The eastern emirate of Sharjah is the third biggest of the seven emirates, with a surface of 2,600 square km, with a shoreline on both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Sharjah's economy contributed to the UAE's overall GDP by 7,5%, with the industrial sector being one of its principal pillars, as it constitutes 40% of the UAE's entire industrial activity.

Demographics

The emirate's inhabitants represent 19% of the UAE's overall population, most of them living in the city of Sharjah, the emirate's capital. The Sharjah's population is over 800,000 people.


Sharjah provides attractive incentives for investors

Foreign investment is welcomed in Sharjah, which offers investors a variety of advantages and opportunities.

The emirate of Sharjah has a businessfriendly government that has succeeded in creating an attractive and stable investment environment. Foreign investment is welcomed in the manufacturing, trade, and service sectors, and thousands of foreign companies have set up business there.

Sharjah makes the most of its strategic location between Europe and the Far East, and is the only GCC hub with direct access to the Gulf and Indian Ocean, offering a gateway to 160 countries and 2 billion people.

The emirate has well developed infrastructure that allows easy access to local and international markets, with ports on both the Arabian Gulf and on the Gulf of Oman, a world-class international airport with state-of-the-art technology, and advanced telecom networks.