Executive Council waives fees for government services in Dubai

Dubai: A new package of fees for Dubai government services has been waived, in a move that aims to reduce cost of living and ease of doing business in the emirate.

The waiver covers services provided by the health, economic, marine, social, leisure and infrastructure sectors.

The cancellation of government fees was approved at Wednesday’s meeting of the Dubai Executive Council, chaired by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the council.

This is based on the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The decision was taken while chairing a meeting of the Executive Council at the Emirates Tower, in the presence of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council.

The move comes as part of government efforts to boost the national economy, reduce costs on business owners and increase the country’s competitiveness on the global scale.

Last year, the UAE Cabinet issued a resolution amending and waiving fees for more than 1,500 federal government services provided by the ministry of Interior, ministry of Economy and the ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

The Cabinet’s decision aimed to promote economic growth in the UAE, attract more foreign investment and position the country as a hub for business by reducing administrative costs and fees.

During the Executive Council’s meeting, a new strategy has been approved for medical education and research in the emirate and suggested programmes to develop the health sector, through good governance and cooperating with medical institutions.

Earlier this year, Shaikh Hamdan issued a resolution recuing fees for real estate activities for members of the ‘National Broker’ programme.

Sheikh Hamdan said the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid reflects his keenness to follow up on the performance and requirements of various sectors and provide all the ingredients necessary for positive outcomes. He also vowed to continue the drive to adopt development initiatives that harness all capabilities to meet aspirations and accomplish more achievements.

“The role of the government is to promote Dubai to the rank of the most advanced and happiest cities in the world,” said Sheikh Hamdan. “It is also tasked with serving the people and providing a conducive environment to achieve the wellbeing of the members of society and cement happiness. That is why we need to periodically review the existing legislation and policies to keep pace with the changes and maintain the sustainability of our development journey,” he added.

Some 2,356 administrative fees of 22 government entities were reviewed and new legislation was introduced to regulate and limit the introduction of new administrative fees to reduce the financial burden on the public and investors.