Investing in business

Scroll through the information above to find out how Ghadan 21 succeeded in making Abu Dhabi an even better place to live, work and thrive.

Initiated by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), the Abu Dhabi Local Content Programme (ADLC) directs government spending towards developing local content in all sectors. In partnership with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), ADDED announced a unified In-Country Value (ICV) certification across Abu Dhabi Government's procurement process that considered the number of goods the company manufactures locally, the value of spend for locally procured products and services and a company's local investment and Emiratisation record.

As a result of this initiative, 1,244 government tenders have been issued, with a combined value of AED15 billion. Under the scheme, 3,238 ICV certificates have been awarded and 156 local companies awarded contracts worth AED4.6 billion. The programme has driven more than AED44 billion back into the UAE's economy and led to the creation of more than 1,500 jobs for Emiratis in the private sector. With the support of Ghadan 21, ADLC has successfully enhanced localisation measures, improved transparency, created jobs and accelerated the private sector's contribution to economic development in Abu Dhabi.

To enhance ease of doing business, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) launched the Tajer Abu Dhabi licence to enable businesses to obtain a trade licence without the need to establish a physical office space.

ADDED also launched dual licensing, which allows free zone companies to open branches on Abu Dhabi's mainland without the need to acquire an additional office premise. Additionally, Instant Licences were launched to support startups and SMEs by offering rapid online business set-up in two steps.

By the end of 2021, 18,125 Tajer Abu Dhabi and Dual licences had been issued and 5,327 instant licenses.

In 2019, the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a law establishing the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). It is responsible for increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) in Abu Dhabi, as well as strengthening the emirate's private sector, and fostering its innovation ecosystem.

Find Wonder was a global campaign that promoted Abu Dhabi as one of the best places in the world to live, work, invest and study.

Launched by the Abu Dhabi Department of Government Support (DGS) and represented by the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA), the Open Data Programme enables investors and other parties to request information held by Abu Dhabi Data Authority about companies, supporting them to make informed commercial decisions. The platform manages over 5,000 resources and 2,100 application programming interfaces (APIs).

Sharaka is an online portal through which private sector businesses can submit government invoices for fast-tracked settlements.

TAMM is a digital portal that provides access to hundreds of government services in one easy-to-use platform.

Advantage Abu Dhabi was a AED600 million mega-fund that supported event planners in Abu Dhabi to put on world-class events, promoting the emirate as a global entertainment and business events hub.

As part of the initiative,15 events were hosted, including: Cirque du Soleil, Abu Dhabi Engine Week, Abu Dhabi Family Week, the Kids’ Choice Awards (September 2019) and T10 League (November 2019), attracting 307,762 attendees. Despite the challenges of Covid-19 on the events calendar, Advantage Abu Dhabi has helped strengthen the emirate’s position as a thriving events hub for culture, music, entertainment, MICE and sport, and contributed to its economic diversification.

The Ventures Fund is a AED535 million fund managed by ADQ to support Abu Dhabi's start-up and innovation ecosystems. The fund works to increase the funding pools available for startups and innovative businesses in Abu Dhabi. Since its launch, 20 companies have benefited from the Venture Fund's support.

Administered by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), the Electricity Tariff Incentive Programme enabled companies to invest the funds saved from subsidised energy bills into other parts of their operations, such as research and development, operational and market expansions, and new products and services.

My Land is a digital platform operated by the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), which provides data on used and unused land in Abu Dhabi. My Land enables investors, developers and landowners to access relevant planning and development forms and enhances transparency.