The number of e-Trader licences issued by the Dubai government rose 6 per cent in 2021 to 6,217, reflecting the continued growth of the e-commerce sector.
The issuances made 2021 the best year so far for the e-Trader platform, topping the 5,848 permits issued in 2020, the Business Registration and Licensing sector at the emirate's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) said on Tuesday.
This brought the total number of licences issued to 16,409 since the platform's launch in March 2017. In comparison, 4,344 licences had been issued by the end of 2019.
The professional segment accounted for 79 per cent of the permits issued, followed by the commercial segment at 21 per cent.
The most popular business activities in 2021 were in the fields of information technology, ready-made garments, women’s tailoring and design, handicrafts, men’s tailoring and design, publishing and printing services, facility management, marketing services and food preparation.
The UAE's e-commerce market significantly grew after the pandemic as more consumers turned to online channels for their shopping needs.
The sector grew 53 per cent to a record $3.9 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand further, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said last June.
Through the e-Trader licence, which is issued electronically, the DET aims to regulate and enhance the ease of doing business online, as well as connect customers with traders.
The permit allows start-ups and businesses to operate from their places of residence or on digital platforms such as social networking sites. One of the objectives is to thwart the sale of counterfeit goods on these platforms.
While a licence holder cannot open a shop, they can avail of three employment visas if the ownership is 100 per cent Emirati, with the legal liability falling on the licence holder.
Overall, Dubai issued 55,194 business licences in the first 10 months of 2021, 69 per cent more than in the same period a year earlier, reflecting the high-growth opportunities in various sectors and the growing confidence in the overall economy, the DET said last November.
The DET was formed after Dubai's departments of economy and tourism were merged last November to boost the emirate's competitiveness through measures to promote trade and attract more visitors.
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Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
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