Abu Dhabi to Allow Renewal of Expired Economic Licences Without Penalties in November

Abu Dhabi has launched a new programme for updating economic licences that have been expired for three years or more, without their holders incurring penalties.

Government regulations state that licences that remain unrenewed are moved to an expired registry and once a licence has been expired for three years or more, it becomes subject to revocation.

Under the new initiative, eligible licence holders will be able to renew or update the status of their expired licences throughout November, Abu Dhabi Registration and Licensing

Authority (Adra) said on Friday. The first phase of the programme targets licences that expired before 2010, and those who take advantage of this month's grace period will be granted full exemption from late renewal penalties, the authority said.

“This initiative supports the ease of doing business … while also streamlining processes that enable them to seize the promising opportunities within Abu Dhabi’s dynamic economy,” said Mohammed Al Mansouri, director general of Adra.

“By extending eligibility to licences that expired before 2010, we are reinforcing our commitment to ensuring all businesses have equitable access to support initiatives.”

The Abu Dhabi business scene continues to grow amid a spate of new and updated regulations that provide an investor-friendly environment across all sectors.

Active licences in the emirate rose by 19 per cent annually in the first half of 2025, according to the latest data from Adra − the business development and regulatory arm of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.

That has underpinned the continuing growth of the UAE capital, which has continued its shift away from oil and has taken several measures to attract international investors, boost its competitiveness and improve the ease of conducting business.

Its economy grew by nearly 4 per cent annually in the second quarter of this year to hit Dh306.3 billion ($83.4 billion), underpinned by strong performance in its non-oil sector, Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi reported earlier this month.

Non-oil foreign trade in the first half of 2025 jumped 34.7 per cent annually to Dh195.4 billion.

“Our focus remains on delivering effective, business-friendly solutions that simplify licensing from set up to every stage of the operational life cycle,” Mr Al Mansouri said.