Entrepreneurs can now complete more business setup steps online without visiting service centres.
Dubai: Invest in Dubai now processes around 1.5 million transactions annually, with more than half of its services completed instantly as the emirate strengthens its unified digital platform for starting and managing businesses.
The platform has supported more than 500,000 beneficiaries since its launch, offering access to over 1,000 business activities and more than 70 integrated government and regulatory services through a single digital gateway.
Around 53 per cent of services on the platform are completed instantly, while 46 per cent are delivered proactively without customers needing to initiate each step. The platform has also removed the need for physical service-centre visits, eliminated more than 66 customer requirements, and achieved a 97 per cent customer satisfaction rate.
“The true measure of Invest in Dubai’s impact is the experience it has created for businesses,” Salwa Aladidi, Director of the Business Data Management Department at the Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation, told Gulf News. “Every requirement removed, service integrated, and service-centre visit eliminated represents time and effort returned to entrepreneurs, enabling them to focus on innovation, growth, and creating economic value.”
One gateway for business services
Invest in Dubai enables entrepreneurs and investors to search for business activities, reserve trade names, obtain regulatory approvals, issue commercial licences, and access government and private-sector services through a single digital platform.
The platform was developed by the Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation, operating under the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, to simplify the process for investors by reducing the need to navigate multiple government systems and procedures.
According to DBLC, nearly 29 per cent of the Dubai Government’s entire services portfolio is now available through Invest in Dubai.
Today, investors can explore business opportunities, reserve trade names, secure approvals, obtain commercial licences, and access a growing range of integrated government and private-sector services through one digital gateway.
Want to start a business in Dubai? More services can now be completed instantly
Salwa Aladidi
Director of the Business Data Management Department at the Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation
The platform was designed to support the complete business journey, covering company establishment, management, and growth while providing investors with greater clarity on regulatory procedures and requirements.
Government services unified on one platform
Developing the platform required government entities to align processes, regulatory requirements, and digital systems while creating secure mechanisms for data sharing.
Participating entities collaborated to redesign services from the investor’s perspective, rather than simply digitising individual government procedures.
Ongoing coordination and shared governance have enabled new services to be added to the platform as business needs and regulatory requirements continue to evolve.
“One of the key lessons from this journey is that successful digital transformation relies on strong collaboration. The achievement behind Invest in Dubai was bringing multiple government entities together around a shared vision to create a seamless and unified experience for investors,” Aladidi said.
Feedback remains central
Customer feedback and operational data play a key role in identifying repeated requirements, unclear processes, and areas where investors may face delays.
These insights are used to improve service design, remove unnecessary steps, and expand the number of transactions that can be completed instantly or delivered proactively.
“Customer feedback is central to the continued development of Invest in Dubai. We analyse it alongside operational data to identify areas where users face delays, repeated requirements, or unclear procedures,” Aladidi said.
The platform is expected to continue expanding its integrated services, increasing automation, and improving data exchange between government entities.
DBLC is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to deliver more personalised and data-driven services across the full business lifecycle.
“The next phase for Invest in Dubai is about evolving from a digital platform into an intelligent business ecosystem that supports investors at every stage of their journey,” Aladidi said.
Connected services
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Trade were recently named joint winners of the Shared Digital Channels Award under the Hamdan bin Mohammed Programme for Government Services 2025.
The award recognises government entities that provide services through connected digital channels, reducing the need for customers to deal separately with multiple authorities.
Invest in Dubai was recognised for integrating government and regulatory services on a single platform and simplifying the procedures required to establish and operate a business in the emirate.
“More importantly, it recognises the platform’s role in delivering a more integrated and customer-focused government experience,” Aladidi said.
The platform supports the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aim to double the size of Dubai’s economy and reinforce the emirate’s position as one of the world’s leading destinations for business and investment.
