Abu Dhabi slashes licence fees for tourism businesses

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The annual licensing fee for tourism businesses in Abu Dhabi has been capped at AED 1,000.

The fixed-fee structure applies to existing as well as new entities.

It's aimed at supporting the emirate's tourism sector and attracting new investors.

The revised charges will be effective this month.

According to the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi), this will be a significant boost given the challenges the sector has faced over the past 18 months.

The amended fixed-fee structure covers fees payable to several Abu Dhabi Government entities, including Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi Chamber membership fees and the Certificate of Conformity issuance fee.

It also covers Abu Dhabi's regulation fees, with the amount adjustable depending on the type of business applying.

Overall, the changes represent an almost 90 per cent reduction in total licence fee costs.

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