37,356 issued, renewed licenses in Sharjah during H1 2025
The data revealed the most significant developments and events witnessed by the economic sectors in Sharjah, as well as the measures and efforts undertaken by the Department across all sectors and activities. This release aimed at providing a comprehensive tool for stakeholders in the emirate's economic sectors and inform them of the most significant results achieved. Such thing confirms SEDD's efforts to achieve balanced and sustainable economic performance and enhance business continuity across various sectors.
Thereof, the number of issued licenses during the first half of 2025 reached 4,359, with a 16% increase. On the other hand, the number of renewed licenses hit 32,997, a 7% increase over the same period last year.
When analyzing the issued and renewed licenses in Sharjah during the first half of 2025 by type, it was clearly displayed that the commercial licenses took the first rank in the number of licenses issued and renewed in the emirate with a total of 23,945 licenses and a growth rate of 7% compared to the first half of last year. Then, it was followed by professional licenses with a total of 10,693 licenses with an increase of about 7%. On the other hand, the industrial licenses hit 1,924 ones, with a growth rate of 14%, while Eitimad licenses came in fourth with 522 licenses, and with a growth of 41%. Later on, the e-commerce licenses reached 272 ones, with a growth rate of 23% compared to the first half of last year.
Furthermore, SEDD conducted 78,887 inspection campaigns on various economic establishments in the emirate during the first half of 2025. Also, the Department has dealt with many different cases of commercial protection complaints during the past period, each of which was fully resolved in cooperation with all concerned parties. Thus, the total number of commercial protection complaints reached 7,685, including 6,677 consumer protection complaints, 652 commercial fraud complaints, and 356 service agent complaints. The satisfaction rate with the department's consumer protection services for the first half of this year reached 78%.
Regarding the data on the scales calibrated by type during the first half this year, the total number of "commercial and gold" scales reached 1,950, representing a growth rate of 56% compared to the same period last year.
Commenting on that, Hamad Ali Abdalla Al Mahmoud, SEDD Chairman, stated that the economic sectors in Sharjah are built on solid foundations of diversifying sources of income, focusing on developing key sectors, supporting and stimulating future economic activities, and developing and modernizing flexible legal frameworks that support businesses. This is done in cooperation with concerned partners from all sectors, to make the emirate a leading investment destination in the region.
On the other hand, Fahad Ahmed Al Khamiri, SEDD Director, pointed out that the data of 2025 first half confirm the strength of the emirate's economy, the attractiveness of its investment environment, and the confidence of business sectors in the investment opportunities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
7 minutes ago
- Zawya
Investcorp Capital appoints Sana Khater as Chief Executive Officer
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Investcorp Capital plc (the 'Company' or 'Investcorp Capital') (ADX symbol: 'ICAP'), an investor in alternative investment opportunities within private markets, today announced the appointment of Sana Khater as Chief Executive Officer, effective as of September 1st 2025. Sana brings over 35 years of financial and strategic leadership experience from international C-Suite positions across both listed and private companies, including Aldar, Waha Capital, NBK Capital, and National Bank of Kuwait. Under her guidance, she successfully led businesses through international growth, complex transformations, capital allocations, and corporate governance initiatives. She brings profound understanding of a complementary set of industries, including private equity, real estate, asset management, and financial services. As Chief Executive Officer of Investcorp Capital, Sana will be able to leverage her proven ability to drive shareholder value and deliver operational excellence across both public and private institutions in helping the Company capitalize on global investment opportunities and advance its alternative investments focused strategy for all its stakeholders. The appointment also significantly strengthens the Company's stakeholder management capabilities. Mohammed Alardhi, Chairman of Investcorp Capital, said: 'We are delighted to welcome Sana as the new CEO of Investcorp Capital. Her exceptional leadership experience and deep expertise in financial services positions her well to steer ICAP through its next chapter. Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen its position as a global hub for investment firms, and I am confident that Sana will harness this momentum, as she leads the business with distinction and ambition. I look forward to working with Sana to drive shareholder value and grow the Company.' Sana Khater, Incoming CEO of Investcorp Capital, commented: 'I am honoured and excited to join Investcorp Capital at such a pivotal time in its growth journey. The Company is truly unique and, with its differentiated investment platform and offering, is well positioned to create value through its exposure to the global alternatives space backed by over 42 years of Investcorp's track record. I look forward to working with the Board, the Investcorp team, and all our stakeholders to build on the Company's momentum and drive sustainable, long-term performance and value for shareholders.' Sana succeeds Mohamed Aamer, who has served as Interim CEO since March 2025. Until Sana officially joins Mr. Aamer will continue to lead the company and ensure a smooth leadership transition process. About Investcorp Capital Investcorp Capital is an alternative investment company that invests in private markets. It offers investors exposure to a global portfolio of investments diversified across various alternative asset classes, including private equity, private credit, real estate, infrastructure and strategic capital, to generate value and recurring income by monetizing capital gains, dividends, rents, fees and interest from the underlying portfolio. Investcorp Capital was founded by Investcorp Group, a leading independent manager of alternative investments, with $59.7 billion in assets under management (including assets managed by third parties). Investcorp Group has over four decades of experience and expertise in delivering attractive and consistent returns across multiple strategies, sectors and geographies. Investcorp Capital is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) under the symbol 'ICAP'. For more information, please visit For more information, please contact: Investcorp Capital Firas El Amine Email: felamine@ Kekst CNC Gregor Riemann / Victoria Douglas / Christopher Deifuss Email: investcorpcapital@
The National
7 minutes ago
- The National
DIFC adds record number of companies in first half of year amid Dubai's thriving economy
The Dubai International Financial Centre added a record number of companies in the first half of 2025, anchored by the strength of the emirate's finance sector. The DIFC welcomed 1,081 companies during the period, up by nearly a third on an annual basis and the most ever for the six-month period, the financial centre said on Monday. That brought the DIFC's total active registered companies to 7,700, which is a 25 per cent year on year rise. The centre's workforce climbed by 9 per cent to 47,901. Among the new companies are ABK Capital, Avaloq, Baron Capital, Bluecrest Capital, Bridge Investment Group, Cambridge Associates, China International Capital Corporation, dLocal, Manulife, National Bank of Kuwait, Pearl Diver Capital, Pimco, RV Capital, Silver Point Capital, Tourmaline, TransAmerica Life Bermuda and Welwing Capital Management. Financial services entities, regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), grew by 17 per cent annually to 980, while financial services authorisations rose by 28 per cent to 78. Companies in the DIFC's banking and capital markets cluster grew by 17 per cent to 289. New companies in financial technology and innovation surged by 28 per cent to 1,388, accounting for a 28 per cent growth in total active non-financial entities to 6,335. The DIFC's first-half performance is a 'direct reflection' of a 'vision focused on positioning Dubai at the forefront of the world's most advanced financial centres', Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and president of the DIFC, said, according to a Dubai Media Office statement. 'Dubai has entered a new and greater phase of growth and these results highlight the competitiveness, attractiveness and global confidence it enjoys,' Sheikh Maktoum said. The DIFC's wealth and management cluster, the largest in the region, welcomed 70 new entities, up by 19 per cent year on year, it said. Dubai is home to the highest concentration of private wealth in any Middle Eastern city, data from Henley & Partners shows. That status has helped the DIFC attract hedge funds, which have increased by 72 per cent over the past 12 months to 85, the centre said. More than 10,000 funds are being managed or marketed from the DIFC, it added. 'We firmly believe the future holds even more opportunities, and we will continue to strengthen the DIFC's capabilities and its ecosystems that foster innovation, agility and business growth,' Sheikh Maktoum said. The DIFC continues to expand its offerings in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda, the initiative known as D33 that aims to double the size of its economy to Dh32 trillion over the next decade and establish the emirate among the top three global cities. The UAE's economy grew by 4 per cent to Dh1.776 trillion ($484.7 billion) last year, driven by a strong expansion in its non-oil sector as the country continues to diversify, with financial and insurance activities expanding by 7 per cent, the Ministry of Finance said last month. Latest data shows that Dubai's economy grew by 3.1 per cent in the first nine months of last year, compared to the same period in 2023, reaching Dh339.4 billion. Growth was largely driven by strides in sectors including finance, government data showed in February. The DIFC has been riding this momentum. Last year, it added a record number of companies on an annual basis, with job numbers increasing by 10 per cent year on year to more than 46,000. In the first half of last year, the DIFC welcomed 820 new companies, with the total assets under management in its financial district alone rising to more than $700 billion amid continuing expansion plans. 'Our consistent performance across all key sectors and rising global standing are evidence of our commitment to supporting innovation, attracting global capital and reinforcing Dubai's status as one of the world's most competitive and diversified economies,' DIFC governor Essa Kazim said. The DIFC has also been increasing its real estate portfolio in line with Dubai's plans for urban development. The recently launched DIFC Heights, which was sold out in three days, highlighted 'strong demand' for premium living in the financial district, the centre said. More than 1.6 million square feet of commercial space is under development and construction is being accelerated to meet demand, with new spaces ready for occupancy from the first quarter of 2026, the DIFC said. In December, Abu Dhabi's largest real estate developer, Aldar Properties, bought a 40-storey commercial tower for Dh2.3 billion at the DIFC, as demand for office space in Dubai continues to grow. In addition, during the first half of 2025, the DIFC proposed to enact new Variable Capital Company Regulations, which aim to 'significantly' enhance investment structuring and asset management options for proprietary investment at the DIFC. Legal updates were also proposed through the DIFC Laws Amendment Law, including refinements to the Law of Security, Insolvency Law and Employment Law, ensuring alignment with international standards, it added.
Tahawul Tech
7 minutes ago
- Tahawul Tech
'As AI reshapes regional economies, liquid cooling will no longer be a niche innovation – it will be mission-critical.' – Jay Gadhavi, KROHNE
As demand for bigger, better, faster, more artificial intelligence accelerates across the Middle East so does the need for more localised energy efficient IT infrastructure. KROHNE, a global leader in industrial measurement and instrumentation, has announced a significant scale-up in the production of its magnetic flow meters (magmeters) to support the region's growing need for advanced liquid cooling. KROHNE will dedicate a substantial share of its global manufacturing capacity to serve data centre clients worldwide, with a sharp focus on high-growth markets across the GCC. The move comes in response to the surge of hyperscale and edge data centres in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar—driven by national AI strategies and net-zero transformation agendas. To support this shift, KROHNE has launched a dedicated Center of Excellence for data center technologies at its facility in Beverly, Massachusetts. This hub will drive the development and deployment of next-generation magmeters, specifically engineered for the precision, repeatability, and durability required in liquid-cooled, AI-driven facilities. 'From Frankfurt to Fujairah, the world is in a race to unlock the power of AI,' said Frank Janssens, Vice President of the KROHNE Group. 'The future will be shaped by those who can build AI-ready infrastructure both rapidly and responsibly. At KROHNE, we are scaling up to meet that moment—ensuring cooling systems in tomorrow's data centres are smarter, more sustainable, and globally supported.' Magnetic flow meters are critical for enabling closed-loop liquid cooling—an essential requirement in high-performance computing environments where thermal loads must be managed precisely and efficiently. In high-heat regions like the Middle East, this becomes even more critical for operational stability, energy performance, and water conservation. 'The Middle East has a voracious appetite for future-ready digital infrastructure—and it must be met with technologies that are both precise and sustainable,' said Jay Gadhavi, General Manager of KROHNE Middle East. 'As AI reshapes regional economies, liquid cooling will no longer be a niche innovation—it will be mission-critical. That's where KROHNE's flow measurement solutions come in.' The announcement supports broader regional ambitions to become global leaders in AI and digital innovation: National AI Strategies in the GCC United Arab Emirates: UAE National AI Strategy 2031 – aims to position the UAE as a global AI hub with a focus on health, transport, energy, and smart cities. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) – launched the National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI) with a goal to become a global leader in AI by 2030, backed by giga-projects like NEOM and The Line. Qatar: Qatar National Artificial Intelligence Strategy – prioritizes economic diversification and AI-powered public services aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030. Oman: Oman AI Strategy (2021–2040) – focused on sustainable development and capacity building for AI talent. Kuwait: Kuwait Vision 2035 includes strategic digital transformation efforts, including a nascent AI agenda for government efficiency and public service delivery. Bahrain: Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 incorporates AI in its digital economy strategy, supported by regional cloud infrastructure and public-private partnerships.
