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Over 27,800 new member companies join Dubai Chamber of Commerce in 2021
Over 27,800 new member companies joined the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in 2021, a 66.8 per cent increase compared to 2020. This brings the organisation’s total membership to over 287,000.
In 2021, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce saw the return on investment of its digital transformation over the years. The Chamber processed more than 704,400 e-transactions during the year. It also succeeded in fully digitising its core services by 100 per cent, which enabled it to serve its members and customers remotely and efficiently.
The Chamber also achieved its goal of becoming 100 per cent paperless by the end of 2021, representing an important milestone in its digital transformation mission.
The value of exports and re-exports of Dubai Chamber of Commerce members amounted to Dh227 billion, and a total of 669,922 certificates of origin were issued by the organisation last year. Meanwhile, 4,495 ATA Carnets worth Dh4.5 billion were issued and received by the Chamber. The ATA Carnet system is managed by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with Dubai Customs, facilitating the temporary entry of imports to Dubai.
Dubai Chamber reviewed 52 draft local and federal laws and ministerial decisions during 2021 to ensure a favourable business environment. The organisation’s Legal Services department received 200 mediation cases, of which 175 were virtual mediation cases, while 66 cases were settled amicably.
Dubai Chamber continued exploring business opportunities in promising markets worldwide as it received 2,983 visiting delegations and met with over 6,800 delegates from 73 countries in 2021. A total of 85 business networking events were organised, attended by 15,000 businesspeople.
The Chamber’s 11 representative offices in Africa, Eurasia and Latin America held 2,398 virtual meetings with more than 4,052 investors interested in expanding its business network and activities to Dubai.
The Chamber’s external offices organised 39 virtual events, attended by 4,280 participants from around the world, and participated in 347 other events to promote Dubai as a global business hub, identify business opportunities, and build relationships with key stakeholders in promising markets.
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, chairman of Dubai Chambers, described 2021 as “an exceptional year for the business community in Dubai”.
He noted that the government’s effective measures and proactive policies put the emirate on a steady path of economic growth, with the biggest uptick in business activity felt within the tourism, hospitality, trade and retail sectors.
Salik is taking another step beyond toll collection, announcing plans to introduce smart parking and vehicle access systems across three of Dubai’s major economic zones.
Under a new agreement with the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), the company will explore parking optimisation and access control solutions covering more than 21,000 parking spaces at Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ), Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai CommerCity.
The proposed systems are designed to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, prevent misuse of parking spaces and make it easier for businesses, employees and visitors to move around the free zones.
The partnership marks the launch of a new business vertical for Salik as it continues expanding beyond its traditional road toll operations into wider mobility and digital transport services.
What will change?
The companies plan to integrate their technology platforms to create a connected parking and vehicle access system across the three zones.
Planned features include:
- Smart parking management
- Automated vehicle access control
- Improved traffic flow within free zones
- Better use of available parking spaces
- Unified operating standards across all three locations
Which areas are covered?
The project will span:
- Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ)
- Dubai Silicon Oasis
- Dubai CommerCity
Together, the three locations offer more than 21,000 parking spaces serving businesses, residents, investors and visitors.
No timeline has yet been announced for when the new systems will be rolled out.
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