The Abu Dhabi Business Centre of the Department of Economic Development (DED), in cooperation with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), has announced the launch of the Electronic Trading licence initiative.
According to a report by WAM, the initiative aims to reinforce Abu Dhabi government’s efforts toward providing smarter electronic services and boost e-commerce in the capital by taking advantage of online platforms and social media channels.
The initiative was launched today during a press conference, at Abu Dhabi Economic Media Club headquarters. Participants included Mohammed Munif Al Mansouri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Business Centre, Ahmed Tarish Al Qubaisi, Acting Director of the Commercial Protection Directorate, and Abdel Rahman Al Marzouqi, Director of the Internet Advancement at the TRA.
Abu Dhabi DED Undersecretary Khalifa bin Salem Al Mansouri said that the initiative reflects the government firm’s keenness to enhance the emirate’s electronic business environment and expand the scale of services across multiple industries. “This will help provide greater protection for the e-commerce work by regulating activities being practised and facilitating the protection of intellectual property rights of projects owners and also providing support to them to carry out their trade activity properly.”
He added that e-commerce has gained popularity among consumers in Abu Dhabi, and explained that regulating this matter by issuing a legal trade licence to practice this activity will create a kind of trust between the seller and the consumer considering that the Abu Dhabi DED, pursuant to its establishment Law No. 02 of 2009, is in charge of regulating the economic activity across the Emirate.
Hamad Al Mansouri, TRA Director-General, emphasised TRA’s strong support for all kinds of initiatives and projects that would help enhance the efforts of the UAE e-government through an active partnership with all federal and local governmental bodies concerning the e-commerce sector.
He explained that the E-Commerce Administration at the TRA are actively working on encouraging the regulatory environment and developing electronic initiatives that help secure the electronic transactions and e-commerce.
Abu Dhabi Business Centre’s Mohammed Al Mansouri said that DED sought to provide unique services to the investors by introducing the electronic trade activities through which entrepreneurs are allowed to add the electronic trade activities to their existing licences and conduct their business through the websites and social media.
Meanwhile, Commercial Protection Directorate’s Al Qubaisi noted that two main activities were allocated to the electronic trade activity licensing. These are the electronic trade through the websites, and the electronic trade through social media.
He said that the mechanism of issuing the electronic trade licence by Abu Dhabi Business Centre is carried out when a new permit is requested. This is done by applying via the DED’s website or through Abu Dhabi Business Centre’s app ADBC, which require the approval of the TRA.
He also pointed out that in case an application is submitted to request the addition of the electronic trade activity via the websites or the social media for existing licences, an activity addition application is submitted, after which the TRA’s approval is obtained to pay the fees and issue the licence.
Al Qubaisi mentioned that the Abu Dhabi DED provides the owners of electronic trade licences the “Electronic Tajer” mark along with a serial number for the licence to use it during the promotion of the product or the good that are planned to be marketed. This helps enhance the consumers’ trust, protect their rights, and inform them that the DED legally licenses their activity.
He explained that the electronic trade licence is based on three primary standards, the availability of an existing permit, Tajer Abu Dhabi or a commercial licence, the availability of at least one central activity, and the identification of the websites that are used to conduct the operation through the domain name.
