‘Smart Hall’ to provide 24/7 business registration and licensing services in Dubai

The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai will open a ‘Smart Hall’ where license owners and investors can have round-the-clock access to its business registration and licensing services. All registration and licensing services of DED available online and on smart devices will be also available on interactive kiosks set up in the Smart Hall, which would be a first-of-its-kind anywhere in the region.

The Smart Hall, to be opened on the ground floor of DED’s main office in the Business Village by May 2016, will integrate state-of-the-art technology to offer 24/7 access to business registration and licensing in a unique, paperless environment. Licensing and registration transactions can be completed through the user-friendly interactive kiosks, which will guide customers through each step. A voice call facility is also available for customers who need help.

“Dubai’s leadership as a business destination rests largely on its competitiveness and ease of doing business. As it evolves into a Smart City, Dubai will also enhance its comparative advantages as a business and investment hub. The Department of Economic Development is determined to be in the forefront of Dubai’s transition into an exemplary and innovative smart government,” commented His Excellency Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of DED.

Occupying an area of 9,000 square-metre, the Smart Hall will also have facilities like coffee shop and ATM machines, in addition to the vital advantage of being able to conduct business for longer hours, with assistance available on call from a remote expert. The new service also adds to the diverse channels provided by DED to access its services, including branch offices, service centres, and smart devices.

Commented Omar Bushahab, CEO of the Business Registration & Licensing (BRL) sector in DED: “The Smart Hall will elevate DED’s smart services to a five-star level. It is conceived as a one-stop shop for registration and licensing services, supported by the required knowledge resources available online and call centre support, and aims to add significant value to the expanding business and investor community in the city.”

Abdullah Hassan, Executive Director of the Shared Services sector in DED said the IT team spent five months benchmarking the services and operations of the Smart Hall against the best in the world. “We studied best practices in customer services and took the private sector into confidence to see their requirements and preferences in completing registration and licensing transactions. The technology partner was also selected on their demonstrated capabilities and expertise in the project,” he added.