The contents

Introduction

1-Growth of issued licenses:-

  • New trade licenses
  • New professional licenses
  • New industrial licenses
  • New Bidayat licenses

2-Growth of renewed licenses

  • Renewed trade licenses
  • Renewed professional licenses
  • Renewed industrial licenses

3-Growth of cancelled licenses

4-New licenses according to legal entity

5-New licenses according to nationality

6-Concentration of trade activities by sector

7-Concentration of professional activities by sector

8-Concentration of industrial activities by sector

Introduction

Licenses of different types are considered as the most important indicator for the business sector in the emirate of Ajman.

In the context of the quest to monitor the development of economic activities, the Directorate of Planning and Development is publishing the licenses report for 2015 which will be issued periodically (annually and quarterly) to follow the growth of the business sector in the emirate and to contribute to the process of setting economic policies that strengthens the development of business activities ..

The report reviews the types of licenses (new , renewed and cancelled ) by economic activity , legal entity and nationality wise, further the report addresses the sectoral concentration of economic activities.

Newly issued licenses:-

The total number of newly issued licenses in the emirate of Ajman increased slightly, registering a rate of (0.4%), rising from (3259) license in 2014 to (3273) license in 2015.

This was due to the positive growth achieved in the professional licenses at a rate of (18.6%) in 2015 compared to 2014, while growth retreated at negative rates in other types of licenses, as the growth of new trade licenses registered a rate of (-10.8%) , industrial licenses (-13.9%) and licenses Bidayat registered (-41.9%) during the same period

The following table reflect the growth of the total number licenses issued during 2008-2015:

Source:- the department of economic development- IT:

Statement / 2008-2015 / 2008-2011 / 2012-2015 / 2014-2015
Annual average growth of new licenses% / -2.9% / -9.4% / +10.2% / +0.4%

The total number of newly issued licenses decreased at an average annual growth rate of (-2.9%) from (4016) license in 2008 to (3273) license in 2015.

The total newly issued licenses has grown at a negative average annual rate of (-9.4%) during the period from 2008 to 2011, which coincided with the global economic crisis. . The total number of newly issued licenses increased during the period that followed the global economic crisis, registered a significant rise from (2446) license in 2012 to (3273) in 2015, at an annual average rate of (10.2%).

Quarterly indicators showed a remarkable growth in the total number of newly issued professional licenses, which increased from (817) license in the last quarter of 2014 to (890) license in the last quarter of 2015, at an average annual rate of (8.3%).

This growth is achieved due to the large increase in the number of professional licenses, rising at a rate of (42.5%) from (322) license in the last quarter of 2014 to (459) license in the last quarter of 2015, while other newly issued licenses declined , where industrial licenses declined at a rate of (-61% ) , commercial at rate of (-10%) and Bidayat at a rate of (-46%) during the same period, as shown in the following table: -

Types of new licenses / Last Quarter 2014 / Last Quarter 2015 / Rate of growth
Professional / 332 / 459 / 42.5%
Trade / 464 / 417 / -10%
Industrial / 18 / 7 / -61%
Bidayat / 13 / 7 / -46%
Total licenses / 817 / 890 / 8.3%

Trade and professional licenses accounted for about ( 99%) of the total newly issued licenses in the emirate of Ajman in 2008 , divided between (66%) trade licenses and (33%) professional licenses as evidenced by the chart for the newly issued licenses in the following table:

The form of new licenses issued on 2008-2015:

The above data point to a decline in the relative importance of newly issued trade licenses to (50% )in 2015 compared to the increasing importance of professional licenses, which accounted for nearly half the number of newly issued licenses as its relative contribution increased from (47%)

In 2015, what reflects a shift in the trend of investment in the business sector in favor of professional activities at the expense of commercial activities. Industrial and Bidayat licenses recorded a relative contribution of less than (2%) of the total newly issued licenses in 2015.

New trade licenses:

Newly issued trade licenses have witnessed a decline at an annual rate around (6.4% )during the period 2008-2015 from (2631) license in 2008 to (1652) license in 2015, the decrease reached a peak at a negative average annual rate of ( -20% )during the period 2008-2011, which coincided with the global crisis.

Trade activities recorded high growth in the newly issued licenses during the period that followed the economic crisis at an annual average rate of (9.3%), rising from (1267) license in 2012 to (1652) license in 2015. Newly issued trade licenses declined again at a rate of ( -10.8%) , from (1852) license in 2014 to (1652) license in 2015 as shown below:

2015 / 2014 / 2012 / 2011 / 2008 / Period
1652 / 1852 / 1267 / 1345 / 2631 / Total of new licenses

Business activity has grown at an average annual growth rate of ( 9.3% ) during the period that followed the economic crisis, while growth declined in other periods as reflected in the following business sector growth indicators : -

New professional licenses

Professional services activities have grown at an annual average rate of (2.3%), where the number of newly issued professional licenses grew from (1316) license in 2008 to (1540) license in 2015 as shown in the following table: -

Period / 2008 / 2011 / 2012 / 2014 / 2015
Total new professional licenses / 1316 / 1358 / 1080 / 1299 / 1540

Newly issued professional licenses recorded a slight growth at an average annual rate of (1%) during the period 2008-2011, which coincided with the global economic crisis. Professional services activities has achieved remarkable growth during the period that followed the crisis , where the number of newly issued licenses grew from (1080) license in 2012 to (1540) license in 2015, at an annual average rate of (42.6%) as shown in the following table: -

Growth in professional activities continued at a rate (19%) where the newly issued professional licenses increased from (1299) license in 2014 to (1540) license in 2015. This significant growth in professional services activities led to a change in the structure of newly issued licenses in the emirate of Ajman, where newly issued professional licenses constituted (93%) of the total trade licenses in 2015 compared to ( 50%) in 2008.

New industrial licenses:

Newly issued Industrial licenses witnessed a slight growth at an average annual rate of (0.8%) during the period 2008-2015.

Newly issued Industrial licenses increased from (53) license in 2008 to (56) license in 2015 and with the exception of last year , the period that followed the economic crisis, witnessed a rise in industrial licenses, as reflected in the following table:

Period / 2008 / 2011 / 2012 / 2014 / 2015
New industrial licenses / 53 / 48 / 59 / 65 / 56

Industrial licenses decreased by (-13.9%) in 2015 compared to 2014, as shown below: -

New Bidayat licenses

The data scheduled below indicate an increase in newly issued licenses for home businesses (Bidayat ) from (16) license in 2008 to (25) license in 2015, at an average annual growth rate of (6.6%): -

Bidayat newly issued licenses grew at an annual growth rate of about (60% ) during the period 2008-2011 while the period 2012-2015 witnessed a decline in the newly issued Bidayat licenses at an annual average rate of approximately (-15%) as evidenced by the following table: -

Period / 2008-2015 / 2008-2011 / 2012-2015 / 2014-2015
Annual average growth of Bidayat new licenses% / 6.6% / 59.6% / -14.5% / -41.9%

The rate of decline in newly issued Bidayat licenses newly issued Bidayat licenses was (-41.9%) in 2015 compared to 2014.

Growth of renewed licenses:

The growth of renewed licenses: Total renewed licenses grew from (17331) license in 2008 to (21,517) license in 2015, at annual average rate of about (3.1%) as shown in the following table:

Renewed Licenses achieved positive growth rates during the mentioned period with the exception to year 2015, where the total number of renewed licenses declined to (21.517) license, at a decreasing rate of (-4.5%) compared to 2014, as reflected in the following table: -

Period / 2008-2015 / 2008-2011 / 2012-2015 / 2014-2015
Average annual growth of total renewed licenses% / 3.1% / 4.3% / 2.0% / -4.5%

All types of renewed licenses witnessed positive growth during the period 2008-2015 at varying annual averages rates .

At the level of quarterly performance , the total number of renewed licenses for all types of licenses decreased in the last quarter of 2015 compared to the fourth quarter of 2014 at varying rates , with the exception of renewed professional licenses, which witnessed an slight increase.

Of less than 1% as shown below:

Types of renewed licenses / Last Quarter 2014 / Last Quarter 2015 / Rate of growth%
Renewed professional licenses / 2149 / 2166 / +0.8%
Renewed industrial licenses / 193 / 171 / -11.4%
Renewed trade licenses / 2873 / 2824 / -1.7%
Renewed Bidayat licenses / 5 / 4 / -20%
Total renewed licenses / 5220 / 5165 / -1.0%

Renewed trade licenses:-

The total renewed trade licenses increased at an average annual growth rate of (2.4% ) during the period 2008 - 2015, rising from (9908) renewed license in 2014 to (11,688) license in 2015, as shown below:

Period / 2008 / 2011 / 2012 / 2014 / 2015
total renewed trade licenses / 9908 / 10708 / 10917 / 12296 / 11688

Renewed trade licenses renewed grown at an annual average rate of (2.6% )during the period 2008-2011 and (2.3%) during the period 2012-2015 to decline by (5%) in 2015 to (11688) renewed license . The following table reflects the positive growth in renewed trade licenses during the period 2008-2015 with the exception of last year:

Period / 2008-2015 / 2008-2011 / 2012-2015 / 2014-2015
The average annual rate of growth for renewed trade licenses / 2.4% / 2.6% / 2.3% / -5.0%

Renewed trade license constituted about (54%) of the total renewed licenses in 2015 compared to (57%).

Renewed professional licenses:

Renewed Professional licenses grown at an annual average of (4.2%) during the period 2008 - 2015 from (6829) renewed Professional licenses at a rate of (39%) of the total licenses renewed in 2008 to (9126) License , constituting a rate of (42%) of the total licenses renewed in 2015. the following table reflects the growth of renewed Professional licenses during the period 2008 - 2015:

The number of renewed Professional licenses declined in 2015 by (-4%), while the same recorded a positive growth during other periods at an annual rate of (6.7%) during the period 2008 - 2011, as shown below: -

Period / 2008-2015 / 2008-2011 / 2012-2015 / 2014-2015
The average annual rate of growth for renewed licenses / 4.2% / 6.7% / 1.9% / -4.0%

Renewed industrial licenses :

Renewed Industrial licenses grew at an annual rate of (2.2%), rising from (590) license renewed in 2008 to (687) license renewed in 2015.

As illustrated by the following statistics:

Renewed Industrial licenses declined at a rate of (-8.9%) in 2015. The following table illustrate the average annual growth of renewed industrial licenses during the period 2008-2015:

Period / 2008-2015 / 2008-2011 / 2012-2015 / 2014-2015
Average annual growth of licenses% / +2.2% / +3.5% / +0.5% / -8.9%

Renewed Bidayat licenses:

Renewed Bidayat licenses witnessed a remarkable growth , from (4) license renewed in 2008 to (16) license renewed in 2015, at an average annual growth rate of (21.9%) as shown below:

Period / 2008 / 2011 / 2012 / 2014 / 2015
Total number of Bidayat renewed licenses / 4 / 22 / 21 / 19 / 16

The renewed Bidayat license grew at an average annual rate of ( 76.5% )during the period 2008-2011, while the period 2012 - 2015 recorded an annual average decline of (-8.7%).

The number of renewed Bidayat licenses decreased by (-15.8%) in 2015 compared to 2014 as shown in the following table:

Period / 2008-2015 / 2008-2011 / 2012-2015 / 2014-2015
Annual average growth of Bidayat renewed licenses% / +21.9% / +76.5% / -8.7% / -15.8%

Canceled licenses:-

The total number of canceled licenses for all types declined at a negative annual average rate of (-15.4%) during the period 2008 - 2015 from (1489) license canceled in 2008 to (461) license cancelled in 2015, as reflected in the following table:

All types of licenses witnessed a decrease in the number of licenses canceled during the period 2008-2015 at varying annual decline rates, where the annual rate of decline reached its peak in the number of industrial licenses canceled at (-27.3%), followed by trade licenses at (-16%) and professional licenses at (-14.5%) as shown below: -

The share of canceled trade licenses amounted to (52.5%) of the total number of (461) licenses canceled in 2015, while the number of professional licenses canceled amounted (46.6%).

The number of trade license canceled amounted (242) license in 2015, at a decreasing rate of (45.5%) compared to 2014 , the decrease in the number of licenses canceled is considered as a positive indicator , also the number of professional license canceled amounted (215) license in 2015, at a decreasing rate of (33%) compared to 2014 while Industrial licenses canceled decreased by (66.7%).

The quarterly statistics of canceled licenses indicate a decrease in the total number of canceled licenses from (107) license in the last quarter of 2014 to (53) license in the last quarter of 2015, at a decrease rate of (50.5%) and the decrease in canceled trade licenses and professional amounted ( 67.1%) and (9.3%), respectively for the same period, as reflected in the following table:

Type of canceled license / Last Quarter 2014 / Last Quarter 2015
Number of licenses / Number of licenses adminstrativly canceled / Rate of administrative cancelatiobn% / number of cancelled licenses / Number of licenses adminstrativly canceled / Rate of administrative cancelatiobn%
Trade
Professional
Industrial
Bidayat / 73
32
1
1 / 27
25
0
0 / 36.9%
78.1%
-
- / 24
29
0
0 / 9
13
1
0 / 37.5%
44.8%
-
-
Total / 107 / 52 / 53 / 23

The administrative cancelation constituted a large proportion of the total licenses canceled amounting (78.1%) of the total professional licenses canceled and (36.9%) of the total trade licenses canceled in the last quarter of 2014. The rate of administrative cancelation of trade licenses increased to (37.5%) of the total trade licenses canceled in the last quarter of 2015, while the rate of administrative cancelation of professional licenses decreased to (44.8%) of the total professional licenses canceled.

Classifying newly issued licenses by legal entity :

Legal enity / 2013 / 2014 / 2015
Number / Rate% / Number / Rate% / Number / Rate%
Single owned establishment / 1131 / 49% / 1538 / 47.7% / 1413 / 42%
A limited liability company / 584 / 25.3% / 804 / 24.9% / 804 / 23.9%
Partnership company / 4 / 0.17% / 3 / 0.09% / 6 / 0.17%
Public shareholding company / 1 / 0.04% / - / - / 2 / 0.05%
Joint venture / 2 / 0.08% / 2 / 0.06% / 1 / 0.02%
Services agent / 570 / 24.7% / 858 / 26.6% / 1076 / 32%
Business company / 4 / 0.17% / 4 / 0.12% / 8 / 0.23%
Foreign company branch / - / - / 1 / 0.03% / - / -
GCC company branch / 3 / 0.13% / 1 / 0.03% / 2 / 0.05%
Company limited by shares / 3 / 0.13% / 1 / 0.03% / 1 / 0.02%
Unclassified / 3 / 0.13% / 9 / 0.27% / 40 / 1.1%

Newly issued licenses were classified at (98%) covering three main legal forms , on the top appear the single owned establishments, followed by limited liability companies then service agent as shown below:

The number of licenses for single owned establishments increased from (1131) license in 2013 to (1413) license in 2015, at an average annual growth rate of (11.7% )during this period. Licenses for single owned establishments occupied the first rank constituting for about half of the number of newly issued licenses at a rate (49%) of the total number of newly issued licenses in 2013 then dropped to (42% ) in 2015.

Limited liability companies appear in second place in terms of the relative importance constituting for about (25%) and (24%) of the total newly issued licenses in 2013 and 2015 respectively, the licenses for limited liability companies increased from (584) license in 2013 to (804) license in 2015, at an average annual growth rate of (17.3%). Service agent licenses Increased significantly at an annual average rate of approximately (37.3%) from (570) license in 2013 to (1076) license in 2015 and its relative importance increased from (24.7%) in 2013 to (32%) of the total newly issued licenses in 2015.

Newly issued licenses classified by nationality:

Newly issued licenses for UAE nationals accounted for nearly (92% ) of the newly issued licenses in the emirate of Ajman in 2015 as shown by the following table: -

Nationality / Number
UAE / 3018
Pakistan / 8
Saudi Arabia / 7
Bangaladesh / 6
Aman / 4
India / 4
Afghanistan / 2
Bulgaria / 2
Egypt / 2
Kuwait / 1
Bahrain / 1
Others / 267

The share of Asian countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Afghanistan) amounted only (20) license of the total newly issued licenses and the share of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) amounted (13) license.

The Sectoral Concentration of commercial activities:

The newly issued trade licenses to the top ten activities in 2015:

The total number of newly issued licenses to the top ten business activities amounted (1391) license distributed as shown in the table below: -

Activity / number of issued licenses / Percentage of licenses to the top ten business activities
General maintenance contracting / 461 / 33%
Readymade garments trading / 173 / 12%
General trading / 156 / 11%
Snack food selling / 136 / 10%
Contracting for installing electromechanical equipment / 131 / 9%
Foods and beverage trading / 89 / 6%
Building contracting(G+1) / 71 / 5%
Mobile phones and accesories / 60 / 4%
Perfumes and cosmotics / 57 / 4%
Selling and buying lands and real estates / 57 / 4%
The newly issued trade licenses to the top ten commercial activities / 1391
Total licenses issued for commercial activities / 1652

Trade licenses concentrated by (33%) of the total newly issued licenses to the top ten activities , where general maintenance Contracting topped the list constituting (461) license in 2015. The activity of trading in readymade garments is the second in the list with (173) license at a rate of (11%) of the total ten activities, followed by general trade having (156) license at a rate of (10%) and selling snacks followed by (136) license at a rate of (8%)

and contracting for installation of electromechanical equipment having (131) license at a rate of ( 8%). It should be noted that the import and export operations acquired (310) license taking a rate of (22%) of the total number of licenses for the top ten activities , knowing that the import and export is not an activity in itself.

The five activities mentioned above , which topped the list at a rate of (64%) of the total newly issued trade licenses in 2015.

The Sectoralconcentration of professional activities:

The newly issued professional licenses for the top ten activities amounting for (873) constituted for (57%) of the total newly issued professional licenses in 2015, distributed among the following activities: -

Newly issued professional licenses to the top ten activities in 2015:

Activity / number of issued licenses / Percentage of new licenses to total issued for top ten activities %
Building maintenance / 123 / 14%
Building cleaning services / 105 / 12%
Resturant / 103 / 11.8%
Tile, marble and ceramic installing / 102 / 11.7%
Entrior decorations / 101 / 11.6%
Ladies dress sewing / 99 / 11.3%
embroidery / 71 / 8.1%
Mens hair cutting / 57 / 6.5%
Real estate management / 57 / 6.5%
Sewing and embroidery of women's abaya / 55 / 6.3%
Newly issued professional licenses to the top ten activities : / 873
Total new professional licenses / 1540

building maintenance activity topped the list of the top ten professional acitivities with (123) license at a rate of (14%) of the e total number of newly issued professional licenses in 2015. in the second rank came the activity for Building Cleaning Services with (105) license at a rate of ( 12%), followed by restaurants activity with (103) license at a rate of (11.8%) , then installing tile , marble , ceramics and interior design. The top five professional activities covered (61%) of the total newly issued professional licenses of the top ten professional activities at a rate of (35%) of the total newly issued professional licenses in 2015.

The Sectoral concentration for industrial activities:

The newly issued industrial licenses amounted (33) licenses covering (59%) of the total number of newly issued industrial licenses in 2015 concentrated in ten activities detailed as follows: -

Newly issued industrial licenses to the top ten activities in 2015:

Activity / number of issued licenses / Percentage of new licenses to total issued for top ten activities %
Metal works imndustry / 6 / 18%
Drinking water purification / 5 / 15%
Perfumes / 4 / 12%
Automatic bakery / 4 / 12%
Furniture industry / 3 / 9%
Scafolding industry / 3 / 9%
Aggergates / 2 / 6%
Sweets / 2 / 6%
Household sheets / 2 / 6%
Building chemicals / 2 / 6%
total newly issued industrial licenses to the top ten activities in 2015: / 33
total newly issued industrial licenses in 2015: / 56

Metal manufacturing activity is in the top of list of the top ten industrial activities covering (18%), followed by activity of drinking water purification and filtering at a rate of (15%) and perfume industry and automatic bakeries covering (12% )each, then house furniture industry and scaffolding by (9% ) of the total number of newly issued licenses for the top ten industrial activities, where the above table refers to the concentration of licenses in the top five activities at a rate of (67%) of the total newly issued industrial licenses to the top ten industrial activities.

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