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Abu Dhabi: Freelance License

Abu Dhabi: Freelance License

The Department of Economic Development (AD-DED) has announced that it will grant “freelancer licenses” to 48 types of businesses to be conducted in Abu Dhabi, these sectors include, both private businesses and service sectors, such as consultancy in computer hardware and software, real estate, legal consultancy, public relations, fine art, tourism, and so on.

This License will be available to all, citizens, residents and non-residents. It will, therefore, allow license holders ease of conducting business flexibly, from home or authorized locations. Residents employed by the government or private sector will also be able to avail this option, subject to receiving a non-objection letter from their employer.

The steps taken by the DED are all part and parcel of the country’s new initiative of making the country a commercial hub by attracting investment and diversifying the employment sector.

As per the announcement, the requirements of obtaining a license under this regime are:

  1. The applicant must provide proof of expertise in any of the 48 sectors listed by the DED, this may be in the form of a university degree. A certificate of experience or any accredited accomplishments in that particular sector.
  2. The applicant is required to receive a no-objection letter from their employer in case they are a government or a private sector employee under a permanent contract. However, if the applicant is an employee in the private sector on a part-time basis, there is no requirement for a non-objection letter from the employer.
  3. The contract between the parties shall contain terms that define, working hours, holidays and all such general requirements of the license.

The objectives that the Freelance license aims to achieve are:

  1. Enable businesses to broaden their scope of expertise in the market.
  2. Elimination of the need to employ such persons who are only required periodically.
  3. Flexibility to employees and workers to work remotely or from authorized locations
  4. Help boost the income of various groups of people, such as university students, retirees and housewives.