Abu Dhabi has announced that investors with economic licences that have been expired for three years or more can update without paying late renewal fee.
In the first phase, licences expired prior to 2010 can be renewed or updated in November 2025 and the investors do not have to pay the late renewal fees. The grace period in November is a huge relief for investors as it eases the licence updating process while avoiding penalties.
There is no announcement regarding the licences expired after 2010 as of now and reports suggest that the Abu Dhabi Registration and Licensing Authority (ADRA) will issue notification regarding this at a later date.
Licences that are not renewed are moved to an expired registry, as per Abu Dhabi regulations. If they are not renewed for three years, they are likely to get revoked.
In the first half of 2025, active licences in Abu Dhabi surged 19 per cent compared to the corresponding six months in 2024.
“This initiative supports the ease of doing business by allowing investors to regularise expired licences, while also streamlining processes that enable them to seize the promising opportunities within Abu Dhabi’s dynamic economy,” the Khaleej Times quoted Mohammed Munif Al Mansoori, Director General of ADRA, as saying.
