Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA) reported that new economic licences issued in the emirate rose 5% in the first half of 2026 from the same period a year earlier. Renewed licences also increased 5%, while advertising permits grew 14%, according to the authority’s 8 October update. The release describes year-on-year changes, not the total number of active businesses or licences.

ADRA said 151 industrial licences progressed through construction and production stages, with investment exceeding AED106 million. Freelancer licences rose 224%, Mobdea licences 10%, Tajer Abu Dhabi licences 8%, and crafts and occupational licences 136%; commercial licences increased 4%. These are category-specific comparisons against H1 2025 and cannot be added into a single growth rate. The authority also said it introduced 11 economic activities and policies and service links intended to ease business procedures; the release does not give a counterfactual to establish how much any one measure contributed to the changes.