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The Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development reported a 33.5 percent rise in newly issued economic licences for the third quarter of 2026 from the second quarter, according to data released through the Emirates News Agency. The authority’s figures also showed a 15.9 percent decline in cancelled licences over the same comparison, which drove a 101.7 percent improvement in net licence additions. This performance reflects expanding business formations across commercial, professional and industrial activities in the emirate, the department stated in its quarterly review.
Total active economic licences stood at 22,447 by the end of September 2026, a 4.1 percent increase from the year-earlier period, RAK-DED data shows. Registered capital for those licences climbed to 11.96 billion dirhams, marking 12 percent annual growth and pointing to higher-value investments taking root. The department’s assessment found that these indicators demonstrate strengthening momentum in the business environment.
Earlier RAK-DED statistics placed active commercial licences at 21,575 in the third quarter of 2025, a 5.7 percent rise from the prior year, according to a Gulf Today report on the authority’s release. Newly established licences three years old or younger accounted for 24.6 percent of the total at that time, up 17.5 percent from the year before. The pattern indicates a balance between emerging and mature enterprises, a commercial affairs official noted at the time.
The department completed 25,622 electronic transactions in the first half of 2026 with full digital processing and a 96 percent customer satisfaction rate, a separate RAK-DED statement indicated. It issued 2,465 commercial permits during that period as part of more than 47 remote services available for licensing and regulatory needs. This digital infrastructure has eased market entry for investors and supported subsequent licence expansion, the authority said.
New business licences grew 31.5 percent across all of 2025 to reach 1,789, pushing total active licences to 21,938 by year-end with registered capital at 10.9 billion dirhams, according to an Arabian Business review of the department’s annual figures. Wholesale and retail trade held the largest share of capital while licences more than 10 years old comprised 52 percent of the base, illustrating both stability and renewal. The department attributed the trends to policies fostering a competitive and sustainable economy.
Historical records from the Ras Al Khaimah Statistics Centre placed new licences issued by the department at 2,265 in 2024, contributing to cumulative growth in the business registry over recent years. Capital associated with industrial licences showed particular strength in that period, aligning with the emirate’s diversification objectives. The latest quarterly data continues this trajectory, the current RAK-DED report concluded.
