Dubai, March 31 Dubai has introduced a series of economic measures, including incentives worth AED 1 billion, for the next three to six months to help businesses and individuals overcome financial difficulties.
The Executive Council of Dubai, in a meeting chaired by Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has approved a series of initiatives and strategies, empowering individuals and society, promoting trade and investment, enhancing measures for assessing economic performance, and safeguarding the workforce.
This move comes at a time when countries around the world are facing supply chain challenges due to disruptions in international trade triggered by the ongoing war in West Asia involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
The initiative, to be implemented from April 1, is designed to ease financial pressures on businesses and individuals across various sectors.
The measures include deferring the payment of government fees for three months and allowing hotels to postpone paying 100 per cent of sales fees and Tourism Dirham for three months to enhance liquidity in the hospitality and tourism sectors.
A set of economic incentives totalling AED 1 billion will be implemented over a period of three to six months starting April 1, 2026.
In addition, the country will streamline the issuance and renewal of residency permits, making it easier for talent to live and work in Dubai.
"Dubai has earned a reputation for credibility, transparency, and trust among businesses and investors worldwide, and stands ready to meet any challenge through the determination of its people and the strength of its inclusive society," said Sheikh Hamdan, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE.
He said the Executive Council has approved five key projects and initiatives: AED1 billion in economic incentives for Dubai's economy and society at large; results highlighting Dubai's economic growth during the fourth quarter of 2025, along with an updated methodology for measuring the emirate's GDP; the Virtual Warehouses Initiative; the Dubai Empowerment Strategy; and the Health and Safety Strategy for Workers' Accommodation.
The measures reflect Dubai's commitment to providing practical support to individuals, families, and businesses.
The Health and Safety Strategy for Workers' Accommodation initiative is a major step towards improving living and working conditions for workers across Dubai.
By 2033, the strategy targets 100 per cent access to essential services for workers and 100 per cent compliance of workers' accommodations with health and safety regulations.
The initiative supports the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and aligns with International Labour Organization (ILO) regulations, reflecting Dubai's commitment to worker welfare and sustainable urban growth.
The Executive Council also approved Dubai's economic performance for the fourth quarter of 2025, during which the emirate registered a 6.4 per cent growth.
During the year, Dubai's GDP grew by 5.4 per cent, reaching AED 937 billion.
Further, the Council endorsed a comprehensive update to the methodology for measuring Dubai's GDP.
The updated approach expands the scope of economic surveys, broadens statistical coverage to represent all economic activities more accurately, and introduces more comprehensive databases that better reflect actual performance.
The Virtual Warehouses Initiative, approved by the Executive Council, will facilitate temporary imports into Dubai to ensure the smooth flow of goods, including artwork.
Under the new temporary admission declaration, the scheme exempts imports of artwork from customs duties and financial guarantees and suspends duties on private artworks for three years.
It also removes geographical restrictions, simplifies time extensions, and introduces virtual copies of artworks for continuous tracking.
By streamlining the entry of high-value artworks, the initiative cements Dubai's status as a leading global centre in this field, and offers specialised solutions tailored for high-net-worth individuals.