Purchase OBG Publications

This chapter contains a rundown of taxation in Dubai, with explanations of the situation regarding income tax, municipal and property tax, and tax treaties, among other topics. It also contains an analysis of the Dubai International Financial Centre. This chapter contains a viewpoint from Mahmud Merali, Managing Partner, MERALI’s.

Over the last decade, through committed investments and the reduced influence of traditional media centres such as Egypt, Dubai has grown into a centre for media production of all types. The emirate’s cluster of media-oriented free zones has drawn many leading print, digital and broadcasting companies, and the government is expanding its film-making facilities to attract foreign productions. Seen as a base from which companies can serve both local and regional markets, Dubai is home to an increasingly mature, and thus far resilient, print sector, a steady broadcast industry and a growing number of film producers. Despite the challenges, notably a more competitive global marketplace, trends are generally positive, and most indications point towards Dubai’s media sector continuing to see significant growth.

Easy access to air and sea transport, combined with expansions at the Jebel Ali Port and of the national airline, has helped establish Dubai’s position as both a trans-shipment hub and a destination for export industries. The industrial sector continues to provide a major contribution to non-oil GDP, with heavy industries able to take advantage of low energy prices. The emirate’s free zones are perhaps the most important driver of manufacturing growth, responsible for around 75% of exports and more than 25% of Dubai’s GDP in 2012. Key outputs, including refined petrochemicals products (plastics, fertilisers, synthetics), aluminium, precious metals and processed foods, are expected to trend positively throughout 2014, buoyed by strong economic fundamentals and major planned infrastructure and development projects.

Through strong government support, an attractive business environment and innovative free zones, Dubai has established itself as a leading regional centre for information and communications technology (ICT). Improved infrastructure for modernising technology is also helping domestic players diversify their services for an increasingly tech-savvy clientele, with demand for regionally and locally specific applications and content in multiple languages, particularly Arabic, set to grow. Most of this demand will be met by large, established companies, but increasingly start-ups, and even individuals, could begin to play a role in the market as well. For business customers, managed solutions and cloud-based services will steadily replace the traditional model of software and hardware sales throughout the region, with Dubai well placed to benefit from this trend. This chapter contains an interview with Osman Sultan, CEO, du.

As the emirate leverages its diverse leisure activities and central location, medical tourism looks set to grow beyond the $1.69bn in revenue earned in 2012. A number of health and pharmaceutical groups are eyeing Dubai as a regional centre, owing to its well-developed transport and communication links and ongoing advances in technology and research. Insurance is not currently required by law; however, legislation is in the works to introduce an employer-based health insurance mandate. When it is implemented, the law is expected to bring with it a shift in the quantity and type of medical services demanded in the emirate. This chapter contains an interview with Essa Al Haj Al Maidoor, Director-General, Dubai Health Authority.

Dubai continues to develop the strong foundations upon which to build a knowledge-based economy. The emirate has built a unique education system to fit its population’s needs by harnessing the capacity of the private sector, while also continuing to develop a more sophisticated regulatory framework to ensure every school is delivering quality education. Enrolment in private schools has grown by an average annual rate of 7.3% over the past 10 years, with 34 new schools opening in the past five years. Growth has been strong and steady, and if projections are correct, there will be a need for continued investments in the development of new schools and the expansion of existing ones in the near and medium term.