The Middle East

This chapter provides an overview of tax regulations in Abu Dhabi. It includes information on corporate taxation, foreign investment incentives and free trade zone advantages for foreign businesses. It also provides a guide to intellectual property law and import taxation.

Recent growth within the media and advertising sector has highlighted the potential of local creative industries. Indeed, going forward the industry is expected to expand considerably, with advertising projected to top $94m in 2015. However, the sector is also undergoing a number of important changes. Newspaper and radio advertising, for example, is expected to decline slightly between 2011 and...

As one of the 12 strategic sectors identified in Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, tourism plays a central role in the government’s plan to reduce the economy’s reliance on the hydrocarbons industry. To this end, Abu Dhabi has invested heavily in the sector in recent years, creating more attractions to draw tourists, as well as building hotels and expanding the national airline. Indeed, the tourism...

In tandem with the increasing diversification of Abu Dhabi’s economy, the information and communications technology (ICT) industry has come to take on a more prominent role, featuring a much broader range of businesses than was the case even five years ago. Telecoms companies in the UAE are continuing to invest in the country’s physical infrastructure, which is among the most advanced in the...

Like much of the Gulf region, Abu Dhabi is largely made up of desert, and as such, agriculture accounts for only a small proportion of the economic output of the emirate – less than 1% of GDP. Despite Abu Dhabi importing the majority of its food, the sector is set to witness important developments in areas such as aquaculture, organic food and water conservation. Date production continues to be a...

While the emirate currently maintains one of the more respected educational systems in the region, the sector continues to develop and possesses tremendous potential for sustainable and long-term growth. Recent efforts have focused on upgrading the present academic system by reducing gaps between vocational education and industry and between secondary and tertiary education. Several organisations...