Dubai cuts municipality fees at restaurants, hotels

Dubai is reducing its municipality fees on sales at local restaurants and hotels from 10% to 7%, it was revealed by Dubai Municipality.

The move, which was ordered by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, is designed to reduce the cost of doing business in Dubai and help promote it as a destination.

Last week, the Dubai Executive Council also ordered a 50% reduction in “market fees” imposed by Dubai Municipality.

"We continue working upon the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to facilitate the process of doing business, increasing the emirate's competitiveness and enhancing the partnerships between the public and private sector thus ensuring the growth of all the economic sectors, with focus on the tourism sector,” Sheikh Hamdan said.

Sheikh Hamdan added that Dubai has “a very strong tourism sector that enjoys a lot of potential and we are quite sure that it will continue its valuable contribution to the emirate's GDP".

"We are very determined in confirming Dubai's status as one of the best destinations for tourism and business worldwide and our incentive policy is directed towards the major strategic economic sectors,” he noted. “The tourism and hospitality sector is a major pillar for our policy of economic diversification and we need to develop resilient strategies and conducive environment that support the current and forecasted economic growth to ensure its sustainability."