Come build! Dubai eases rules to boost growth

Dubai is a city known for its beautiful skyscrapers and now investors looking to add their touch to the city's skyline will soon be able to do so, quickly and easily, thanks to a new initiative streamlining access to building permits here.

VP orders 'one-stop shop' to speed up procedures for building permits in emirate

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved a new strategy for Building Permit Procedures Development in the city.

Providing a "one-stop shop", where all the procedures and building permits processes can be completed under one roof, the strategy will help speed up the process of acquiring building permits from government entities concerned.

The main aim of the strategy is to assist investors in the real estate sector and promote Dubai's booming investment climate and boost growth.

Set up by Dubai's Committee for Building Permit Procedures Development, the new strategy will further add to the appeal of Dubai, and will no doubt enhance its prominent position as a city where the active building and construction sector plays an important role as a key component of the economic development.

Comprising of three pillars, the first step will relate to developing and streamlining building permit procedures.

The second will hone in on practices related to unifying systems and requirements, while the third will provide a service where all the processes can be completed in one place.

Assistant director-general of Dubai Municipality of engineering and planning, and head of the committee Daoud AbdulRahman Al Hajri said the new strategy reflects the vision of Sheikh Mohammed in aiming to enhance customers' happiness and save them time and effort to create a stimulating environment.

As for the strategy preparation process, Al Hajri noted that since its formation in February 2017, the committee held several meetings and workshops with the concerned stakeholders to discuss the various details of acquiring building permits. The committee also formed four teams to conduct detailed researches and studies.

Minimising the Permits steps and timing

The first pillar of the strategy aims to minimise the required time to acquire permits through a new set of integrated steps.

The committee has simplified the procedure to just five steps, through which the involved public authorities can conduct all the inspection tasks through unified teams, while all the concerted departments are required to reply to all the submitted applications within three days for each of the five steps if the consultant and the contractor meet all the requirements.

This is a record time to complete the permit procedures, which will provide a unique customer service.

Unifying building systems and requirements

In order to provide a set of aligned procedures that will be a pillar for the process of acquiring permits during the next stage, the committee is currently working on putting a unified building regulation for Dubai to provide a comprehensive guideline for the customers.

The committee will also register the contracting and consulting companies, after the meeting that it held with the key stakeholders to discuss the features of the new strategy and the benefits it provides to the building and construction sector.

One stop shop for all permit procedures

The strategy focuses on digital and electronic advancement to develop the permitting process though keeping up-to-date with the smart transformation in all Dubai Government entities and departments.

Therefore, it will develop a set of smart electronic systems to build a central unified scheme to provide smart services through one window and on the phone, where customers (consultants, contractors, owners and developers) can follow up on the status of their permit request, pay fees and insurance and book appointments.

The one stop shop will be linked to Dubai Building Permit System, which will be developed to include the requirements of all the authorities involved in the permitting process in Dubai.

This article was originally published here on khaleejtimes.com