With a growth rate of 3% SEDD Issues and Renews 6440 Licenses in April 2026

Hamad Ali Abdulla Al Mahmoud: Sharjah's economy has shown exceptional resilience and high growth potential

Sharjah's economy continued its strong performance during April 2026, recording positive growth indicators that reflect the robustness of the investment environment and the efficiency of the economic system in the emirate, as the total number of economic licenses issued and renewed reached 6440 licenses, with a growth rate of 3% compared to the same period last year, according to the data released by Sharjah Economic Development Department “SEDD”.

Therefore, SEDD confirmed that Sharjah achieved a remarkable growth in the movement of business licenses during last April, as the number of renewed licenses increased to 5843, while the number of new licenses issued reached 597, in an indicator that reflects the continuation of economic activity and investors' confidence in the business environment in Sharjah.

Commenting on that, HE Hamad Ali Abdulla Al Mahmoud, SEDD Chairman and Member of Sharjah Executive Council, said that the economic indicators confirm the continuation of the investment momentum and sustainable growth witnessed by the Emirate, noting that these results reflect the confidence of the business community and investors in the promising economic opportunities provided by Sharjah in various sectors.

Also, HE added that Sharjah's economy has shown exceptional resilience and a high capacity for growth over the past month, even in light of geopolitical tensions and surrounding regional challenges, stressing that the emirate has succeeded in turning challenges into real opportunities for growth, thanks to the diversification of its economy, the development of its infrastructure, and the continuation of development and urban projects in various cities of the emirate.

Enhancing Competitiveness Al Mahmoud explained that the economic strategy pursued by Sharjah, which goes in line with the directives of the wise leadership, contributes to enhancing the emirate's competitiveness and achieving escalating growth rates, pointing out that the continuous development in the service sectors, the improvement of the quality of services and the speed of completing transactions have contributed to enhancing the emirate's attractiveness to local and foreign investments. HE pointed out that the Emirate continues to work to develop the business environment and provide a flexible and advanced economic system, which relies on multiple elements of attraction, including strategic location, modern infrastructure, and smart government services, to support attracting more investors and entrepreneurs during the next phase. HE also stressed that the business license movement during April reflects the sustainability of Sharjah's economic growth and strengthens its position as one of the most prominent economic and investment destinations in the region.

Growth in Issued Licenses by Type According to the report issued by SEDD, the growth rate of licenses issued by type of license increased, as commercial licenses topped the distribution by type of license last April, reaching 310 licenses issued, followed by professional licenses with 170 licenses, then industrial licenses, which reached 43 licenses, while “Eitimad” and e-commerce licenses ranked fourth with 37 licenses. With regard to renewed licenses, commercial licenses came first with a total of 3730 licenses, followed by professional licenses with 1712 licenses, industrial licenses with 309 licenses, while the number of “Eitimad” domestic licenses reached 65 licenses, and e-commerce licenses with 27 ones.

Licenses Geographical Distribution In the context of the geographical distribution of issued licenses, the Emirate of Sharjah recorded 449 licenses issued in April this year, followed by the Central Region with an average of 56 licenses, while the Eastern Region recorded 51 licenses issued at the same time. Also, the transactions of instant electronic licenses issued amounted to 41 licenses. As for the geographical distribution of renewed business licenses during the same period, the Emirate of Sharjah registered 4757 renewed licenses, followed by the Eastern Region with 564 licenses, then the Eastern Region with 495 ones, while the transactions of instant renewed electronic licenses reached 27 licenses.

17019 Commercial Control Transaction Additionally, SEDD is committed to working with traders and consumers to create a fair relationship between the two parties, as the Department communicates through all possible means with consumers in the markets of Sharjah, to raise their awareness and introduce them to their basic rights through the provision of platforms, websites and continuous field tours. Due to such effortless efforts, the total commercial control transactions during the last month reached 17019 transactions, with a growth of 3% compared to the same period of 2025.

2041 Total Trade Protection Complaints Furthermore, the total number of commercial protection complaints reached 2041 complaints, with the largest share of consumer protection complaints amounting to 1539 complaints, followed by commercial fraud complaints with 108 complaints, while the number of complaints from a service agent reached 83 complaints. Moreover, SEDD calls consumers to report any violation cases or illegal commercial practices through contacting the Department via the call center (80080000) or by visiting the it’s website (www.sedd.ae) or via the smart application, within the framework of active participation in monitoring the markets.