There is no denying the fact that almost every major economy in the world was adversely affected by the pandemic. The world’s major financial capitals, be it New York, London, Tokyo or Shanghai were reeling under the sheer destruction of the Coronavirus.
After almost being in the pandemic for the last two years, the world’s economy is slowly recovering. However, with new variants of the virus still causing worldwide destruction, going back to pre-pandemic times still remains a distant reality.
Different nations of the world reacted differently to taking measures that would help them get their economy back on track. In this regard, the country of UAE has been lauded for its proactive engagements towards addressing the problem at hand.
In this article, we explore why entrepreneurs are driving growth in the UAE in the post-pandemic period. Specifically, we explore five reasons why the UAE is emerging as a major center of the world’s financial power in the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The UAE Government’s Response to the Pandemic
It is no secret that the government of the UAE was one of the most proactive ones amongst all other nations. They realized that in order to build the region as one of the world’s financial capitals, it needed to create a safe and secure environment for businesses and professionals.
The following are some of the major steps that the UAE government took-
- It helped the suffering SME and MSME community by offering generous stimulus and financial aid packages to help them sustain their operations.
- The government was quick to get in touch with the vaccine companies and ensure an adequate supply of the same for its populations.
- COVID-19 Testing was made free to the residents of the country. This ensures speedy testing all through the length and breadth of the country.
- The government understood that keeping its borders closed for a very long time was detrimental to the business community and hence opened them quickly.
- There were mass disinfection and sanitation campaigns that ensured that the city and its ecosystem were cleaned and sanitized to limit the chances of virus spread.
All the above measures helped not only the local business community but also foreign corporations, professionals, and UAE’s thriving expat population.
Tax Benefits and Entrepreneurship: Is it Helpful?
Let us try to understand the tax benefits provided by the UAE by comparing it to the EU. Europe was badly hit by the pandemic. While there was recovery, businesses still reeled under the weight of high Corporate Taxes.
Take, for example, the average Corporate Tax in Europe which stands at 21.7%. This is incredibly high. When you compare the same with UAE, you realize why the world’s biggest corporations are moving to UAE. There is Zero Corporate Tax in UAE.
While there are some taxes levied in industry niches like banking, hotels, and oil, every other business is exempted from corporate taxes. It is best that you work and take help from a Dubai law firm to better understand how tax benefits work for foreign corporations.
Additionally, there is No Income Tax. The government has started levying 5% VAT on goods and services. However, almost all major financial publications point out that this has not been able to dent the pro-business impact or confidence of entrepreneurs in the UAE.
Emphasis on Innovation, Expertise, and Non-Energy Businesses
For the last decade, there has been a growing emphasis on moving away from energy resources in the nation of UAE. This has made them adopt pro-business policies for corporations that are working in tech, data, agriculture technology (agritech), green energy, cybersecurity, and more.
With the easy availability of funding and other resources, many leading tech entrepreneurs of the world have either moved to Dubai or are in the process of making a transition. With several lifestyle choices, entertainment options, and a secular outlook, UAE is emerging as a major destination that attracts expats from all over the world.
According to the World Bank Report, UAE and its Emirate of Dubai have been ranked 11th in its ‘Ease of Doing Business Report’. This goes to show how hard the government and leaders have worked to reduce its dependency on fossil fuel energy sources.
The Final Takeaway
With the world’s economy experiencing the positive benefits of vaccination programs, nations are looking to bounce back from the disasters of the pandemic. You can say that UAE has got a head start when it comes to rebuilding the world’s economy in the post-pandemic period.
By working with expert legal professionals in UAE, you too can hope to jump on the growth story of UAE. If you have any questions on the topic which you would like us to address, please let us know in the comments below.