UAE – Mubasher: Dubai Chamber of Commerce (DCC) has attracted a record number of 67,222 new members in 2023, up 20% year-on-year (YoY) from the number of new companies joined in 2022.

The number of DCC’s active members surged 26.8% YoY to 217,788 last year, while the value of members’ exports and re-exports grew by 4.30% YoY to more than AED 284 billion, according to a press release.

In 2023, the Dubai International Chamber (DIC) also attracted 138 overseas businesses to the emirate, including 34 multinational companies (MNCs) and 104 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The DIC also oversaw the expansion of 77 local companies in the international market during 2023, a figure that is 756% higher than in 2022.

The chamber launched 16 new offices around the world last year, bringing the total number of its international offices to 31.

Meanwhile, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy achieved a 916% annual surge in its activity in 2023 by attracting nine MNCs in the digital industries to Dubai, along with 549 high-tech startups.

Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chambers, said: “2023 has been another year of landmark achievements for Dubai Chambers in which we furthered our commitment to serving our members’ interests.”

“The record growth in the number of new member companies is a testament to our success in enhancing the competitiveness of the business community,” Al Ghurair added.

He stressed that Dubai Chambers prioritises supporting the private sector in line with the emirate’s vision to advance sustainable development and achieve the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33).

For his part, Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, stated: “Dubai Chambers has successfully achieved many of its strategic objectives, despite the global climate of economic uncertainty.”

“We are committed to strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors and driving economic growth while focusing on the interests of our members and businesses in Dubai,” he added.

In October 2023, the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy launched a platform for digital companies expanding in the emirate.

Meanwhile, the Dubai International Chamber announced a target to incentivize 100 businesses located in Dubai to expand their operations globally by the end of 2024.