The UAE has long been a beacon for ambitious entrepreneurs, investors, and international businesses. With its dynamic mix of mainland and free zone jurisdictions, navigating the regulatory landscape has traditionally involved working with multiple licensing authorities. But the launch of the National Economic Register (NER) has changed that, offering a single federal platform to verify and understand the legal existence of any company operating in the country.
The NER is now one of the most powerful digital tools in the UAE’s economic infrastructure. It consolidates business data from every emirate and licensing body, including all free zones. For companies, it means greater visibility, easier compliance, and a simplified route to legitimacy. For investors and regulators, it provides reliable, real-time data to support commercial transparency and national strategy.
What Is the National Economic Register (NER) in the UAE?
A Federal Gateway to UAE Business Information
The NER is a government-maintained digital platform that aggregates basic licence information for all businesses operating across the UAE. Whether a company is based in a mainland jurisdiction or within one of over 40 free zones, the NER brings its details into a unified, searchable record.
This register was introduced to support economic openness, fight financial crime, and improve trust in the UAE’s corporate ecosystem. Its public-facing database offers real-time access to trade names, licence statuses, issuing authorities, legal forms, and activity sectors.
Legal Framework and Rollout Timeline
The NER was mandated by Cabinet Decision No. 7 of 2018, which required all licensing authorities, including free zone registrars and offshore centres, to submit essential business data to the Ministry of Economy. The platform went live in 2019.
Federal Decree-Law No. 37 of 2021 then cemented the register’s legal foundation, formally designating it as the national reference point for commercial registration. This law introduced the Unified Economic Number (UEN), a unique identifier for every business, ensuring consistency across government databases. By late 2024, the government had rebranded the NER as “Nomu” and integrated it with over 46 licensing bodies nationwide.
How the NER Connects with UAE Free Zones
Unifying 40+ Independent Free Zone Registries
Free zones in the UAE are autonomous jurisdictions, each with its own rules, licensing systems and databases. Until recently, their records were siloed from federal and mainland systems. The NER solved that disconnect by creating a central platform where all licensing bodies, including those in DMCC, JAFZA, RAKEZ, ADGM and DIFC, submit synchronised business data.
Each company is assigned a Unified Economic Number, allowing its records to be tracked and validated across ministries, tax authorities, banks and other institutions. This national visibility ensures that free zone companies can now be verified just as easily as mainland businesses.
What Free Zone Data Appears in the NER
The information listed for free zone companies includes:
- Legal or trade name
- Licence number and type
- Issuing a free zone authority
- Business activity classifications
- Legal form (e.g. FZE, branch)
- Licence status (active, expired, cancelled)
This is strictly foundational information and does not disclose shareholder identities, capital structures or financial data. Sensitive disclosures, such as beneficial ownership, are handled through separate regulatory filings.
What NER Integration Means for Businesses
Improved Public Visibility and Verification
For free zone companies, one of the most valuable outcomes of NER integration is increased transparency. Previously, verifying a free zone licence required checking a zone-specific database – if it existed at all. Today, banks, investors, and trade partners can verify a company’s existence and status through a central, government-backed search portal.
This not only reduces friction in cross-border and inter-emirate business dealings, but it also boosts trust. Being visible on the NER signals legitimacy and alignment with federal regulations.
Streamlined Licensing and Compliance Monitoring
By linking free zone data to a national register, the NER supports compliance across multiple frameworks. It enhances the enforcement of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policies, Economic Substance Regulations (ESR), and corporate tax registration requirements.
As an example, if a free zone company fails to maintain accurate information, it risks discrepancies being flagged during due diligence. Likewise, regulatory authorities can cross-check licence status when assessing compliance with tax obligations or UBO filings.
How the NER Supports Federal Compliance Goals
Role in Economic Substance and UBO Regulations
The NER works in tandem with the UAE’s other key transparency measures. While it does not show the identities of shareholders or beneficial owners, it is structurally linked to those systems. A company’s presence in the NER is often used to confirm its legal standing before deeper compliance reviews are initiated.
Cabinet Resolution No. 58 of 2020, which governs UBO disclosure, applies to both mainland and free zone companies. The NER helps authorities track the universe of licensed businesses, ensuring no entity escapes regulatory oversight due to its jurisdiction.
Data Sharing Across Government Entities
The Ministry of Economy, the Federal Tax Authority, and the local Departments of Economic Development all rely on NER data to identify businesses, enforce corporate tax registration, and generate economic reports. Since all entities are tied to a unified economic number, cross-agency workflows are streamlined.
For example, a company registered in a free zone will have its licence synced with the Ministry of Economy. That same identifier can be used by a bank to verify its standing, or by the tax authority to check for missing filings.
Benefits for Free Zone Entrepreneurs and Investors
Enhanced Trust and Operational Credibility
Inclusion in the NER boosts a company’s credibility. It signals that the business is registered, regulated, and compliant with national frameworks. For startups and SMEs in free zones, this visibility can be a major advantage when opening bank accounts, applying for tenders, or negotiating supplier contracts.
It also levels the playing field between free zone and mainland companies. In the past, investors may have viewed free zone firms as less transparent. The NER helps eliminate that perception by making them equally discoverable.
Practical Use Cases
NER entries are now routinely checked during bank onboarding, KYC reviews, and immigration processes. Government entities use the register to confirm whether licences are valid before issuing visas or permits.
Even within the private sector, the NER has become a tool for commercial due diligence. Procurement teams, venture capital firms, and real estate developers use it to validate potential business partners without needing to request licence copies or rely on informal references.
Recent Statistics and Platform Developments
National Licensing Data at Scale
As of late 2024, the NER included over 1.5 million commercial licences, both active and cancelled, from every emirate. More than 60,000 of these were free zone businesses, a number that has grown steadily since the platform’s inception.
This data has been used in economic forecasting, sectoral planning, and public investment strategies. For example, the Ministry of Economy used NER insights to track sector performance during the COVID-19 recovery period and to identify which zones were attracting the most startups.
Launch of the “Nomu” Platform
In 2024, the Ministry of Economy launched an enhanced version of the register under the name “Nomu” (meaning “growth”). It provides services to users in both Arabic and English, and links to over 46 local and federal authorities.
The government has announced plans to expand the portal to connect with 100 entities and deliver up to 500 services, including licence applications, investment opportunity mapping, and automated compliance alerts.
What’s Next for the NER and UAE Free Zones
Towards a Single Digital Business Identity
The NER is gradually becoming the nucleus of a much larger digital business identity framework. There are already plans to link it with the Bashr startup platform and integrate corporate tax onboarding. This could lead to a future where free zone businesses can manage registration, compliance, and operations through one unified portal.
Other developments may include real-time licensing analytics, AI-based compliance notifications, and smart dashboards for economic decision-makers.
Evolving Policy and Strategic Use
As global pressure grows around data transparency and beneficial ownership, the UAE is expected to continue evolving the NER to meet best practices. Its use may extend to linking Legal Entity Identifiers (LEIs), allowing international regulators and counterparties to verify UAE entities more easily.
There are also discussions underway about developing tiered access to the register, so that banks and authorised parties can view additional data without compromising privacy.
A Unified Register for a Unified Economy
The National Economic Register has fundamentally changed the business data landscape in the UAE. It bridges the gap between local authorities and federal oversight, mainland registries and free zones, public users and policymakers.
For free zone businesses, the message is clear: you are now part of a national, transparent, and digitally integrated economy. The NER doesn’t just improve compliance. It unlocks trust, simplifies verification, and raises the profile of UAE-registered companies on the global stage.
Thinking of setting up in a UAE free zone? DUQE can help you establish a visible, compliant business that appears on the national register from day one. Talk to our experts to get started.
FAQS
Is there a fee to search the NER or access company information?
No, the National Economic Register is publicly accessible and available for free use. You can search for UAE-licensed businesses online without needing an account or subscription.
How often is the NER updated with new or amended licence data?
The NER receives regular updates directly from licensing authorities, although the frequency of these updates can vary by jurisdiction. Most authorities sync records in near real-time or on a scheduled basis.
Can I download or export company information from the NER?
At present, the platform does not offer public download or export options. The information is available for online viewing only.
Does the NER show historical licence data or only current records?
The platform includes both active and cancelled licences. However, it does not display a full licence history or previous company names unless the company is currently registered.
Can I search the NER by activity or sector instead of trade name?
Yes. The Nomu platform allows filtered searches by business activity, legal form, emirate, and licensing body in addition to company name or licence number.
Does the NER include information on offshore companies or international branches?
Only entities licensed within the UAE are listed. Offshore companies registered outside the UAE or international branches are not included unless they hold a UAE-issued commercial licence.
Is there a mobile app or API access for the NER?
As of now, the NER is a web-based platform. The government has indicated future plans to expand its capabilities, potentially including APIs or mobile functionality.
How do I correct or update incorrect information on the NER?
Businesses should contact their licensing authority (e.g. free zone registrar or DED) directly to amend any errors. The corrected data will be reflected on the NER once updated at the source.
Is the NER linked to the UAE visa or immigration systems?
Not directly. However, government entities may consult the NER to verify a company’s legal status before processing visas or issuing related permits.
Can I see who owns or controls a company on the NER?
No. The NER displays basic licence data only. Ownership and shareholder details are recorded separately through the UBO registry, which is not publicly accessible.