Trakhees, the Licensing and Services Department at Dubai's Department of Planning and Development, completed 22,823 customer transactions across the emirate's special development zones in the first half of 2026, according to figures released by the department.

The transactions covered businesses and individuals operating in zones including International City, Palm Jumeirah, The World Islands, Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Maritime City, Al Jaddaf and Jebel Ali Village.

Employment visas make up the bulk

Employment visa transactions accounted for 11,603 of the total, or roughly 51 percent, making them the single largest category of activity handled by Trakhees during the period.

A further 7,923 transactions, around 35 percent of the total, related to labour disputes, no-objection certificates, services for non-sponsored individuals and occupational health cards. Combined with employment visas, these two categories made up 19,526 transactions, more than 85 percent of everything Trakhees processed in the first half of the year.

Establishment card transactions totaled 1,271, while other service categories accounted for 2,026 transactions.

What it means for businesses in the zones

For companies and workers operating within Dubai's special development zones, the numbers point to a heavy reliance on Trakhees for employment-related paperwork, from visas to labour dispute resolution. Firms based in these areas depend on the department to keep staffing and compliance processes moving, and the volume of transactions in just six months underscores how central this administrative work is to daily operations in the zones.

Eng. Abdulla Mohammed Belhoul, CEO of the Department of Planning and Development – Trakhees, said: "These results reflect our ongoing efforts to enhance service efficiency and accelerate the completion of customer transactions across the special development zones. We remain committed to continuously improving our procedures to enhance service quality and meet our customers' needs."

Trakhees operates under the Department of Planning and Development, which is linked to Dubai's Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, and is responsible for licensing and services across the emirate's special development zones.

Reported by Government of Dubai Media Office.