Property developers in Abu Dhabi have welcomed the news that the emirate’s Executive Council is planning to set up a one-stop shop for construction permits.
Abu Dhabi Executive Council announced on Saturday that it had approved plans to issue construction permits at the Municipal Affairs and Transport Authority.
The council said the move would speed up the planning process in Abu Dhabi.
Developers say that under the current system each submission can take about 30 days to be reviewed by the municipality, as officials have to seek approvals from as many as eight or nine other city authorities, including Abu Dhabi Distribution Company, the Department of Transport and Etisalat.
Under the city’s new property law published at the end of last year, developers are now required to hold a valid construction permit before they are allowed to launch property sales.
“Although we are still unsure of the details, it looks like this new one-stop shop will be tremendously beneficial,” said Sameh Muhtadi, the chief executive at Abu Dhabi property developer Bloom Holding.
“We hope that under the new system each of the officials required to offer consent for a building permit will be located under the same roof. That would really speed up the process. Also, we hope it will provide a lot more visibility so we can find out if there is a problem and how to rectify it more quickly.”
lbarnard@thenational.ae
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