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There are ample opportunities for doing business in the UAE. At the present time the economy is booming - GDP having risen by 20.4 per cent in 2000. Although a significant proportion of that increase was due to higher oil prices, government encouraged industrial diversification is also contributing to continuing economic prosperity. A signatory of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the UAE supports a liberal economy and is committed to free trade. The UAE currency is secure and freely convertible. There are no restrictions on profit transfer or capital repatriation. Import duties are low (4 per cent) and in the case of foodstuffs, medicine, agricultural products, and items imported for use in the free zones are non-existent. Labor costs are competitive and corporate tax and personal taxes are nil. In addition every effort is being made to reduce the paperwork involved in establishing a business in the UAE. These factors combined with a strategic, accessible location, an excellent reliable infrastructure and an extremely pleasant and safe working environment bode well for future investment. (Source UAEinteract.com)