Cleaning & Facilities Management in the UAE

Key points

Importantly, businesses that benefit most from the UAE mainland licensing include retail, restaurants, contracting, real estate brokerage and consulting with government clients, because they serve customers on site across the emirate. As a rule, government and semi-government tenders in the UAE require a mainland licence and Chamber of Commerce membership, both of which GoldenKey arranges. Put simply, popular districts for a the UAE mainland office include Business Bay, Deira, Bur Dubai, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Al Quoz, each with different rent levels and customer footfall.

Step by step

1. 
   Step 1

   Activity and legal form

   In practice, we select the correct activity codes from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) list and the legal form, usually a LLC or a sole establishment. We keep a written record of this step so your file for starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE is audit-ready.

2. 
   Step 2

   Trade name and initial approval

   GoldenKey reserves your trade name and obtains initial approval from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), including any external approvals your activity needs.

3. 
   Step 3

   Office, MOA and submission

   Day to day, after the MOA is signed and the office tenancy registered, GoldenKey lodges the full application with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Nothing is submitted for starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE until you have reviewed and approved it.

4. 
   Step 4

   Licence, Chamber and immigration

   In our experience, with the licence in hand we register with the Chamber of Commerce and open the immigration and MOHRE files for your visas.

Documents required

For starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE the authority asks for the following documents, and we tell you exactly how each must be formatted.

• A short business plan or activity description for certain professional activities
• Attested parent-company documents and a board resolution if the shareholder is a company
• A no-objection certificate from your employer if you hold a UAE employment visa
• Tenancy contract
• A passport-size photograph on a white background
• A clear passport copy for each shareholder and manager, valid for at least six months

Pricing

All prices for starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE are indicative, shown in AED and confirmed in writing before any payment. To be clear, pricing for starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE depends on the package you choose; every option below includes GoldenKey's service and the government fees stated.

Where to license cleaning & facilities management

Cleaning and maintenance staff work on client sites across the UAE, so a mainland licence with the right visa quota is essential. Labour accommodation rules apply once headcount grows.

Ajman Free ZoneOne of the UAE's most affordable free zones — 0-visa packa…Dubai mainlandThe UAE's commercial capital — trade anywhere in the UAE w…Sharjah mainlandIndustrial heartland of the UAE — manufacturing, trading a…Ajman mainlandGoldenKey's home emirate — one of the most affordable main…Abu Dhabi mainlandThe capital — government contracts, energy supply chains a…

Examples of this activity

• Commercial cleaning
• Building maintenance
• Pest control
• Facilities management

Cleaning & Facilities Management guides by nationality

IndianPakistaniBritishRussianChineseNigerianSaudiEgyptianKenyanGermanSingaporeanOmaniFrenchItalianSpanishPortugueseDutchBelgianSwissAustrianSwedishNorwegianDanishFinnishIcelandicIrishPolishCzechSlovakHungarianRomanianBulgarianGreekCroatianSerbianSlovenianUkrainianEstonianLatvianLithuanianAmericanCanadianAustralianNew ZealanderJapaneseSouth KoreanTurkishMalaysianIndonesianThaiVietnameseFilipinoBangladeshiSouth AfricanEmiratiQatari

Why the UAE

From day one, the UAE's reputation as a trading hub means international clients and suppliers already trust a UAE licence, which shortens sales cycles for starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE. There are no restrictions on repatriating profits or capital, so earnings from starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE can be moved to your home country or reinvested freely.

Why GoldenKey

Our office is a short drive from the Ajman Free Zone, Ajman DED and the immigration centre, so physical submissions for starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE happen the same day they are ready. GoldenKey is based in Ajman Free Zone and has helped founders from more than 60 countries with starting a cleaning and facilities company in the UAE, so the paperwork, approvals and timing hold no surprises for us. From day one, most of our the UAE clients come to us through referrals from other founders, and for that reason we take pride in keeping every promise we put in writing.

Frequently asked questions