Dubai Mainland Activities

Why Dubai

Dubai hosts the region's largest airport, port and exhibition centre. On the ground, businesses that benefit most from Dubai mainland licensing include retail, restaurants, contracting, real estate brokerage and consulting with government clients, because they serve customers on site across the emirate. Government and semi-government tenders in Dubai require a mainland licence and Chamber of Commerce membership, both of which GoldenKey arranges.

Documents required

For activities on the mainland in Dubai the authority asks for the following supporting documents, and we tell you exactly how each must be formatted.

• A tenancy contract for an office or shop registered with the emirate's system (Ejari in Dubai)
• Passport copies of all shareholders and the manager
• Passport photographs on a white background
• Attested parent-company documents for corporate shareholders
• The existing visa copy and NOC if a shareholder is on another UAE visa
• An attested degree for professional activities such as engineering or healthcare

Pricing

In our experience, use the table below to compare packages for activities on the mainland in Dubai; we will confirm the exact total for your case in a written quotation. Pricing for activities on the mainland in Dubai depends on the package you choose; every option below includes GoldenKey's service and the government fees stated.

Activity groups

General TradingCommercial licenceE-commerceCommercial licenceIT & SoftwareProfessional licenceBusiness ConsultingProfessional licenceMarketing & Advertising AgencyProfessional licenceReal Estate BrokerageCommercial licenceRestaurant & CaféCommercial licenceRetail ShopCommercial licenceLogistics & Freight ForwardingCommercial licenceImport & ExportCommercial licenceManufacturing & IndustrialIndustrial licenceConstruction & ContractingCommercial licenceHealthcare ClinicProfessional licenceEducation & TrainingProfessional licenceMedia & Content ProductionProfessional licenceRecruitment & HR ServicesProfessional licenceTravel & Tourism AgencyCommercial licenceEvent ManagementProfessional licenceInterior Design & Fit-outProfessional licenceCleaning & Facilities ManagementCommercial licenceBeauty Salon & SpaCommercial licenceFitness & SportsProfessional licencePhotography & VideographyProfessional licenceLegal ConsultancyProfessional licenceAccounting & BookkeepingProfessional licenceAutomotive & Spare Parts TradingCommercial licenceGold & Jewellery TradingCommercial licenceCrypto & BlockchainProfessional licenceFintech & PaymentsProfessional licenceTourism & HospitalityCommercial licenceTextile & Garments TradingCommercial licencePerfume & Cosmetics TradingCommercial licenceFoodstuff TradingCommercial licenceEngineering ConsultancyProfessional licenceArchitecture & DesignProfessional licencePrinting & PackagingIndustrial licenceCar Rental & LeasingCommercial licencePharmaceutical & Medical SuppliesCommercial licenceOil & Gas ServicesCommercial licenceMaritime & Ship ServicesCommercial licenceHolding CompanyCommercial licence

Activities that need extra approval

Healthcare, education, legal consultancy, financial services and food require approvals from regulators outside Dubai. GoldenKey identifies these at the first consultation so the timeline and cost in your quotation already include them.

Adding activities later

If your business changes direction, Dubai allows an activity amendment at any time for a modest authority fee. We process the amendment and update your bank and tax records so every document stays consistent.

Why the UAE

Since 2021, most mainland activities have allowed 100% foreign ownership, and free zones have always offered it, so activities on the mainland in Dubai no longer requires a local partner. In short, the UAE's reputation as a trading hub means international clients and suppliers already trust a UAE licence, which shortens sales cycles for activities on the mainland in Dubai.

Why GoldenKey

You deal with one named consultant from the first call until your Dubai licence, visa and bank introduction are complete, and that consultant answers your WhatsApp messages personally. Most of our Dubai customers come to us through referrals from other entrepreneurs, which is why we take pride in keeping every promise we put in writing. Our quotations for activities on the mainland in Dubai list every government fee and our service fee on one page, in writing, before any payment anything.

Frequently asked questions