Guides

Promoting your own business on social media? Find out when the UAE Advertiser Permit exemption applies, and what changes for sponsorships, staff, creators and agencies.

Getting a contracting company license in Dubai now takes more than a trade license. Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025 introduces mandatory contractor registration and a classification system, and the rules apply…

A freight forwarding license, or a wider logistics license, lets you arrange the movement of other people’s goods, and in some cases store, clear or transport them yourself. The license is the…

Two things decide how many people your UAE company can bring in on visas: the establishment card and the visa quota. The card gives the company permission to sponsor visas at all…

A recruitment agency in the UAE needs two licenses: a trade license from the economic authority and a recruitment or mediation license from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). The MOHRE license also requires a bank guarantee, and the amount depends on the type of agency you open. This guide explains the three […]

Opening a restaurant or café in Dubai takes more than a trade license. You also need Dubai Municipality approvals for the layout, a food safety programme, a registered Person in Charge and a food permit before you serve a customer. This guide explains the order of the steps, what each authority checks and the mistakes […]

A real estate brokerage in Dubai needs a trade license from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), a registration on the Dubai Land Department’s Trakheesi system and a practice card for every broker who works there. It is one of the most regulated small-business activities in the emirate, and the rules shape how you […]

You can set up a company in Ajman on the mainland through the Ajman Department of Economic Development (DED) or inside a free zone. Ajman is one of the lowest-cost emirates in the UAE, and it sits next to Sharjah and a short drive from Dubai. This guide explains how the two routes compare, what […]

You can set up a company in Sharjah on the mainland through the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) or in one of its free zones. The two routes give you different licenses, different markets and very different costs. This guide explains how they compare, what each Sharjah free zone is built for and how to […]

You can set up a company in Abu Dhabi in three ways: on the mainland under the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), in one of its free zones, or in the ADGM financial centre. Each route gives a different license, a different place where you can trade and a different cost profile. This […]