DED Services

The Department of Economic Development (DED) is the licensing and regulatory authority opening and operating a business in mainland Dubai

What is Dubai Mainland?

Dubai Mainland is the prime geographical area specified by the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai UAE. The companies of the mainland are also known as the onshore companies which are allowed to perform business activities inside the local area and outside of the UAE without any restriction.

Types of Business License for Dubai Mainland Companies:

When it comes to mainland company setup, there are two types of company licenses where UAE national’s presence is a must in any of the two forms:

1) Commercial Business License :
In the commercial license, 51% shares are in hand of UAE national and 49% will be owned by the expat partner.

2) Professional Business License :
In the professional license, 100% shares are held by the expat partner only and the UAE national acts as a local service agent.

Steps to start a mainland company in Dubai :

• Step 1: Business Activity Selection and Name Approval
• Step 2: Selection of Local Partner or Service Agent
• Step 3: Apply for Initial Approval for Mainland Company Setup
• Step 4: Preparation of Court Notarization and MOA
• Step 5: Get office space and Tenancy Contract
• Step 6: Final Submission for Mainland Company Formation in UAE

Approvals from the Governmental Authorities :

The license for Dubai DED company formation requires external governmental authorities approvals for specific business activities as below:

• For the education related license it’s required to have the approval from KHDA i.e. Knowledge and Human Development Authority
• For medical related license, it’s required to have the approval from DHA i.e.t Dubai Health Authority
• For food related license, it’s required to have the approval from the Food Department of Municipality

Apart from this, there are many other governmental bodies such as civil defense, real estate regulation authority etc. where one needs to have a license to perform certain business activities depending on the nature of the business.

We can assist our valuable clients in all of the above mentioned phases of Mainland Business Setup in Dubai as well as Freezone Business Setup.