Licensing

Industrial License in Dubai

For manufacturing, processing and assembly operations.

Fixed price quoted up front
Mainland and every free zone
Licence, visas, banking, one team
Most licences in days, not weeks

An industrial licence authorises manufacturing, processing, assembly and packaging in Dubai. It is the correct licence when raw materials or components enter your facility and a changed or finished product leaves it, which distinguishes it from a trading licence that simply moves goods.

Industrial setups involve more moving parts than other licences because a physical facility is mandatory and several authorities are involved: the economic department or free zone, the municipality, civil defence and, depending on your process, environmental and specialist regulators.

The basics

An industrial licence permits the transformation of materials into products. That covers full scale manufacturing, but also lighter operations such as assembly, packaging, bottling, food processing and repackaging bulk goods into retail units.

Because the activity involves premises, machinery, workers and often emissions or waste, approval depends on the suitability of your facility as much as on the paperwork. Warehouses and industrial units in designated industrial areas or industrial free zones are required, and a residential or standard commercial address will not qualify.

Why it works

Manufacture in a trade hub

Produce close to Dubai's ports and airports, which shortens the route to regional and international markets.

Customs advantages

Import raw materials and export finished goods efficiently, with free zone options offering duty benefits on re-export.

Larger visa quota

Industrial facilities support significant labour headcount, with quota linked to facility size and activity.

Government support

UAE industrial strategy actively supports local manufacturing, with incentives available for qualifying operations.

Full ownership available

Industrial activities can be fully foreign owned in free zones and, for most activities, on the mainland.

Access to industrial infrastructure

Purpose built industrial zones provide power capacity, loading access and logistics that ordinary premises cannot.

Cost

Industrial licences carry the highest setup cost of the standard licence types, and the licence fee itself is rarely the largest line. Facility rent, civil defence compliance, machinery installation and municipality approvals typically exceed it. Costs vary widely by process, so an accurate quote requires understanding what you will actually produce.

What makes up the cost

  • Trade name reservation and initial approval
  • Industrial licence fee
  • Industrial unit or warehouse rent and Ejari
  • Municipality and environmental approvals
  • Civil defence approval and fire safety compliance
  • Establishment card and labour visas per worker
  • Our professional fee, quoted as a fixed amount up front
Paperwork
  • Passport copies for every shareholder and the manager
  • Passport size photographs on a white background
  • Three proposed trade names in order of preference
  • A detailed description of the manufacturing process
  • A list of machinery and equipment to be installed
  • Facility layout plan for municipality and civil defence review
  • Feasibility study or business plan, where requested
  • Tenancy contract and Ejari for the industrial unit
  • Environmental approval where the process requires it
The process
01

Define the process and activity

We translate what you will actually manufacture into the correct industrial activity code and identify which regulators will be involved.

02

Select the location

We identify industrial areas or industrial free zones with the power, access and permissions your process needs.

03

Trade name and initial approval

We reserve the name and obtain initial approval from the economic department or free zone authority.

04

Facility and layout approvals

We submit the facility layout for municipality review and obtain civil defence approval for fire safety compliance.

05

Environmental clearance

Where your process involves emissions, effluent or controlled materials, we obtain the required environmental permit.

06

Licence issued

The industrial licence is issued once facility approvals are complete and the file is accepted.

07

Labour, visas and banking

We register with labour, process worker and management visas, and prepare your corporate bank application.

Why Layerz

We advise on the structure that fits your activity and customers rather than the package that is easiest to sell. You get a fixed quote with government fees itemised separately, a dedicated advisor from first call to licence, and the same team afterwards for visas, banking, accounting and renewals.

Get a free consultation
Faq

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers on cost, ownership, documents and timelines.

Ask us anything Ask us anything
  • 1. How much does an industrial licence cost in Dubai?
    Typically from around AED 30,000 for the licence and registration, but facility rent, civil defence compliance and machinery installation usually exceed the licence cost. We quote after understanding your process and facility.
  • 2. What is the difference between an industrial and a commercial licence?
    An industrial licence covers transforming materials into products through manufacturing, assembly or processing. A commercial licence only covers buying and selling goods without changing them.
  • 3. Do I need a factory for an industrial licence?
    You need a suitable industrial facility, which may be a warehouse or industrial unit rather than a large factory. Light assembly and packaging can operate from a modest unit in a designated industrial area.
  • 4. How long does an industrial licence take?
    Longer than other licences, commonly 4 to 8 weeks, because municipality, civil defence and sometimes environmental approvals run alongside the licence application.
  • 5. Can an industrial company be 100% foreign owned?
    Yes in free zones, and for most industrial activities on the mainland following ownership reforms. We confirm the position for your specific activity before filing.
Keep reading

Dubai Mainland Company Formation

Trade anywhere in the UAE, with up to 100% foreign ownership.

Read guide

General Trading License

Trade multiple unrelated product lines under a single licence.

Read guide

Dubai Free Zone Company Setup

Full ownership, fast setup and packaged costs across 30 plus free zones.

Read guide

Enquire about your industrial license

Tell us what you are planning and we will reply with the right structure and a fixed quote.