How to Open a Restaurant in Dubai in 2026: Licence, Fit-Out, Food Safety
A full guide to opening a restaurant in Dubai: picking the right licence, Dubai Municipality Food Safety approval, fit-out costs, suppliers, staffing and realistic timelines.
Dubai's restaurant market is worth over USD 10 billion annually with 12,000+ licensed outlets and 50+ new openings per month. Launching a restaurant means navigating the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai Municipality Food Safety Department, and sometimes the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. Here is the complete 2026 playbook.
Trade licence options
- Dubai mainland (DET): required for standalone restaurants on street-facing locations or inside malls. AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 per year for the licence, plus Ejari lease registration and Chamber of Commerce membership.
- Free zone restaurant licence: available only inside free zone premises (JAFZA, DMCC, DIFC food courts, DWC Logistics District). Does not qualify for standalone street locations.
- Virtual kitchen / cloud kitchen: food delivery only, no dine-in. DET virtual restaurant licence AED 10,000 to AED 15,000 per year. Cheaper launch model.
- Catering licence: separate from restaurant licence, allows event and corporate catering without a dine-in location.
Dubai Municipality Food Safety approvals
- Trade licence activity: must specify "Restaurant" or "Cafeteria" category under DET.
- Food Safety Department approval: physical kitchen inspection against Dubai Food Code before opening.
- Person In Charge (PIC): at least one certified Food Safety Supervisor on staff; course and certification AED 1,500 to AED 3,000 per person.
- HACCP certification: required for restaurants above 150 sqm or with central production kitchens.
- Food handler cards: every kitchen staff member needs a Food Handler card from Dubai Municipality; AED 150 per person.
- Alcohol licence: hotels and licensed venues apply separately via the Department of Tourism. Alcohol service is restricted to hotels, hotel apartments and specifically licensed venues.
Fit-out costs
- 50-seat cafe: AED 500,000 to AED 900,000 fit-out depending on finish level.
- 100-seat full-service restaurant: AED 1 million to AED 1.8 million.
- 150+ seat fine dining: AED 2 million to AED 3 million including kitchen equipment and premium interiors.
- Kitchen equipment: AED 200,000 to AED 800,000 depending on cuisine complexity.
- Signage and exterior: AED 20,000 to AED 60,000 one-time.
Rent benchmarks
- Mall food court: AED 450 to AED 900 per sqft per year, plus 10 to 15 percent revenue share in top malls.
- Street-level JBR, City Walk, La Mer: AED 350 to AED 700 per sqft.
- Business Bay, Downtown: AED 200 to AED 450 per sqft.
- Jumeirah, Al Wasl: AED 180 to AED 400 per sqft.
Step by step
1. Concept and location. Confirm cuisine, format, target footfall, parking, delivery access. 2 to 6 weeks.
2. Trade name and initial DET approval. Submit restaurant activity under DET. 1 to 2 weeks.
3. Lease the premises. Sign the lease and register Ejari. Only after Ejari can DET issue the full licence. 1 to 3 weeks.
4. Fit-out drawings and Dubai Municipality approval. Submit kitchen layout, grease trap plan, ventilation. 4 to 8 weeks for review.
5. Build. Fit-out construction. 8 to 16 weeks for most restaurants.
6. Food Safety inspection. Dubai Municipality visits the completed kitchen and confirms Food Code compliance. 1 to 2 weeks.
7. Trade licence issuance. DET issues the restaurant licence. 2 to 5 working days.
8. Hire and train staff. Visas processed via MOHRE and Food Handler cards obtained. 3 to 6 weeks overlapping with fit-out.
9. Soft launch. Friends and family service to shake out operations. 1 to 2 weeks before public opening.
Supplier and operational basics
- Food suppliers: Transmed, Barakat, HORECA Trade, IFFCO Food Services, local wet market for fresh produce.
- POS systems: Lightspeed, Toast, Shift4, Zenoti for larger operations.
- Delivery aggregators: Talabat, Deliveroo, Noon Food, Careem Food. Commission 25 to 30 percent of order value.
- Payment gateways: Mashreq, Emirates NBD, Network International for card acceptance.
- Staffing: service team visa costs AED 4,000 to AED 6,000 per person including Emirates ID and insurance.
The two biggest killers of Dubai restaurant projects: underestimating fit-out timeline and location rent-vs-margin economics. Target rent-to-revenue ratio below 12 percent; expect fit-out to run 4 to 6 months after lease signing before you can serve a paying customer.
Breeo handles DET licensing, Food Safety submissions, visa processing and bank account opening for restaurant setups. See Dubai mainland setup or talk to our team for a scoped quote based on your concept.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Dubai restaurant licence cost?
DET restaurant licence runs AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 per year for the trade licence itself. Add Ejari (AED 220), Chamber of Commerce (AED 1,200 to AED 2,500), Dubai Municipality fees and Food Safety approval costs. Total AED 25,000 to AED 40,000 in first-year licence and government fees.
Do I need a UAE partner to open a restaurant in Dubai?
No. Since 2021 restaurants can be 100 percent foreign-owned on the mainland. Only alcohol-licensed venues (served inside hotels) have additional ownership and licensing conditions tied to the hotel.
How long does it take to open a restaurant in Dubai?
4 to 8 months from signing the lease to opening doors. Fit-out construction and Dubai Municipality kitchen approval are the longest steps.
Can I serve alcohol in a free-standing Dubai restaurant?
Generally no. Alcohol service is restricted to hotels, hotel apartments and specifically licensed venues (not standalone street restaurants). The licence sits with the Department of Tourism and typically requires a hotel-affiliated setup.
What is a cloud kitchen or virtual restaurant licence?
A delivery-only licence with no dine-in. Allows you to operate from a shared commissary kitchen (Kitopi, iKcon, Deliveroo Editions) with full delivery platform integration. Launch cost AED 150,000 to AED 400,000 vs AED 1 million+ for a dine-in location.
