UAE Trade Licence Activity List: How to Pick the Right Ones in 2026
A clear guide to choosing UAE trade licence activities, including the four categories, how many you can combine, cost impact and the mistakes that force a licence amendment later.
UAE trade licences are built around activities. Every service, product or operation you offer must be covered by a listed activity. Picking the wrong ones means amendments, extra fees and sometimes a bank account block. Here is how to get activity selection right the first time.
The four licence categories
- Commercial: trading in physical goods. General Trading, specific trading, import and export, re-export. Issued by DET on mainland, or by free zones.
- Professional: services and expertise based on individual qualification. Consulting, legal, medical, engineering, education, media.
- Industrial: manufacturing, processing, assembly, repair. Requires physical facility and often a Ministry of Industry pre-approval.
- Tourism: travel agencies, hotels, tour operators, event management with tourism element. Requires Department of Tourism approval.
How many activities you can combine
Rules differ by issuing authority:
- Dubai DET (mainland): up to 10 activities on one licence if from the same category. Mixing categories (commercial + industrial) requires separate licences.
- IFZA: 3 activities from the same group included at base price. Additional group adds AED 1,500 per activity.
- Meydan Free Zone: up to 3 activities covered at base price. Additional activities possible on larger packages.
- DMCC: up to 6 activities on one licence, cross-category allowed within DMCC's approved list.
- SPC Sharjah: 2,000+ activity combinations under a single licence (one of the broadest).
The activity list you need to know
UAE DED and free zone catalogues run to 3,000+ activities. Common high-demand picks:
- General Trading, Trading in Specific Goods (electronics, cosmetics, fashion, food)
- Management Consultancy, IT Consultancy, Marketing and Advertising Services
- E-commerce Through Websites (allowed in most free zones and mainland)
- Software House, Mobile Application Development, Cloud Computing Services
- Interior Design, Architecture, Engineering Consultancy (each requires qualification)
- Educational Training (requires KHDA approval in Dubai)
- Restaurant, Cafeteria, Catering (needs Food Safety Department approval)
- Real Estate Brokerage (requires RERA certification)
Regulated activities that need extra approvals
- Financial services and crypto: VARA (Dubai), ADGM FSRA (Abu Dhabi), DFSA (DIFC).
- Education: KHDA Dubai, SPEA Sharjah, ADEK Abu Dhabi.
- Healthcare: DHA Dubai, DOH Abu Dhabi, MOHAP for other Emirates.
- Media and content: National Media Council and emirate-level content regulators.
- Real estate: RERA registration and broker qualification.
- Legal services: Legal Affairs Department registration and admitted lawyer requirement.
Common mistakes we fix for clients
- Picking "Trading" when actual operations are services (triggers VAT and customs confusion).
- Missing e-commerce activity on a business that invoices online (bank flags the mismatch).
- Using "Consultancy" for a software-sales business (buyers expect SaaS activity on invoices).
- Combining activities that need different regulator approvals, blocking issuance until each approval lands.
- Picking generic activities to save licence fee, then needing amendments at AED 1,500 to AED 5,000 per change.
Impact on cost
Base licences cover 1 to 3 activities. Adding activities beyond the base typically runs AED 500 to AED 1,500 per activity per year. Regulated activities add an initial approval fee plus ongoing regulator fees.
Pick activities that match what you actually bill clients for, not what sounds broader. The bank, the customer and the tax authority all cross-check your invoices against licence activities.
Not sure which activities fit your business? Talk to Breeo or use our cost calculator which includes activity recommendations. For free zone comparisons see our free zone guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many activities can I have on a UAE trade licence?
Depends on the authority. Dubai DET allows up to 10 from the same category. IFZA includes 3 from the same group. DMCC allows up to 6. SPC Sharjah allows 2,000+ combinations under one licence.
Can I change my licence activities later?
Yes. Amendments cost AED 500 to AED 5,000 per activity change depending on authority, plus any regulator pre-approval if the new activity is regulated. Breeo handles the amendment paperwork.
Do all activities need a regulator approval?
No. Most generic trading and consulting activities issue directly. Healthcare, education, finance, media and real estate activities need regulator pre-approval before licence issuance.
What is General Trading licence?
General Trading licence lets you trade in multiple product categories under one activity, without listing each item. Higher cost (AED 25,000 to AED 50,000 per year) but useful for mixed-product traders.
Can one UAE licence cover services and trading?
On the mainland, services and trading usually need separate licences (professional vs commercial). Some free zones like DMCC and SPC allow cross-category combinations under one licence.