Add or remove activities — 5–10 working days.
Pivot your business scope. Add new DED activity codes or remove ones you've outgrown. AED 200–600 per added activity. YABS includes the activity-to-ministry mapping at no extra cost.
- From
- AED 1,800
- Timeline
- 5–10 days
- Max activities
- 10 per licence
- Layered approvals
- Mapped
What activity amendment involves.
An activity amendment adds or removes one or more DED activity codes on your existing trade licence. Standard non-regulated activities flow through the standard DED amendment process in 5–10 working days. Regulated activities (medical via DHA, education via KHDA, real estate via RERA, aviation via DGCA, telecom via TDRA) trigger ministry pre-approval before DED accepts the amendment — adding 14–45 days. Each activity must map to its required ministry approvals, document checklist, paid-up capital requirement (where applicable), and operational rules. YABS includes this mapping at no extra cost as part of the amendment service.
What you pay per added activity.
| Component | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Activity addition fee (per activity beyond 5) | AED 200–600/yr | Government fee; varies by activity tier |
| MoA amendment | AED 1,100 | If activity adds new regulated scope |
| Notary attestation | AED 500 | If MoA amended |
| Ministry pre-approval (if regulated) | AED 1,500–25,000+ | DHA / KHDA / RERA / DGCA / TDRA — varies |
| DED amendment filing | AED 600 | Government fee |
| YABS service fee | AED 1,200 | Single line — includes activity mapping + filing |
| 5% VAT (on YABS service) | AED 60 | Government tax |
What people add or remove.
- Restaurant adding catering:DED activity 5610.14 — same DHA + Municipality approvals; quick add.
- Trading adding e-commerce:Activity 4791.00 — Ejari address must be commercial; virtual office not acceptable post-2022.
- Consultancy adding training:Activity 8541.00 — KHDA pre-approval triggered; 14–21 day additional review.
- Retail adding online sales:E-commerce activity 4791.00 — payment gateway approval needed post-licence.
- Removing inactive activities:Reduce annual licence fee by AED 200–600 per removed activity beyond the first 5.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add new activities to my Dubai DED licence?
Yes. Dubai DED allows up to 10 activities per licence. First 5 activities are included in the base licence fee; activities 6–10 cost AED 200–600 each per year. Activities must be compatible — DED groups them into commercial / professional / industrial / tourism categories and rejects mixed combinations. Adding regulated activities (medical, education, real estate, financial services) triggers ministry pre-approval before DED accepts the amendment.
How long does activity amendment take?
Standard non-regulated activities: 5–10 working days. Regulated activities (DHA, KHDA, RERA, DGCA) add 14–45 days for the layered ministry approval. YABS confirms eligibility against the activity catalogue first, files DED + ministry concurrently to compress the timeline.
What if my new activity needs more capital?
Some regulated activities trigger paid-up capital requirements when added: real estate brokerage AED 300,000, financial advisory AED 500,000+, banking-adjacent AED 1M+. The capital must be demonstrated via UAE bank-issued capital certificate before DED accepts the amendment. Working capital, not frozen — operationally usable after the amendment goes through.
Activity decisions cluster.
Add or remove activities
YABS confirms activity eligibility, ministry approvals, and capital requirements before DED filing. Avoids 30% of amendments that get rejected.
This page was last reviewed by the YABS compliance team in Q2 2026 and reflects current Dubai DED, Dubai Municipality, DHA, MOHRE, FTA, and DLD requirements.