Manufacturing Dubai —
Industrial licence + Municipality + Civil Defence.
Open a Dubai manufacturing or assembly business. DED industrial licence + Dubai Municipality industrial permit + Civil Defence + warehouse compliance + environmental approvals where applicable.
- Timeline
- 30–60 d
- From
- AED 35k
- Authorities
- 3
- Activity codes
- 10
Dubai manufacturing — full stack.
A Dubai manufacturing business operates under DED Industrial Licence — a category for any business with physical production, assembly, or processing operations. Dubai Municipality issues industrial permits per facility, with environmental impact assessment required for chemical, food processing, plastics, and metalwork manufacturing. Civil Defence approves fire safety, hazardous materials handling, and emergency response. Manufacturing facilities typically locate in Dubai Industrial City, JAFZA-adjacent industrial zones, Al Quoz Industrial, Ras Al Khor Industrial, or Dubai South Industrial.
Dubai DED activity codes covered
1071 — Manufacture of bakery productsBakery, pastry, confectionery production
1392 — Manufacture of made-up textile articlesTextiles, soft furnishings, garments
2599 — Manufacture of other fabricated metal productsMetalwork, machined parts
1052 — Manufacture of dairy productsDairy processing
2511 — Manufacture of structural metal productsSteel structures, metal fabrication
2229 — Manufacture of other plastic productsPlastic injection moulding, plastic goods
1813 — Pre-press and pre-media servicesPrinting services
1812 — Other printingCommercial printing
Manufacturing setup — competitor pricing pulled 2026 Q2.
Includes DED industrial + Dubai Municipality industrial permit + Civil Defence + Customs Code + 1 EIA review (if required). Excludes industrial premises lease, machinery, and per-product Municipality approvals.
| Provider | Setup price | EIA handling | Customs code |
|---|---|---|---|
| YABS | AED 35,000 | Included if required | Included |
| Shuraa | AED 42,000+ | Add-on | Add-on |
| Virtuzone | AED 48,000+ | Add-on | Add-on |
| Creative Zone | AED 40,000+ | Included | Add-on |
| Adam Global | AED 55,000+ | Add-on | Add-on |
8 steps, 30–60 d.
DED activity + trade name
Industrial activity selection. Trade name AED 620.
Initial DED approval
DED industrial licence track 2–3 days.
Industrial premises selection
Manufacturing facilities require industrial-zoned premises (Dubai Industrial City, Al Quoz, Ras Al Khor, Dubai South). Lease minimum typically AED 60,000–250,000/year for SME warehouse.
Dubai Municipality industrial permit
Submit facility layout, equipment list, environmental impact assessment if applicable. Approval 14–21 days.
Civil Defence approval
Fire safety, hazardous materials handling, emergency response plan. 7–14 days.
Final DED trade licence
Industrial trade licence AED 14,500–18,000. Higher than standard commercial.
Customs Code (if importing materials)
Most manufacturers need Dubai Customs Code for raw material imports. AED 600.
Establishment Card + worker visas
Manufacturing visa quotas typically large — labour-intensive operations.
What you actually pay.
| Item | AED |
|---|---|
Trade name + DED initial approval | 855 |
MoA notarisation | 1,100 |
Ejari (industrial premises) | 220 |
Trade licence fee (industrial) | 16,500 |
Dubai Municipality industrial permit | 5,500 |
Civil Defence approval | 2,400 |
Customs Code | 600 |
Establishment Card + immigration file | 2,600 |
| Government fees subtotal | 29,775 |
| YABS service fee | 9,500 |
| 5% VAT (on YABS service fee) | 475 |
| Total | 39,750 |
Government fees vary by activity and approval requirements. Final quote confirmed after activity selection.
Where people get this wrong.
Pulled from 500+ YABS engagements. Each pitfall has a knock-on cost in time or AED — knowing them up front is half the value of using a PRO.
Signing an industrial-zone lease before DED approves the manufacturing activity
Cost: Lease deposit at risk if DED rejects the activity for that zone
YABS fix: We obtain DED initial approval first, then negotiate the lease with the activity locked in.
Skipping Environmental Impact Assessment when chemicals or emissions are involved
Cost: Dubai Municipality refuses operational permit; full plant idle pending EIA
YABS fix: We classify the manufacturing process up-front against Dubai Municipality EIA criteria and run EIA in parallel with DED licensing.
Importing controlled raw materials without Federal Customs pre-approval
Cost: Cargo seizure at port; AED 25,000+ release fees + delay
YABS fix: We file Federal Customs pre-approvals for any controlled / sensitive raw material as part of the Customs Code registration step.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Dubai manufacturing licence cost?
Total typical AED 35,000–85,000 fully delivered for the licence stack. Excludes industrial premises lease (AED 60,000–250,000/year for SME warehouse), equipment costs, and per-product approvals if applicable. Manufacturing of regulated products (food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics) requires additional product-level Dubai Municipality or Ministry approvals.
Where do manufacturers locate in Dubai?
Dubai Industrial City (DIC) for SME-scale industrial. JAFZA Industrial Park for export-focused (free zone). Al Quoz Industrial for SME light manufacturing and craft. Ras Al Khor Industrial for fabrication and printing. Dubai South Industrial for logistics-adjacent manufacturing. Dubai Investment Park (DIP) for diverse industrial. Each zone has different lease costs and adjacency benefits.
What environmental approvals do Dubai manufacturers need?
Dubai Municipality requires Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for chemical manufacturing, food processing with significant water usage, plastics moulding, metalwork with chemical processes, and any manufacturing with substantial emissions or waste streams. EIA review 21–45 days. Light manufacturing (textiles, packaging, simple assembly) typically doesn't require formal EIA.
Can I import raw materials with a Dubai manufacturing licence?
Yes — DED industrial licence + Dubai Customs Code together permit raw material imports for processing. Customs duty typically 5% on most goods (free zone manufacturers can import duty-free if exports are >100% of imports). Customs Code AED 600/year. Some restricted raw materials (chemicals, controlled substances) require additional Federal Customs approvals.
How long does Dubai manufacturing licensing take?
Standard 30–60 working days from initial application to operational status. Premises selection and lease (variable, typically 21–30 days) + DED industrial licence (5–7 days) + Dubai Municipality industrial permit (14–21 days) + Civil Defence (7–14 days) + EIA if required (21–45 days). Add 30–90 days for facility fit-out and equipment installation, which can run partially in parallel with licensing.
Apply for the manufacturing package
Apply online in 4 steps. Itemised AED quote, no sales-call gate.
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.