Key Takeaways
- SEDD (sedd.ae) licenses mainland businesses in Sharjah and describes more than 100 government services, including business setup, renewals and trade names.
- SEDD lists commercial, industrial and professional licences tied to premises, plus instant, electronic trading, home accreditation, Birq and industrial office licences.
- SEDD's FAQ says that since 2021 foreigners can own 100% of most businesses without a local partner, with some activities reserved for citizens (as of October 2026).
- SEDD's FAQ states licence issue fees of 8 percent for UAE national partners and 13 percent for other nationalities; its renewal page lists 6 and 10 percent (October 2026).
Selling to customers in Sharjah from a mainland company means dealing with SEDD, and a Sharjah trade license works differently from the free zone route. The licensing authority, the licence families it lists, the foreign ownership rule and the fees it publishes are set out below. Free zone companies are covered in the comparison of Sharjah free zones, and the national picture in company setup in the UAE.
Who issues a Sharjah trade licence on the mainland
Mainland licences in Sharjah come from the Sharjah Department of Economic Development (SEDD, sedd.ae), which people also search for as the Sharjah Economic Development Department. Its site describes more than 100 government services, among them business setup, renewals, trade names and permits.
Free zone licences are a different instrument: the zones issue them, and SEDD deals with a free zone company when it opens a branch on the mainland.
Sharjah mainland licence families listed by SEDD
SEDD lists several licence families, and each carries its own conditions. Its English site names commercial, industrial and professional licences tied to premises (SEDD, as of October 2026). It also lists an instant licence, an electronic trading licence, a home accreditation licence, a Birq licence and an industrial office licence. Its home page also offers a business setup package, and its FAQ names an E-Commerce licence for online sales and an Eitimad licence for UAE nationals working from home.
Which family you hold decides the premises and the conditions. A home accreditation licence, an electronic trading licence and a commercial licence with a lease ask for different things. Ask SEDD which family fits your activity before you plan an office.
Foreign ownership in Sharjah mainland
SEDD's FAQ says that since 2021 foreigners have been able to own 100% of most businesses without a local partner, and that some businesses stay reserved for citizens (SEDD FAQ, as of October 2026). Gulf News reported the same position on 31 July 2023, citing SEDD figures for commercial and industrial activities. Federal law sets the frame: activities with strategic impact (Cabinet Resolution 55 of 2021) and anything a sector regulator restricts stay outside full foreign ownership.
A local service agent is a separate question, and the government pages differ. u.ae's guide to starting a mainland business (16 July 2026) says businesses owned completely by non-GCC residents require a local service agent from the UAE. Its foreign ownership page (updated 6 April 2026) says the old requirement for 51 per cent Emirati ownership or a local agent was removed for most activities. Branches, it adds, no longer need an Emirati service agent. Ask SEDD in writing whether your activity needs one.
Check your own activity rather than the general statement. The Basher activity search that the Gulf News report mentions, and SEDD itself, tell you whether your activity is open to full foreign ownership.
Free zone licence or mainland licence for Sharjah customers
A mainland licence suits a business that sells to customers in Sharjah, and a free zone licence suits one that sells abroad or to other zone companies. If you hold a free zone licence and want Sharjah customers, SEDD's FAQ lists a free zone company branch. It asks for the zone's licence and register, board minutes, an agency contract with a local agent, Ministry of Economy and Tourism registration and a no-objection letter from the Department of Free Zones.
Dubai rules do not carry over. Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025 covers Dubai free zone companies, and a Dubai permit does not extend to another emirate (Art. 3(c)). Some Sharjah zones state that a dual licence is available, but SEDD's FAQ describes only the branch route. Ask the zone and SEDD in writing which route applies to your activity.
Legal form, premises and activity checks
Start with three checks: the legal form, the premises and the activity. SEDD's FAQ defines the LLC as 2 to 50 partners with limited liability, and federal law also allows an LLC with a single owner (Federal Decree-Law 32 of 2021, Article 71). It requires a lease notarised by Sharjah City Municipality and valid for at least three months after submission (SEDD FAQ, as of October 2026). Ask SEDD which premises each licence family accepts and how long the lease must run.
The activity is where mistakes start. Do not assume that an activity name used in another emirate carries over to Sharjah, and ask SEDD whether yours is open to full foreign ownership. A wrongly chosen activity brings the wrong approvals and fees, and a later register amendment costs AED 500, 1,000, 1,500 or 2,000 depending on legal status (SEDD FAQ, as of October 2026). Run the check first, using the guide to choosing the right activity code.
Sharjah trade licence fees that SEDD publishes
Licence issue is stated as a percentage: 8 percent where the partners are UAE nationals and 13 percent for other nationalities. Its FAQ applies the percentage to the lease value or the site area, depending on the activity (SEDD FAQ, undated, as of October 2026). Which base your licence family uses is a question for SEDD. The FAQ applies the same rates to renewal, but SEDD's renewal service page lists 6 percent for UAE nationals (minimum AED 1,200) and 10 percent for others (minimum AED 2,000), so ask SEDD which applies.
Fixed items sit beside the percentage. A trade name costs AED 250 for an Arabic name, AED 1,250 for a translated name and AED 2,250 for a foreign name. SEDD's own first-year estimate is AED 15,000 to AED 30,000.
Ask SEDD for the calculation on your activity in writing. A local adviser can run the activity check and bring back the licence family, the premises requirement and the fee calculation in one written note.
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