Key Takeaways
- The Department of Economic Development became DET, the Department of Economy and Tourism, under Dubai Law 20 of 2021; many still search the old name.
- The Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC, Dubai Law 6 of 2023) is DET's registration arm, working through the Invest in Dubai window.
- The Dubai Unified Licence launched on 11 December 2023 as a single identifier, and its QR code can be shown in place of a paper trade licence certificate (Dubai Media Office).
- Dubai's official guide names five licence types: industrial, commercial, professional, e-trader and dual (dubai.ae, October 2026).
- The activity code drives approvals, ownership conditions and the bank's view of the company, so it is the choice most worth confirming.
People still search for a DED license, but the department that issues it has been the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) under Dubai Law 20 of 2021. A document that says DED licence or DED trade license describes the same Dubai licence. The offices behind the old name have new names too, and the licence now carries a QR code. Both names appear below, with the current one marked.
What changed between DED, DET and DBLC
DED is the former name and DET is the current one. Dubai Law 20 of 2021 created the Department of Economy and Tourism as the successor of the Department of Economic Development. The preamble of Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025 cites it by that name. Many free zone pages and many consultancies still write DED.
Registration and licensing sit with the Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC), a part of DET. Dubai Law 6 of 2023 created it, and it launched the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit on 8 October 2025 with the Dubai Free Zones Council (Dubai Media Office).
Naming matters for fees. Executive Council Resolution 13 of 2011 is a DED-era fee schedule. It predates DET, so do not treat its figures as a current price list. Use DET's current fee sheet for your activity, not an older table that carries the DED name.
| Old term | Current term | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Economic Development (DED) | Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) | Dubai Law 20 of 2021 |
| DED registration and licensing | Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC) | Dubai Law 6 of 2023 |
| Paper trade licence | Dubai Unified Licence with a QR code | Launched 11 December 2023 |
| DED dual licence for a free zone company | Branch operating out of the free zone, or a permit | Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025 |
Invest in Dubai, the single digital window
Invest in Dubai is the one digital window for company applications in Dubai, created by Decree 13 of 2024 as the Unified Digital Window for Establishing Companies. It covers DET mainland licences, free zones and DIFC. Executive Council Resolution 5 of 2024 adds three rules. All licence and permit applications go through it, authorities may not ask for data they can fetch from it, and e-signature is accepted without attending in person.
The Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit runs on the same platform. It is the six-month permit of Resolution 11 of 2025, not a second permit, and it costs AED 5,000 for six months and needs a Dubai Unified Licence (Dubai Media Office, 8 October 2025).
The licence types a DET licence can be
DET licences come in five types: industrial, commercial, professional, e-trader or dual (dubai.ae, October 2026). The activity you choose decides which type you are offered, and the trade licence guide sets out how the types differ and why a licence is not permission to operate.
Some corners of the map cause confusion. Dubai Industrial City is not a free zone; its own FAQ says so and names DED, now DET, as the licensing authority. Dubai Silicon Oasis also has an Administrative Zone (Dubai Law 16 of 2021) where DET-licensed companies can operate and remain mainland companies; ask DSO for the permit and its current conditions. The mainland company guide covers the legal forms behind these licences.
The Dubai Unified Licence and what it is used for
Every Dubai business, free zone or mainland, is issued a Dubai Unified Licence (DUL), a unique commercial identification. DET launched it on 11 December 2023 with more than 50,000 licences issued at launch, and businesses can show its QR code in place of paper trade licence certificates (Dubai Media Office).
JAFZA's guide of 31 May 2026 describes it as the recognition of a business's identity and its authorisation to conduct economic activity. Activity may not be conducted unless a DUL has been issued and remains valid, the guide adds. The DUL is read alongside the trade licence certificate, and the guide does not describe mainland trading rights or fees.
Its uses are narrow but practical. First, a free zone company needs a DUL before it can apply for the six-month mainland permit. Second, anyone can scan the QR code to retrieve company information about a Dubai-licensed supplier, landlord or counterparty. Ask DET whether any charge attaches to the DUL on your licence; no separate price is printed here.
Where the activity list sits and how to read it
You pick the activity inside the Invest in Dubai application, and each activity carries its own approvals and conditions. The federal Basher service, run by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, also offers an activity search (Gulf News, July 2023).
Read each candidate for three things. First comes the exact wording, because the bank will compare it with your website and contracts. Next is the approval it names, such as TDRA for e-trade or a health regulator for clinics. Last is any ownership condition, since the licensing authority and sector regulators may attach one (Commercial Companies Law, Article 10).
For free zone companies, Article 9 of Resolution 11 of 2025 required DET and the licensing authority to publish a list of activities and the route each needs. Ask DET for the current list before you promise a customer that your activity is eligible for the mainland permit.
The usual failure is choosing the activity by its marketing name instead of the exact code. A wrong code brings the wrong approvals and fees, and an amendment later costs a new fee and a notification to the bank. The guide to activity code errors goes through the cases. A licensed adviser can confirm the wording against your contracts before you pay for the licence.
Questions to put to DET before you apply
Six questions settle most of the confusion that the old DED name leaves behind. Put them to DET or to your adviser, and ask for the answers in writing.
- Which exact activity code matches what you sell, and what is its wording on the licence.
- Which approvals or regulator permits that activity names, and who issues each.
- Whether any ownership condition applies to the activity, and whether a local service agent is required. u.ae's guide to starting a mainland business (16 July 2026) says businesses owned completely by non-GCC residents require one. Its foreign ownership page (6 April 2026) says the old requirement for 51 per cent Emirati ownership or a local agent was removed for most activities, and that branches no longer need an Emirati service agent. Treat it as an open question for your activity.
- Whether your premises plan, desk or virtual address is accepted for the licence.
- The government fee sheet for the activity, including the renewal fee and any charge for the DUL.
- The current activity list and route if you are a free zone company applying for a mainland permit.
Renewal and verification of a Dubai licence
Verification is the easy part: scan the QR code on the licence and read the company information it returns. Check that the legal form, the activity and the status match what the counterparty tells you.
Resolution 5 of 2024 sends all licence and permit applications through the digital window, so expect renewals and amendments there too. The fee follows the activity, and DET sets it. Ask for the renewal figure in writing at the start, because an older table under the DED name may not match current DET charges.
Commercial tenancies must stay registered in Ejari in the licensed company's name, and the Dubai Land Department states that registration is mandatory under Dubai Law 26 of 2007 as amended. Changes to name, address, capital or shareholders must be notified within 15 working days (Commercial Companies Law, Article 15). A third breach of the beneficial owner rules lets the registrar suspend the commercial licence (Cabinet Resolution 132 of 2023).
Free zone companies and the DET
Free zone companies are licensed by their zone authority, not by DET. DET enters when the company wants to work on the Dubai mainland. Under Resolution 11 of 2025 it issues the branch licence, the branch operating out of the free zone, or the temporary permit. The last two cost AED 10,000 a year and AED 5,000 (Article 12), as of October 2026. Every route needs the free zone's prior approval, and the permit needs a DUL.
These routes cover Dubai only. Other emirates need their own licences (Article 3(c)). The costs and tax consequences of the routes sit in the guide to Dubai free zone companies, and the cost guide sets out the ledger by line.
If the licence involves a regulated activity, a corporate shareholder or a free zone and mainland combination, a lawyer can confirm the licence structure before you apply.
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