DED Activity List — Complete Guide to UAE Business Activities
Dubai DED maintains over 2,000 approved activities organised across commercial, professional, industrial, and tourism categories. You can browse the full list on dedinvest.ae or via the Dubai Economy app. Each activity has a 7-digit code, a fee tier, and may require external approvals (e.g. KHDA for education, DHA for healthcare). For free zones, activity lists differ per authority — DMCC, IFZA, Meydan and others publish their own catalogues. Always confirm exact activity wording matches your business model before submission.
The DED (Department of Economic Development) activity list is the official catalogue of permitted business activities for UAE mainland licences. Each activity has a code, a description, and rules about which other activities can be combined on the same licence. Choosing the right activity is one of the most consequential decisions in company formation — it determines licensing fees, required approvals, and which jurisdictions you can register in.
Official sources
How to do it — step by step
- 1
Define your business model in plain English
Write a 2–3 sentence description of what you actually sell or deliver. This drives the activity match — vague descriptions lead to wrong activities and rejected applications.
- 2
Search the DED activity database
Use the Dubai DED activity search or the Invest in Dubai portal. Try multiple keywords — activities are categorised by output (e.g. 'consultancy') and sector (e.g. 'IT').
- 3
Check for external approvals
Some activities require approvals beyond DED — KHDA (education), DHA (healthcare), RTA (transport), Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (tech). These add 1–4 weeks.
- 4
Verify activity combinations
Not all activities can be combined on one licence. Commercial and professional activities, for example, generally need separate licences. DED publishes a compatibility matrix.
- 5
Cross-check against free zones
If you're considering a free zone instead of mainland, check that zone's activity list separately. Free zone catalogues differ — IFZA covers 1,500+, DMCC focuses on trading and commodities, DIFC on financial services.
Key terms explained
Commercial activity
Buying and selling physical goods — trading, retail, wholesale. Subject to standard DED fees and import/export rules.
Professional activity
Services delivered through skill or expertise — consulting, marketing, design, engineering. Requires proof of qualifications.
Industrial activity
Manufacturing, production, processing. Requires industrial land allocation and Ministry of Industry approval.
Tourism activity
Hotels, travel agencies, tour operators. Requires Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) approval in addition to DED.
External approval activities
Activities flagged as requiring sign-off from a regulator other than DED — common in healthcare, education, financial services, and food.
Common problems & fixes
Activity description too narrow for what the business actually does
Either pick a broader umbrella activity, or add a second activity to cover the gap. Adding an activity post-issuance costs AED 1,000–3,000.
Application rejected for activity mismatch
Re-read the official activity description carefully — wording matters. Common mismatch: 'IT services' vs 'IT consultancy' vs 'software development' are three different activities with different scopes.
Free zone covers the activity but mainland doesn't (or vice versa)
This is normal. Free zones often have broader e-commerce, crypto, and media activity coverage. Mainland is broader for regulated and physical-presence activities. Pick the jurisdiction that natively supports your activity.
Adding a new activity later
Submit an amendment via the DED portal or your free zone's amendment service. Approval typically takes 3–7 working days. Fees range from AED 1,000–5,000 depending on the activity and any required external approvals.
Frequently asked questions
Related resources
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