UAE Business Activity Code Finder — What Activity Do You Need? Guide 2026
UAE trade licences list specific business activities. Using the wrong activity can invalidate your licence and cause banking and visa problems. This guide helps UAE business owners identify the correct activities for their business in 2026.
In this guide:
How UAE Business Activities Work
- Activity = permission: your UAE trade licence lists the activities your company is permitted to carry out; doing business activities NOT listed on your licence is technically illegal and may cause banking, customs, or visa issues
- Activity categories: commercial (trading goods); professional (selling expertise/services); industrial (manufacturing); tourism/hospitality
- Multiple activities: most UAE free zones allow multiple activities on one licence; you can add relevant activities; some free zones charge per-activity; others charge a flat rate regardless of number
Common UAE Business Activities and Their Codes
- General Trading: permits trading in most goods; most flexible commercial activity; required for import/export businesses with multiple product lines; code varies by emirate and free zone
- IT Consultancy: for IT advisory and consulting businesses; includes software consulting, systems integration advice, IT strategy
- Management Consultancy: general business consulting; strategy advice; does NOT typically include regulated professional advice (legal, accounting, financial)
- Digital Marketing Services: online marketing, social media management, SEO, content creation services
- E-Commerce: buying and selling goods via online platforms; Amazon, Noon, own website; requires General Trading to also list physical product categories
- Real Estate Brokerage: buying, selling, renting UAE property on behalf of clients; requires RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) certification in Dubai in addition to DED/free zone licence
- Business Setup Consultancy: helping others form UAE companies; PRO services; licencing advisory; requires appropriate professional activity code
Checking Your Activity Against Your Business
- Read your MOA: your Memorandum of Association lists all permitted activities; compare against what you actually do
- IFZA activity list: IFZA lists 1,500+ approved activities; search IFZA website for your specific activity
- DMCC activity list: DMCC has specific commodity-related activity codes for commodities trading businesses
- DED (Dubai mainland) activity codes: Dubai DED activity list is the most comprehensive for mainland activities; searchable on Dubai DED website
Adding an Activity to Your UAE Licence
- Free zones: apply via free zone portal; submit activity addition form; typically AED 500-2,000 fee; MOA updated to include new activity
- Dubai mainland: apply via DED website or Basher (Dubai business platform); online application; fee depends on activity type; 3-7 working days processing
- Activity restriction: some activities require additional approvals (e.g. healthcare activities require DHA/HAAD approval; financial activities require SCA or CBUAE approval); check before adding