Dubai trade licence

A Dubai trade licence is the licence a business needs to operate, issued by Dubai Economy and Tourism for mainland companies or by a free zone authority. It fixes the company's legal name and the activities it may carry out.

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What it means for a Dubai business

Two things on the licence shape your marketing. The trade name is your legal name, so it should be the name buyers see on your accounts and your Google profile, which helps them and assistants connect everything to one company. The licensed activities set what you may do, so your posts should not offer services outside them.

An interior design studio that offers fit out and construction work, for example, needs the right activities and registrations for that work before it advertises it.

Example

A new company is licensed as a management consultancy. Its first Instagram bio, LinkedIn page and Google profile all use the exact trade name and describe consulting services, with nothing about recruitment, which is not on its licence.

Common mistake

Advertising every service the founder can do rather than the ones the licence covers. Add activities first, then advertise them. This is a summary, not legal advice.

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