Business Activities and Foreign Ownership
Choosing activities
- A business can hold more than one activity, and the UAE has more than 2,000 to choose from.
- Abu Dhabi uses the ISIC version 4 categories, with more than 4,700 activities across 21 sectors, and you can select one or several in the application.
- Dubai added 98 activities in 2021, bringing its total above 2,200.
- The activities decide the legal form and the licence type, and the document requirements are set by the approving authorities.
Source: UAE Government Portal: Steps to start a business on the mainland; UAE Government Portal: Investor Abu Dhabi Guide; Government of Dubai Media Office: Dubai adds 98 new economic activities in 20211,2,3
Activities with strategic impact
Under Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021, seven activities are excluded from 100% foreign ownership. For six of them, the regulator sets the minimum Emirati share and any board conditions; fisheries services require 100% Emirati ownership.4
| Activity | Approving regulator |
|---|---|
| Security, defence and military activities | Ministry of Defence or Ministry of Interior |
| Banks, exchange houses, finance companies and insurance | Central Bank of the UAE |
| Currency printing | Central Bank of the UAE |
| Telecommunications | TDRA |
| Hajj and Umrah services | General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments |
| Holy Quran memorisation centres | General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments |
| Fisheries services | 100% Emirati ownership required |
Source: Ministry of Economy and Tourism: Activities with strategic impact4
A foreign investor applies to the economic department of the emirate, which passes the application to the regulator within 5 working days; the regulator then decides within 14 working days.4
Activities that need extra approval
Some activities need approval from another authority before the licence is issued. Selling online on the mainland, for example, needs a licence with an eCommerce activity and the approval of the TDRA.1,5
You can look up the activities registered to any company in the National Economic Register.6
Frequently Asked Questions
Which activities are not open to 100% foreign ownership?
Seven activities with strategic impact: security and defence, banking and insurance, currency printing, telecommunications, Hajj and Umrah services, Quran memorisation centres and fisheries services.
Sources
- UAE Government Portal: Steps to start a business on the mainland
- UAE Government Portal: Investor Abu Dhabi Guide (PDF)
- Government of Dubai Media Office: Dubai adds 98 new economic activities in 2021
- Ministry of Economy and Tourism: Activities with strategic impact
- UAE Government Portal: eCommerce
- UAE Government Portal: Verify business licences
Figures checked 21 October 2026. Prepared by Invest-Emirates.ae for general information. It is not investment, tax or legal advice; please confirm details with a qualified adviser before acting.