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Get a Department of Economy and Tourism trade licence with 100% foreign ownership, unrestricted UAE market access and full visa flexibility.
A mainland company is licensed by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and can trade anywhere in the UAE without a local distributor, rent offices in any district, bid for government tenders and sponsor an office-size-linked number of visas. Since the Commercial Companies Law reforms, most commercial and professional activities allow 100% foreign ownership with no local sponsor.
Pro24 Services manages the entire path: activity selection from the DET list, trade name reservation, initial approval, MOA drafting and notarisation, Ejari or virtual office arrangement, licence issuance, establishment card and residence visas. You get one fixed quote before we start.
The mainland route suits businesses that sell to the UAE market itself.
Sell directly to customers across all seven emirates with no geographic restriction or local agent needed.
Only mainland companies can bid for lucrative UAE government and semi-government tenders.
Scale your visa allocation with your office space instead of fixed package limits.
Most activities no longer require a local sponsor, so you keep full control and profits.
Open shops, restaurants, clinics and branches anywhere in Dubai, which free zones cannot offer.
UAE banks view DET-licensed companies favourably, easing corporate account opening.
Pick the right DET activity codes and legal form (LLC, sole establishment, civil company or branch).
We reserve your trade name and obtain DET initial approval plus any external ministry approvals.
Memorandum of Association is drafted and notarised; Ejari tenancy or virtual office is registered.
Licence issued, establishment card opened, then investor and staff visas are processed.
DET issues several licence classes and your activity decides which applies. A commercial licence covers trading and general trading; a professional licence covers services and consultancies with 100% ownership as a sole practitioner; an industrial licence covers manufacturing and requires a physical facility. Foreign companies can also register a branch that operates under the parent name. Most investors form an LLC, the most flexible mainland structure.
For most commercial and professional activities, no. Since June 2021 full foreign ownership is permitted. A limited list of strategic-impact activities still requires Emirati shareholding; we confirm your activity before you commit.
Realistic 2026 budgets start around AED 18,500 including the DET licence, MOA, virtual office and establishment card, rising with visa count and physical office needs. See our business setup cost page for a full breakdown.
Yes, many activities can start with a compliant virtual office or shared Ejari solution, then upgrade to a physical office as the visa quota requirement grows.
The quota is tied to office space, roughly one visa per 80 to 100 sq ft, so mainland companies can scale headcount far beyond typical free zone packages.
Tell us your activity and we will send a fixed DET licence quote with timelines within 24 hours.
