Name & Initial Approval

The first official step in obtaining a trade license is to reserve a trade name and obtain an initial approval from the Department of Economic Development.

Getting an initial approval is an integral part of the setting up a new company in Dubai.

Every business in Dubai is set up with an intention to offer certain product or service. Getting an initial approval is nothing but getting an approval from the Department of Economic Development (DED) on the activity of the business.

Having an initial approval also states that the company is legally allowed to perform a particular activity or offer a particular product.

Applicants can usually submit their initial approval applications at the same time as submitting their trade name approval application. The documents needed for this step vary depending on the business structure of the company. At this point you will also need to submit any necessary special approvals from Ministries corresponding to your business.

Documents Needed:

• Passport Copy
• Visa Copy
• Approvals from ministries corresponding to your business

Timeframe: This may vary from activity to activity.