How to open a restaurant in Dubai?

The process of opening a restaurant in Dubai may seem lengthy and complicated, which is why our team handles all the administrative procedures for you.

The main steps

The main steps to open a restaurant in Dubai.

The first step in the process is finding the commercial premises. Note that it will be much easier to obtain approval from Dubai Municipality if the commercial premises you have chosen was previously a restaurant.

If the premises you have chosen was not a restaurant, you will have to start everything from scratch and obtain approval from Dubai Municipality. This step may lengthen the process of opening your restaurant.

Our team guides and advises you on the legal structure to choose for your future restaurant in Dubai. You have a choice between two legal structures:

  • The LLC: for this type of entity, liability is considered limited: Limited Liability Company. However, you will need to deposit minimum capital of AED two (2) million;
  • The Sole Establishment (in the case of a single partner) or The Civil Company (in the case of multiple partners): for this type of company, liability is unlimited. You will also need a Local Service Agent, whom our firm can assign to you.

For all the steps outlined below, our team will support and advise you. We assist you with:

  • Choosing the company name
  • Confirming the exact business activity (do you want to open a restaurant, food truck, café, shisha bar, etc.?)
  • Validating the commercial premises

Once your company name has been reserved, we will assist you with signing your commercial lease, also known as EJARI.

Once all the steps above have been completed, one of the most important steps is registering your company with the registry. For this step, our team will assist you if you are physically present in the United Arab Emirates. Otherwise, it is also possible to sign remotely.

Once the articles of association have been signed, the commercial license is issued within 24 hours. This license is a “temporary” license. It is subject to approval by Dubai Municipality after the final inspection of the commercial premises (your future restaurant).

The final inspection is carried out by Dubai Municipality. If your restaurant meets all of Dubai Municipality’s criteria, you will receive authorization to begin operations.

Additional permits and licenses

Depending on the restaurant's activities, additional permits or licenses may be required.

If you wish to serve shisha in your restaurant, this activity requires a specific license subject to certain conditions (premises size, location, etc.). Our team can assist you in obtaining this permit.

Your restaurant’s outdoor sign must be approved by DED. In fact, if the name on the sign differs from the name on the license, authorization will be required.

Alcohol sales licenses in Dubai are issued by Dubai Police Headquarters and DTCM. We assist you in obtaining an alcohol license for your restaurant.

if you decide to serve pork-based products, you will need to comply with certain arrangements (a dedicated preparation and storage area, etc.)

If you want to embark on the food truck adventure, be aware that you will need to obtain a Non-Objection Certificate (better known as an NOC) from the RTA (Road and Transport Authority), specifying the food truck’s location.