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You can’t operate a factory in the UAE without the right license. But it’s not just paperwork.
Licensing gives you access to real advantages – customs duty exemptions, ICV certification, faster inspections, and clean facility handovers.

To get it right, you need more than a company registration. You need approvals from multiple authorities, starting with the local emirate or free zone, then the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT).

This guide gives you a clear, step-by-step plan – with zero fluff.

Mainland vs Free Zone – what’s the difference?

Free zones (like JAFZA, KEZAD, RAKEZ) give you speed. You get one-stop-shop licensing, built-in infrastructure, and an industrial unit that meets zoning rules. But most free zones require that you lease one of their properties to activate the license.

Mainland routes (e.g. through Dubai DET or Abu Dhabi ADDED) give you flexibility. You can buy land, choose your layout, and sell directly into the UAE market. But you’ll need to manage more approvals on your own.

Here’s how it breaks down:

Your decision comes down to market access, land needs, and speed to build.

The approvals map – do them in this order

Getting a license means completing steps across emirate, federal, and regulatory levels. Here’s the sequence that avoids backtracking:

A) Company name reservation and initial approval

Start with your emirate or free zone. You’ll submit basic documents (passport copies, activity type, ownership).

B) Facility or warehouse secured

You can’t apply for a manufacturing license without a physical space. Leased or owned, it must be zoned for industrial use.

C) Environmental Clearance

If you’re in Dubai, go through Dubai Municipality (DM). In Abu Dhabi, it’s the Environment Agency (EAD). Submit your process flow, waste handling, and pollution controls.

D) Civil Defense approvals

Design review, fire layout, exit routes, sprinklers – all must meet the UAE Fire & Life Safety Code.

E) MoIAT Industrial Production License

This is your federal manufacturing license. You register on the National Industrial Register and gain access to exemptions.

F) Optional: Customs Exemption & ICV certification

These come after MoIAT registration. More on that below.

💡CE Interim often deploys interim licensing program leads for 12–16 weeks to manage this flow, align paperwork, and hit build milestones without regulatory delays.

MoIAT Industrial Production License – what it is and how to get it

This license places you on the UAE’s National Industrial Register. It’s what unlocks customs duty exemptions on machinery, equipment, and raw materials.

To apply, you need:

• Business license from your emirate/free zone
• Proof of facility
• Production flow diagram
• Equipment and input list (with HS codes)
• Planned capacity and energy usage
• Environmental and Civil Defense approvals

MoIAT reviews the documents, visits your site (if needed), and issues the Industrial Production License. You can apply online at moiat.gov.ae.

Don’t wait until construction is done. Get the documents ready early so exemptions apply when machinery lands.

Environmental and fire approvals – pass the first time

This is where many projects lose 2–3 months. Avoid that by designing compliance into your layout.

1. Environmental Clearance

• Dubai: Go through DM’s Environmental Department.
• Abu Dhabi: Submit to EAD through the TAMM portal.

You’ll need a process flowchart, raw material list, waste output, noise/vibration levels, and emissions data.

If your facility handles chemicals, high noise, or hazardous waste – you may need a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). That adds months.

2. Fire Safety

The UAE Fire & Life Safety Code covers exit routes, alarms, sprinkler systems, ventilation, storage spacing, and emergency power.

Submit your layout early for design review. Then request site inspection post-fit-out.

💡CE Interim has helped clients pass both checks by embedding interim QA or EHS leads during ramp-up – setting up SOPs, documentation, and layouts that meet UAE codes from day one.

Free zone licensing snapshots

Each free zone handles things differently:

1. JAFZA (Dubai)

• Offers plots and built industrial units
• License issued in days if facility is leased
• Close to Jebel Ali Port = logistics advantage

2. KEZAD (Abu Dhabi)

• Massive industrial zone with long-term lease options
• Works closely with ADDED and MoIAT
• Special zones for food, chemicals, metals

3. RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah)

• Competitive lease rates
• Quick setup timelines
• Popular for light and mid-scale manufacturing

In all zones, leasing an approved unit fast-tracks the license. But you still need to go through MoIAT for national registration.

Costs, timelines, and where delays happen

License fees depend on:

• Activity type
• Facility size and location
• Power/water needs
• External consultant fees (for EIA, fire design)

You’ll also pay lease deposits and registration fees.

Most licensing flows take 2–4 months. You lose time if:

• Environmental Clearance is started late
• Fire design needs a rework
• MoIAT documents are incomplete

If you’re working toward a production go-live, anchor these steps to your construction and machinery timelines. Get approvals moving before you place your equipment orders.

Switch on the benefits: Customs Exemption + ICV

Once you’re on the National Industrial Register, you can request customs duty exemptions for:

• Machinery and spare parts
• Raw materials
• Semi-finished goods used in production

Submit the request through MoIAT’s e-services. You’ll need bills of materials, supplier documents, and proof of local manufacturing.

The In-Country Value (ICV) program gives you a score that boosts your chance of winning public-sector and para-public tenders. The higher your local spend and workforce, the better your score.

💡Bring in a temporary finance or supply chain lead to structure your ICV mix early. You’ll increase bid scores without blowing up your cost base.

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

A) Wrong zone for your needs

Some zones don’t allow your activity. Others limit chemical storage or high-noise processes. Check early.

B) No facility when applying

Authorities reject license requests without a leased or approved space.

C) Approvals done out of order

Don’t start Civil Defense before EC. Don’t start fit-out before fire layout approval.

D) Missing documentation for MoIAT

If your capacity, inputs, or HS codes aren’t clear, you’ll lose time in back-and-forth.

📍If you’re already stuck, pause the application. Rebuild your pack. You may need a regulatory consultant – or an interim project lead – to recover quickly.

Where interim leadership helps

When internal teams are stretched or learning on the job, companies often install a temporary licensing lead to run the entire process.

They align all departments – legal, engineering, quality, operations – so the build continues without red flags or delays. Once the factory is live and certified, they hand over clean.

From permit maze to production

You don’t need to learn the UAE licensing system by trial and error. You need a facility, approvals in the right order, and documents that pass on the first try.

Once you get that right, the upside is real: faster ramp-up, lower capex, stronger bids, and a plant that can operate without surprises.

Start your licensing plan early.Lock in your approvals.
And treat this like any other operational project – one with clear milestones and zero room for guesswork.