Skip to main content
Skip to footer
The DED activity list is Dubai’s official register of business activities. You pick your activity from it before you can get a Dubai mainland license. Many PDF copies online are out of date. This guide shows you how to search the live list and read each activity record.
Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED) became the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). People still call it the DED list.
What is the DED activity list?
The DED activity list is DET’s register of every business activity a Dubai mainland company can hold. Each activity has a seven-digit code and a short description. You search it for free online. Your licence shows the codes you pick, so they decide what you can legally do.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism says the UAE list holds “more than 2,000 various economic activities”. It also names six licence types: industrial, commercial, crafts, tourism, agricultural and professional.
Dubai’s version lives on the Invest in Dubai activity search. It’s the live list, so it shows current codes.
How to search the DED activity list
The search box takes an activity name, an activity number or an existing company name. Here’s how to use it well:
- Search for what you sell, not the channel. We typed “e-commerce” and got e-banking, e-sports and vehicle e-trading. Try “perfume trading” or “software development” instead.
- Try more than one word. “Influencer” gave us nothing. “Social media” gave a long list.
- Filter by activity group. The side panel narrows results to one group, like Information Technology or Advertising.
- Tick “Show only foreign ownership”. This shows only activities with the “Foreign ownership” tag.
- Check how common it is. Each result shows how many licences with that activity started in the last 12 months. A high number means many new companies use this activity.
Here are a few results we pulled from the live search:
| Activity code | Activity | Group shown |
|---|---|---|
| 6201009 | Social Media Applications Development & Management | Information Technology |
| 7020005 | Media Studies & Consultancies | Consultancy – management, information and marketing |
| 7020023 | Sourcing & Procurement Consultant | Consultancy – management, information and marketing |
| 4773924 | Electronic Cards Trading | Electronics group |
| 6312007 | Services Provision Brokerage Via Electronic Media | Information Technology |
All five carried the “Foreign ownership” tag. Check each one again before you apply, because DET can change codes.
You can also browse by sector. The search page opens on sectors like Trading & Services, Manufacturing, Education, and Health & Social Work.
How to read an activity record
“View More Info” opens a short description. The full activity record opens from “View Activity Requirement” where a result shows that link. The record uses these fields. Some, like Requirements, appear only when they apply:
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Activity Code | The seven-digit number that goes on your licence |
| Activity Type | Commercial, Professional and so on. This sets your licence type |
| Primary and Secondary Group | Where the activity sits in the list |
| Activity Description | What the activity lets you do. Read it in full |
| Applicable Legal Forms | Which company types can hold it, such as LLC or sole establishment |
| Applicable License Types | Which DET licence products it fits |
| Legislation | The law or decision behind the activity |
| Regulating Entity | The authority that controls it. Often DET, sometimes another body |
| Requirements | Extra approvals, like a no objection certificate |
Two real records show the difference. “Sourcing & Procurement Consultant” (7020023) is a Professional activity. DET regulates it. Six legal forms can hold it, from a sole establishment to an LLC.
“Passengers Transport by Vehicles via E-services” (4922010) is Commercial. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) regulates it. The record lists one requirement: “NOC for a New Trade License”.
How do you know if an activity needs a second approval?
Check the Regulating Entity and Requirements fields. If the regulator isn’t DET, or the record lists a requirement, you need another authority’s approval. That adds time to your setup. Find out what it needs before you pay for an office or visas.
The second authority often sets its own conditions. A transport platform, for example, answers to RTA as well as DET.
Plan for this early. An approval you didn’t plan for can hold up the whole setup.
What your activity choice decides
Your activity fixes four things:
- Your licence type. A Professional activity leads to a professional licence. A Commercial one leads to a commercial licence.
- Your legal form. You can only use the legal forms listed on the record.
- Your ownership. Results carry a “Foreign ownership” tag where foreign ownership is allowed. Our guide to full ownership on the UAE mainland explains the conditions.
- Your trade name. DET wants your activity in your company name, like “XYZ Contracting LLC”.
Once you have your codes, you reserve a name, send your documents and pay the fees. Our guide on how to apply for a trade licence walks through those steps.
Should you use a DED activity list PDF?
No, not as your final check. PDF and Excel copies float around online, but they go stale. DET can change codes at any time. The Invest in Dubai search is the live list. Use a PDF to get ideas, then confirm every code in the official search.
Copied lists also drop the useful fields. You lose the legal forms, the regulator and the requirements. Those are the parts that decide your cost and timeline.
Tips for picking your activities
- Cover what you’ll really do in year one. It saves an amendment later.
- Read the full description. Two activities with similar names can sit in different types with different approvals.
- Match your activities to your bank account. Banks read your licence. Your activities should match the products and payments they’ll see.
- Free zones keep their own lists. The DED activity list covers Dubai mainland only.
Picking codes is hard to undo later. We check your activities against your plan, your bank and your ownership before you apply. Book a call about mainland company registration in Dubai and we’ll shortlist your codes with you.
This guide explains how Dubai’s official activity search works, as it stood when we last checked it. DET updates codes, fields and conditions. Confirm your final codes in the Invest in Dubai search or with our team before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DED activity list the same as the DET activity list?
Yes. DED was the old name of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. The list moved with the department. People still search “DED activity list”, but the live list is run by DET.
Where do I find my activity code?
Search the Invest in Dubai activity tool. Each result shows the seven-digit activity code above the activity name. Your licence will show the same code.
Can I add an activity to my licence later?
Yes. You apply to amend your licence with DET, and fees apply. Some added activities also need a second approval. Plan your list up front to avoid this.
Does the DED list work for free zones?
No. Each free zone runs its own activity list and licence types. Check the zone’s own list if you’re setting up there.
