UAE Department of Economic Development — Trade License Lookup

UAE Department of Economic Development — Trade License Lookup

What it does

This tool queries the Department of Economic Development (DED) trade license databases of UAE mainland emirates to retrieve authoritative entity information for UAE onshore companies. Each emirate maintains its own DED, and trade licenses are issued and managed at the emirate level.

This is the primary source of truth for corporate identity, licensed activities, and signatory authority for UAE mainland companies. For free zone entities, see [[tool-uae-freezone-registries]].

Emirates and their DED equivalents

Dubai and Abu Dhabi account for the vast majority of commercial entities. Most international counterparties are Dubai or Abu Dhabi licensed.

Free zones — important distinction

The UAE has approximately 45 free zones. Free zone companies are not licensed by the DED — they are licensed by the free zone authority. This tool does not cover free zones. Key free zones and their registers:

For DIFC and ADGM entities, use the respective online company search portals directly. Their governance frameworks (DIFC Companies Law, ADGM Companies Regulations) differ materially from UAE mainland law.

Setup / auth

Dubai DET and Abu Dhabi ADDED provide partial APIs; other emirates are primarily scraping targets with web portals. Confirm API availability per emirate.

Capabilities

Trade license lookup

Input:  { licenseNumber: "1234567", emirate: "dubai" }
Output: {
  licenseNumber, tradeName, legalForm,
  licenseType: "commercial" | "industrial" | "professional" | "tourism",
  issuedBy, issuanceDate, expiryDate,
  status: "Active" | "Expired" | "Cancelled" | "Suspended",
  registeredAddress,
  activities: [{ code, description }],
  shareholders: [{ name, nationality, sharePercentage }],
  managers: [{ name, nationality, role }],
  authorizedSignatories: [{ name, designation }],
  capitalAmount, currency
}

Trade name search

Input:  { tradeName: "Acme Trading", emirate: "abudhabi" }
Output: [ { licenseNumber, tradeName, legalForm, status, licenseExpiry } ]

Activity code lookup

UAE activities are coded using a standard code list (different from Nice classes). For example:

• 7020: Management consultancy
• 6201: Computer programming activities
• 4619: Other goods wholesale
• 6619: Other financial service activities (not insurance or pension funding)

Confirming that the activity code in the license covers the subject matter of the contract is a critical KYC step.

Key fields for legal due diligence

Legal form

License expiry

A UAE trade license is renewed annually. An expired license is a critical due diligence flag:

• An entity with an expired license cannot legally engage in business activities
• Banks typically suspend accounts for expired-license holders
• Signatories may lack authority to bind the entity once the license lapses

Always check expiryDate and note if it expires within 30 days — flag for the user.

Authorized signatories and authority

The trade license lists managers and authorized signatories. However, the scope of authority (unlimited signing authority vs. limited to specific amounts or categories) is typically found in:

• The MOA (Memorandum of Association — عقد التأسيس)
• A specific power of attorney

Request the MOA if the signatory's authority is not clear from the license.

Post-2021 company law reforms

UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 (Commercial Companies Law) introduced significant changes:

• 100% foreign ownership now permitted for LLCs in most sectors (previously required 51% UAE national shareholder)
• New corporate governance requirements for larger companies
• Simplified single-person company (SPC) form
• Enhanced shareholder rights

When reviewing older contracts or corporate structures pre-dating 2021, note that the sponsorship / UAE national shareholder structure may have been restructured.

Cross-reference requirements

For complete KYC on a UAE mainland entity:

Common pitfalls

• Free zone company presented as DED-licensed: a common error in commercial practice. Check whether the license issuer is a DED or a free zone authority.
• License scope mismatch: counterparty's license lists "general trading" but the contract involves a specifically regulated activity (financial services, healthcare, food). Verify sub-licensing requirements.
• Individual vs company: some UAE businesses operate under a sole proprietorship license (license holder = individual) rather than a company license. The individual is personally liable.
• Manager vs authorized signatory: the "manager" shown on the license may not be the person authorized to sign external contracts. Check the MOA for scope of signing authority.
• Multiple entities in a group: UAE groups often have the same trade name for multiple entities in different emirates or free zones. Confirm the exact legal entity and license number.

Output schema

{
  "licenseNumber": "1234567",
  "tradeName": "Acme Trading LLC",
  "legalForm": "LLC",
  "issuedBy": "Dubai Economy & Tourism",
  "emirate": "Dubai",
  "status": "Active",
  "issuanceDate": "2018-03-15",
  "expiryDate": "2026-03-14",
  "expiryWarning": false,
  "activities": [
    { "code": "7020", "description": "Management Consultancy" }
  ],
  "shareholders": [
    { "name": "John Smith", "nationality": "GB", "sharePercentage": 100 }
  ],
  "authorizedSignatories": [
    { "name": "Jane Doe", "designation": "General Manager" }
  ],
  "registeredAddress": "...",
  "capitalAmount": 300000,
  "currency": "AED",
  "source": "Dubai Economy & Tourism",
  "fetchedAt": "2026-05-14T10:00:00Z"
}

Related skills

• [[tool-ksa-moc]] — KSA Ministry of Commerce registry (parallel tool for Saudi entities)
• [[tool-lb-commercial-register]] — Lebanon commercial register (parallel tool for Lebanese entities)
• [[tool-un-sanctions]] — UN consolidated list screening
• [[tool-ofac-sanctions]] — US OFAC SDN screening
• [[research-beneficial-ownership-lookup]] — UBO tracing beyond DED share-register layer