UAE Industrial License — Manufacturing & Production
An industrial license authorises manufacturing, processing, assembly and production activities in the UAE. Issued via JAFZA, KIZAD, Hamriyah, and select Mainland authorities. Requires physical facility and material classification approvals.
Industrial License for UAE Production
A UAE industrial license is required for any business that manufactures, processes, assembles, or produces physical goods on UAE soil. Issued primarily by industrial Free Zones (JAFZA in Dubai, KIZAD in Abu Dhabi, Hamriyah in Sharjah, RAKEZ industrial cluster), the license authorises specific manufactured products, requires a physical plot or warehouse, and triggers additional regulatory approvals (EHSCO environmental, MOFA for food/medical, ESMA for standards).
Industrial setup is significantly more complex than service or trading: customs warehouse codes for raw material imports, environmental compliance certificates, building permits, machine import LCs, and specialised work permits for production staff. Insight handles end-to-end — from Free Zone plot lease to first manufactured unit.
Why Choose This Service
What Our Clients Say
How We Deliver
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01
Scale & product assessment
We confirm your product category (food, electronics, packaging, etc.) and required production capacity.
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02
Zone & plot selection
Match to JAFZA / KIZAD / Hamriyah / RAKEZ based on logistics, regulatory specifics, and budget.
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03
Lease & license application
Plot lease (10-25 year) + industrial license application with specific product codes.
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04
Regulatory clearances
EHSCO environmental, MOFA pre-approval (for sensitive products), ESMA conformity. Parallel workstreams.
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05
Customs & banking
Customs warehouse code. Trade finance bank (HSBC, etc.) with LC facility for raw material imports.
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06
Visas & launch
15+ work permits for production staff. Phased rollout. First production unit commissioned 60-120 days from start.
Frequently Asked Questions
30-90 days depending on zone and product. KIZAD heavy industrial: 60-90 days. JAFZA standard: 30-45 days. Hamriyah light industrial: 20-30 days. Faster if plot is ready-built; longer if custom construction needed.
Yes via Mainland distributors or own DET license. Free Zone industrial license allows direct B2B sales to other Free Zone or export. For B2C industrial products to UAE consumers, distributor arrangement or Mainland industrial license needed.
Hamriyah (Sharjah) from AED 11,000 license + plot lease. RAKEZ industrial cluster from AED 14,500. KIZAD from AED 12,000 but with mandatory plot lease (typically AED 50K+/year). JAFZA premium pricing AED 32K+ but port adjacency.
Most industrial activities require an EHSCO environmental compliance certificate before operations start. Sensitive categories (chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals) require additional MOFA / ESMA / FANR approvals. We coordinate all regulators in parallel.
Yes — industrial Free Zone companies receive a customs warehouse code allowing duty-free import of raw materials used in manufacturing. Finished goods sold internationally are also duty-free. UAE Mainland sales attract customs duty + 5% VAT.
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