Like that of every other growing city, the food and beverage industry in the UAE is expectedly huge and profitable. The market is currently estimated to be worth around and impressive AED 142bn and is expected to go as far as AED 145bn in the year 2021.

Leading the charge in this profitable industry are the catering companies and the food delivery businesses. This is so because the UAE population is a predominantly ‘food-ordering’population. A significant 60% of the population were reported to belong to this category. This is a very high percentage compared the 18% obtained in the United States. The wave is so big that even Zomato recently sold its good delivery outfit for around USD 170m. This trend does not come as a surprise considering that UAE’s population is predominantly working class and creates a ready market for anyone to start a catering business in Dubai.

Starting a catering business in Dubai takes a few important steps. First, you must choose a company name. You should do this while bearing it in mind that the UAE has a few rules guiding company names. Your company name must not contain any offensive or blasphemous language or refer to any popular organization. If the business name has your personal name in it, you must make sure that it contains no abbreviations whatsoever. Then, you must decide on which setup is right for your business.

You have the choice of settling for a free zone or on the mainland. If you wish to set up in the mainland, your trade license application must go to the Department of Economic Development (DED) or municipality of the emirate that you are setting up in. If you choose to set up in a free zone, your application must go to the relevant authority in charge of the region.

After this, you have to apply for a trade license. However, this too, comes with its own requirements. It is only when you have you catering license in hand that you can apply for a catering license. This application goes to the Dubai Food Safety Department. As part of your application, you must provide a floorplan of your kitchen and food preparation area alongside the details of all entrances and exits, food processing areas, food storage areas, all windows and ventilation, all food processing equipment and all washing equipment. You must also ensure that your kitchen arrangement aligns with the ‘UAE Food Code’ – an elaborate specification of the accepted layout for food storage, ventilation, cleaning facilities among others.

Even though there are many alternative means of accepting and processing orders, an application still remains the smartest and the most effective. You can get your own food-ordering application by paying an app development specialist company to build for you. The cost of doing this usually ranges between USD 10,000 and USD 30,000.

Most times, people who want to go into this industry like to know what it costs to get a license. It is however important to note that the cost of license varies depending on your own choices. According to estimates provided by Business Incorporation Zone, the cost of getting a food and beverage license in the Fujairah Creative City with a visa for one is around AED 22,200. This is not all the cost as you might still have to factor other costs including app development and food license fee.

With all that being said, the most important part of the whole process is to ensure that the application is absolutely free from errors as at the time of submission. This is why it is best to work with a company formation specialist such as Business Incorporation Zone for best outcomes. They also take care of other important details and leave you to do what matters the most.

Terry Gordon