How to Get Digital Marketing License in Dubai?

Seep Gupta

03 Apr, 2025

In Dubai, a digital marketing license is a type of commercial license that is granted to those individuals or businesses who engage in digital marketing activities in Dubai. These digital marketing activities are in vogue nowadays and include search engine optimisation, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing and other services. This article discusses the legal provisions related to digital marketing license in Dubai and the procedure to obtain them.

Legal Provisions related to Digital Marketing License in Dubai

Digital marketing license in Dubai is governed and regulated by Department of Economic Development (DED). This department governs and regulates all e-commerce activities. DED (Department of Economic Development) introduced a new e-license in 2017 known as DED e-trader license, which allows individuals to conduct any e-commerce business online from the ease of their homes. This license is beneficial for businesses and entrepreneurs who want to sell their products online via different online selling and marketing platforms such as social media and all.

In Dubai, for conducting any digital marketing activity, a commercial license from DED (Department of Economic Development) is required. Companies who conduct business in free zones in Dubai need to obtain a free zone license to conduct digital marketing activities there. Free zones in Dubai, also known as (FTZ^[1]) are special economic zones in Dubai which are set up with the aim or objective of offering tax benefits or tax concessions and custom duty benefits to expatriate investors. These free zones include Dubai Internet City or Dubai Media City. These are some of the tax free zones in Dubai.

Digital marketing in Dubai is governed and regulated by the advertising regulations issued by the Municipality of Dubai. It issues and laid down the specific guidelines and protocols for advertising and marketing activities which also include digital marketing. Apart from all these legal provisions, companies in Dubai which conduct the business of digital marketing need to comply and adhere to certain other legal provisions, too, these include data protection regulations. These guidelines of data protection and privacy are issued by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Dubai Data Protection Law.

Companies in Dubai conducting the business of digital marketing also need to adhere to Intellectual Property Rights regulations as well, including trademarks, copyrights and patents. These IP guidelines are issued by both the UAE Ministry of Economy and DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre).

Benefits

There are several benefits or advantages of digital marketing license in Dubai. Some of these benefits are mentioned below:-

• Obtaining a digital marketing license in Dubai is very helpful as it increases the credibility of the business. It shows that the business is complying will all the necessary rules and regulations and this increases the trust among the customers.
• Digital marketing license in Dubai gives a business access to conduct business in the UAE market. This opens lots of opportunities to a large and growing market of consumers and businesses.
• A digital marketing license enables businesses to provide a plethora of services to their clients, such as social media marketing, email marketing, search engine optimisation and online advertising.
• Businesses with digital marketing license in Dubai are eligible for tax benefits or other advantages and sometimes exemptions, too, which can help them in saving their money and in increasing profits.

Having a digital marketing license is extremely beneficial in Dubai as it gives competitive advantage in the market and helps in differentiating the businesses from the other businesses which are operating illegally.

Procedure to Obtain Digital Marketing License in Dubai

Obtaining a digital marketing license in Dubai is not as complicated as it seems. Following steps are required to obtain the license. These steps are mentioned below:-

• Before applying for the license, it is important to determine the company for which the business wants to obtain the license. One can choose from different types of companies, such as from a free zone company, a mainland company in Dubai or an offshore company. A free zone company offers numerous benefits such as tax benefits and other exemptions.
• Second step is to choose a free zone in Dubai if the business wants to set up the business in the free zone. Examples of free zones in Dubai that offer digital marketing licenses include Dubai Internet City (DIC), Dubai Media City (DMC) and Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO). Each free zone has its own perks and advantages. It’s important to first conduct a thorough research before opting for any free zone.
• Next step is to apply for the license. To apply for the license, the applicant needs to contact the department’s customer service team, which provides the license, or it can be applied via their website as well. The application process usually involves submitting the necessary documents and paying the requisite fees. The documents which are generally required are mentioned below:-
  • Business Plan and passport copies of shareholders and managers.
  • Proof of Address
  • No objection certificate from the current sponsor and MoA and AoA of the company.
• Depending on the type of digital marketing license a company is obtaining, it is required by the company to obtain the physical space for setting up the office if the company wants to conduct the business of digital marketing in free zones.
• After this step, another essential process is to obtain the visas for the company and for any employee the company wants to hire. The process of obtaining visa varies depending on the type of business the company has set up.
• Last but not least, in order to conduct the digital marketing business in Dubai successfully, it is highly crucial to stay updated and also to stay compliant with various rules and regulations laid down by a plethora of authorities in Dubai. These include Department of Economic Development, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dubai Municipilaity and Dubai Data Protection Law etc.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, it can be concluded that obtaining a digital marketing license in Dubai can offer several range of benefits for businesses and individuals. It can open new and unexplored ways and opportunities for individuals and for businesses and can also provide access to government support, helps in improving reputation and can offer a competitive edge, and it also helps in increasing revenue.

Also Read:
Procedure for Company Formation in Dubai
5 Easy Steps to Start a Company in Dubai Free Zone
The Best Digital Marketing Strategies and Tactics in 2019