Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the activity code and classification for Architectural Prospective Drawings Services in Dubai
The activity is registered under activity code 7110.77 and falls within ISIC Division 7110 — Architectural and Engineering Activities. It is classified as a professional-category licence, meaning it is defined by specialist knowledge rather than the trading of goods.
The scope specifically covers the production of perspective drawings, 3D visualisations, rendered elevations, and architectural rendering for construction and design projects. It does not extend to structural calculations, site supervision, or services requiring a licensed architectural stamp.
Who needs an Architectural Prospective Drawings Services licence in Dubai
Any business or individual offering perspective drawings, 3D visualisations, photorealistic renderings, or conceptual illustrations for construction and design projects in Dubai requires this licence. This includes specialist visualisation studios as well as broader design practices that offer rendering as part of their service portfolio.
Operating without the correct licence exposes you to regulatory risk and restricts your ability to contract with major developers and government bodies. Given Dubai's construction pipeline — valued at over AED 350 billion in active projects — the commercial demand for licensed operators is substantial.
What services are permitted under activity code 7110.77
The permitted scope includes perspective and axonometric drawings, rendered elevations, bird's-eye views, and photorealistic 3D visualisations. It also covers conceptual illustration produced for planning submissions, marketing collateral, and investor presentations.
The licence is not designed for structural engineering, site supervision, or any activity requiring a licensed architectural stamp. Separate authorisations are required for those activities. The focus is purely on visual representation and prospective illustration that communicates design intent before a building is constructed.
What is the typical client base for this type of licence
The client base is broad and includes property developers, fit-out contractors, interior designers, master planners, and government infrastructure bodies, all of whom regularly commission perspective and visualisation work.
Common business models include project-based fees, retainer agreements, and white-label supply to larger architectural firms that outsource their visualisation workload. This flexibility makes the licence suitable for both small studios and larger multi-service design practices.
What is the difference between a mainland and a free zone licence for this activity
A mainland licence issued by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) allows direct contracts with UAE government entities and Dubai Municipality-registered projects. This is significant given the volume of public infrastructure work in Dubai. However, mainland professional licences may require professional qualification verification and, in some cases, a No Objection Certificate from Dubai Municipality.
A free zone licence — such as one issued through Meydan Free Zone — offers faster setup, lower upfront cost, and full foreign ownership. It suits studios primarily serving private developers or international clients. Free zone operators working on mainland projects typically engage a local service agent or structure contracts through a mainland entity.
How long does it take to set up an Architectural Prospective Drawings Services licence in Dubai
Setup timelines vary by jurisdiction. A free zone licence can typically be established in 3–7 working days, making it the faster option for those wanting to begin operations quickly. A mainland licence generally takes 2–4 weeks due to additional regulatory steps.
Free zone options such as Meydan Free Zone also allow remote incorporation, meaning physical presence in Dubai is not required during the setup process, which can further streamline the timeline for international applicants.
Is there a minimum share capital requirement for this licence
In most free zones, there is no mandated minimum share capital requirement for this activity. Meydan Free Zone, for example, operates with no paid-up capital requirement, reducing the financial barrier to entry for new businesses and solo practitioners.
Mainland requirements may differ depending on the specific structure chosen. It is advisable to confirm current capital requirements with the relevant authority — the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for mainland or the specific free zone authority — at the time of application.
Are visas available under an Architectural Prospective Drawings Services licence in Dubai
Yes. Investor and employee visas are available under this licence in both mainland and free zone jurisdictions. Free zone options such as Meydan Free Zone offer visa allocation from day one of incorporation, allowing businesses to sponsor staff without delay.
The number of visas available typically depends on the size of the office space allocated and the specific package chosen with the free zone authority. This makes the licence viable not just for sole operators but also for growing studios that need to bring in skilled visualisation professionals.
Architectural Prospective Drawings Services License in Dubai
Dubai has over AED 350 billion of construction projects running, and every one of them gets sold, approved and marketed on pictures long before anything is built. Activity code 7110.77 is the license for making those pictures.
It is a professional license, defined by what you know rather than what you sell. You produce perspectives, renders and visualisations. You do not stamp drawings or supervise sites. This guide covers what the license allows, who buys the work, how mainland and free zone compare, the steps to get licensed, and what it costs to run.
Key Stats at a Glance
What This License Covers
Code 7110.77 sits inside ISIC 7110, architectural and engineering activities. The scope is visual: producing perspective drawings, 3D visualisations and architectural rendering for construction and design projects.
What you can produce:
- Perspective and axonometric drawings
- Rendered elevations and bird's-eye views
- Photorealistic 3D visualisations
- Conceptual illustration for planning submissions, marketing material and investor presentations
What sits outside it: structural calculations, site supervision, and anything needing a licensed architectural stamp. Those are separate authorisations. The line is that you communicate design intent, you do not certify that a building will stand up.
Who Your Clients Will Be
Five groups commission this work regularly:
- Property developers
- Fit-out contractors
- Interior designers
- Master planners
- Government infrastructure bodies
How you charge is flexible. Project fees are the norm, retainers give you predictable income, and white-label supply to larger architectural firms that outsource their visualisation workload is a steady third stream. That last one is worth thinking about early, because it turns competitors into clients.
Mainland or Free Zone
The jurisdiction shapes your costs, your ownership and above all who you can bill directly.
A mainland license from the Department of Economy and Tourism lets you contract straight with UAE government entities and Dubai Municipality-registered projects, which matters here because public infrastructure is a large share of the work. The trade-off is more checks: your professional qualifications may be verified, and built-environment activities sometimes need a no objection certificate from Dubai Municipality.
Meydan Free Zone gives you full foreign ownership with no paid-up capital, faster setup and a competitive annual fee, with visa allocation available from day one. Setup can be done remotely, so you do not have to be in Dubai to start. It suits a studio serving private developers, international clients, or working as a regional hub. If you take mainland project work from there, you would typically use a local service agent or route the contract through a mainland entity. Let your clients decide it, not the price.
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Step by Step Setup Guide
- Step 1, settle your legal structure: Sole establishment, LLC or free zone company. Base it on ownership, liability and whether you plan to bring in partners.
- Step 2, book your trade name: Use the DET portal for a mainland company, or your free zone portal. The name must not clash with an existing registration and must not imply services beyond what you are licensed for.
- Step 3, submit your activity selection: Check that code 7110.77 is listed on the application. Some authorities ask for documents showing your professional background or portfolio, particularly on mainland professional licenses.
- Step 4, prepare your setup documents: Passport copy and visa page, proof of address, and a No Objection Certificate if you are currently on a UAE employment visa.
- Step 5, pay the fee and collect your license: Then apply for your establishment card, and after that your investor or employee visas.
- Step 6, open a corporate bank account: Allow 4 to 8 weeks for UAE bank KYC. Having your license, tenancy contract and company documents ready before you approach a bank speeds this up a lot.
Papers to have ready: passport copy and visa page, proof of residential address, a business plan summary where the free zone asks for one, a No Objection Certificate if you are on an active employment visa, and professional credentials or a portfolio for mainland applications.
Compliance and What You Need in Place
Annual renewal
Renew every year. A lapsed license brings administrative fines and puts the visas of any staff you sponsor at risk. Set a reminder at least 30 days before expiry rather than trusting yourself to remember.
Visa quotas
Every visa needs a matching physical office or flexi-desk allocation, and this is checked during the visa application. Plan headcount and workspace together, because you cannot add people faster than you add desks.
VAT
Registration is compulsory once taxable turnover passes AED 375,000 a year, and voluntary from AED 187,500. All UAE-sourced service revenue carries 5% VAT. You can invoice in dirhams or in foreign currency, and the 5% applies to UAE-sourced services either way.
Corporate Tax
Corporate Tax at 9% applies to taxable income above AED 375,000 under the UAE Corporate Tax Law, in force since June 2023.
Books and audit
Keep auditable financial records from the date you set the company up, not from the date you send your first invoice. Free zone entities may face a compulsory annual audit, depending on the authority's own rules.
Market Opportunity
Over AED 350 billion of active construction projects is the demand side of this business, and it suits a visualisation studio unusually well, because rendering happens at the front of a project rather than the end. You get paid during the pitch, planning and marketing phases, long before anyone breaks ground.
The buyer list spreads the risk too. Developers, fit-out contractors, interior designers, master planners and government infrastructure bodies all commission this work, and they run on different cycles. When developer work slows, fit-out and government projects usually do not slow at the same moment.
The white-label route deserves a mention of its own. Larger architectural practices routinely outsource visualisation because it is specialist and lumpy in volume. Supplying them is less glamorous than winning your own name on a pitch, but it produces repeat work from a small number of accounts.
Conclusion
This is a focused professional license that puts a studio inside Dubai's development market without much capital and, in a free zone, without even being in the country to set it up.
Pick mainland if government contracts and Municipality-registered projects are central to your pipeline. Pick Meydan Free Zone if speed, full ownership and lower starting costs matter more, and your clients are private or international.
The things that catch people out are not the license itself. They are bank account timelines, visa quota planning and mainland qualification checks. Plan for all three and the setup is simple.
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