Software Consultancy And Game Programmer

Software consultancy means advising on how software should be built. Game programming means building interactive applications: system architecture, game mechanics, interface design, testing and deployment.

Four activity codes cover this work at Meydan Free Zone, and none of them needs third-party approval. What they do have is overlapping scope with sharp exclusions between them, and picking the wrong one leaves you licensed for work you do not do. This guide sets out where the boundaries fall.

Key Stats at a Glance

The Four Activities

What Each Code Covers

Computer programming, consultancy and related activities, 6200.00

The division-level code. It covers writing, modifying, testing and supporting software, plus planning and designing computer systems that integrate hardware, software and communication technologies. It also takes in on-site management and operation of clients' computer systems and data processing facilities.

In practice that means system analysis, database design, cybersecurity consulting, IT project management and technical support all sit under it. It is the broadest of the four, which makes it the natural choice for a firm that both builds and advises.

Computer programming activities, 6201.00

Writing, modifying, testing and supporting software. This includes designing the structure and content of applications, databases and web pages, writing the code to implement them, updating and patching software to keep it working and secure, and customising existing applications to fit a client's information system.

This is where game programming actually sits. If you are building games or bespoke software, this is your code.

Two exclusions worth knowing

• Publishing packaged software is not included. This code covers development and modification, not commercial distribution.
• Planning and designing computer systems that integrate hardware, software and communications is not included either. That belongs to 6202.00.

Computer consultancy and computer facilities management, 6202.00

Advising, planning, designing and managing computer systems and facilities for clients. Firms under this code may supply hardware and software components as part of an integrated service or source them from third parties, and they handle system installation, user training and ongoing support. It also covers on-site management and operation of clients' systems and data processing facilities.

Excluded: the separate sale of computer hardware or software, installation of mainframe or personal computers, and software installation on its own.

Other information technology and computer service activities, 6209.00

IT and computer services not classified elsewhere: computer disaster recovery, setting up personal computers, and software installation.

Excluded: installation of mainframe and similar computers, computer programming, computer consultancy, computer facilities management, and data processing and hosting. This is a residual code, so it only fits work that genuinely falls outside the other three.

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How to Choose Between Them

The four codes form a hierarchy rather than a menu, and that is the thing to understand before applying.

The hierarchy

6200.00 sits at division level and encompasses the others. 6201.00, 6202.00 and 6209.00 are narrower classes inside it. A studio writing games needs 6201.00. A consultancy designing and running client systems needs 6202.00. A firm doing both may be better served by 6200.00 than by stacking two narrower codes.

Where people get caught

The exclusions. Note that 6201.00 explicitly excludes systems integration design and 6202.00 explicitly excludes standalone software installation. Those two exclusions point at each other, which means a business doing development plus integration plus installation has to think carefully rather than assume one code stretches to cover everything.

The practical test

Work out what you will actually invoice for in year one, then map that against the exclusions rather than the activity names.

Compliance and What You Need in Place

No approvals

None of the four codes needs third-party approval, which makes this one of the lighter licensing paths available. Your trade license is the whole permission.

Anti-money laundering

All four are exempt. That covers the activity file only, so normal bookkeeping and tax duties still apply in full.

Speed and location

Fawri is available for faster license issuance, and remote setup means you can launch without being in Dubai. For a development studio whose team may be distributed, that combination is worth planning around.

Market Opportunity

The commercial appeal of this group of codes is how little stands between deciding to start and being able to invoice. No third-party approvals, no AML file to build, no sector regulator, and remote setup available. For a software business whose only real assets are people and code, that is close to the lowest friction available in a licensed jurisdiction.

The breadth is the other advantage. One license can carry a consultancy engagement, a bespoke development project and ongoing support for the same client, which matters because software revenue rarely arrives in a single clean category. A studio that starts by building a product often ends up advising on architecture and then managing the systems it built, and the codes accommodate that progression without a license amendment if you choose at the right level to begin with.

Game development specifically sits inside 6201.00 alongside general software work, which means the license does not distinguish between a studio building games and one building enterprise applications. Commercially that is useful, because studios frequently subsidise original projects with client work, and both sit under the same registration.

Key Takeaways

• Four codes cover this sector: 6200.00, 6201.00, 6202.00 and 6209.00
• None needs third-party approval and all four are exempt from anti-money laundering rules
• Game programming falls under 6201.00, which also covers bespoke software development
• 6200.00 is the division-level code and covers the other three
• 6201.00 excludes packaged software publishing and systems integration design
• 6202.00 excludes standalone hardware or software sales and installation
• 6209.00 is residual and only fits work outside the other three

Conclusion

Software consultancy and game programming is among the simplest sectors to license in Dubai. No approvals, no AML duties, and setup that can be completed remotely.

The decision that matters is which code, and the answer comes from the exclusions rather than the titles. A studio writing games and a consultancy running client infrastructure are doing different things, and the coding reflects that even though both are described loosely as software businesses.

Map your intended revenue against the exclusions before you apply, and pick the level that covers where the business is going rather than only where it starts.

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