How To Launch Your Own Book Publishing Company in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone

Books are timeless. Whether it’s glossy coffee-table editions in Downtown Dubai, school textbooks in Deira, or the latest novels available in print and e-book formats, publishing is at the heart of how ideas, stories, and knowledge are shared. Behind every bestseller, textbook, or children’s story in Dubai, is a publisher who brings ideas to life.

Launching your own book publishing company in Dubai from scratch gives you the tools to build something meaningful from the ground up. Meydan Free Zone helps you begin with confidence, quick setup, full ownership, and a publishing license that’s built for today’s market.

Books never lose their power. In Dubai, they take many forms, glossy coffee-table editions in luxury districts, school textbooks shaping the next generation, and novels released simultaneously in print and e-book formats. At the centre of it all are publishers: the people who transform stories, research, and knowledge into something that reaches audiences worldwide.

For entrepreneurs, launching your own book publishing company in Dubai means tapping into one of the fastest-growing and most diverse publishing markets anywhere. With a multicultural population, a booming education sector, and readers hungry for diverse voices, the demand for fresh content is expanding fast. From fiction and non-fiction to academic and digital-first publishing, the opportunities are as varied as the city itself.

Starting your own publishing company here means building more than a business — it’s a chance to influence culture and ideas. With Meydan Free Zone, you can set up quickly, retain 100% ownership, and operate under a license designed for modern publishing ventures.

Book Publishing ( 5811.00)

When you set up a book publishing company in Dubai, your license covers a wide range of publishing activities. It’s not limited to traditional print, it also includes modern formats such as e-books and audio publishing. This flexibility allows entrepreneurs to reach readers across both classic and digital platforms.

On the print side, the scope includes publishing books, brochures, leaflets, dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, maps, and charts.

It also extends to audio books and digital reference works, such as encyclopedias on CD-ROM or other electronic platforms, giving you opportunities to innovate beyond paper-based publishing.

What’s excluded? This license does not cover the production of globes, the publishing of advertising materials, music and sheet music publishing, or activities carried out by independent authors and writers.

Third-party Approval

This business activity needs pre-approval from the UAE Media Council (UAEMC).

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance

Business activity 5811.00 is exempt from this requirement.

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