Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
What does activity code 8110.11 — Security and Safety Advisory — actually cover in Dubai
Activity code 8110.11 covers a defined scope of professional knowledge services, including risk assessment, safety audits, security consulting, and compliance advisory. It is strictly an expertise-led, advisory model — not an operational security licence.
This means the licence does not permit guarding, surveillance, physical intervention, or the deployment of personnel or equipment. Firms operating under this code must deliver recommendations, frameworks, and training only.
Operational security activities in Dubai fall under the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), which issues separate licences for guarding companies, CCTV operators, and related services.
Who are the primary target clients for a security and safety advisory business in Dubai
The core client base includes real estate developers, facility managers, event organisers, and logistics operators — all sectors expanding at scale in Dubai. Construction, hospitality, and logistics represent the three primary demand verticals.
Secondary demand is growing among SMEs seeking ISO 45001 or OHSAS compliance advisory to satisfy procurement requirements from larger contractors and government entities. This segment is considered underserved and commercially accessible for boutique advisory firms.
Government contractors also represent a valuable pipeline, as public sector procurement increasingly mandates documented safety management systems from suppliers.
Does a free zone licence allow a security and safety advisory firm to work with mainland UAE clients
Yes. A free zone licence under this activity — for example, through Meydan Free Zone — permits advisory delivery across the UAE through service agreements with mainland clients.
This is standard practice for professional services firms operating from UAE free zones and does not require a separate mainland licence for advisory engagements conducted under a service contract.
What is the difference between a security advisory licence and a SIRA licence in Dubai
A security advisory licence (activity code 8110.11) authorises professional consulting services such as risk assessments, safety audits, and compliance frameworks. It is knowledge-based and does not involve any physical security operations.
A SIRA licence, issued by the Security Industry Regulatory Agency, is required for operational security activities — including guarding companies, CCTV installation and monitoring, and any service involving the deployment of security personnel or equipment.
The two licence types are legally and commercially distinct. An advisory firm must remain within its defined scope and cannot undertake operational activities without the appropriate SIRA authorisation.
Which regulatory bodies are relevant to a security and safety advisory business beyond the trade licence
Beyond the core trade licence, several regulatory bodies may be relevant depending on client type and engagement scope. UAE Civil Defence is a key touchpoint for fire and life safety advisory work.
Sector-specific bodies also apply — for example, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is relevant for advisory engagements involving healthcare facility safety.
For firms pursuing government contractor work, alignment with ISO 45001 occupational health and safety standards is increasingly mandated by public sector procurement processes across the UAE.
What are the VAT obligations for a security and safety advisory firm in Dubai
Professional advisory services in the UAE are subject to VAT at 5%. VAT registration becomes mandatory once a firm's annual taxable turnover exceeds AED 375,000, as set by the Federal Tax Authority.
Firms approaching or exceeding this threshold should ensure they are registered and issuing compliant tax invoices. Early-stage businesses below the threshold may also consider voluntary registration if working with VAT-registered clients who require it for input tax recovery.
Why is event safety considered a distinct commercial opportunity in Dubai
Dubai hosts over 400 major business events and exhibitions in a single year, according to the Department of Economy and Tourism. Each large-scale event requires dedicated safety and security advisory, creating consistent and recurring demand.
Beyond exhibitions, Dubai's calendar of sporting events, public gatherings, and mega-events generates significant advisory requirements around crowd management, emergency planning, and regulatory compliance — all within the scope of activity code 8110.11.
What makes the security and safety advisory market in Dubai structurally rather than cyclically driven
Demand for security and safety advisory in Dubai is described as structural rather than cyclical because it is underpinned by long-term drivers: sustained construction activity, hospitality sector expansion, and increasingly rigorous compliance requirements across public and private sectors.
The Middle East and Africa security services market is projected to maintain consistent annual growth through 2030, driven by infrastructure investment and regulatory tightening across Gulf states — meaning demand is not dependent on short-term economic conditions.
The UAE's position as a regional leader in compliance infrastructure, combined with its mega-events pipeline and ISO 45001 mandates from government contractors, reinforces the long-term commercial viability of the advisory model.
How to Start a Security and Safety Advisory Business in Dubai
Somebody has to tell a developer where the fire exits should go, whether the crowd plan for a 40,000-person event holds up, and what a warehouse needs to pass an audit. That work is advice, not guarding, and it has its own license in Dubai.
This guide covers what activity code 8110.11 allows and, just as importantly, what it does not. It also covers who buys advisory work, how the money comes in, and how to set up your license through Meydan Free Zone. Overheads here are about as low as professional services get.
Key Stats at a Glance
What This License Covers
Activity code 8110.11, Security and Safety Advisory, covers a defined set of professional knowledge services: risk assessment, safety audits, security advice and compliance advisory. You sell expertise. You deliver recommendations, frameworks and training.
The boundary matters. This is not an operational security license. No guarding, no surveillance, no physical intervention, no putting people or hardware on a site. Operational security in Dubai sits with the Security Industry Regulatory Agency, known as SIRA, which issues separate licenses for guarding companies, CCTV operators and similar services. The two license types are legally and commercially distinct, and staying inside your scope is what keeps you compliant.
Who Your Clients Will Be
Construction, hospitality and logistics are the three sectors that generate most of the demand, and all three are expanding in Dubai at scale.
- Real estate developers and main contractors
- Facility managers running large or multi-site portfolios
- Event organisers handling exhibitions, sport and public gatherings
- Logistics operators with warehouse and yard safety duties
Two more groups are worth targeting deliberately. SMEs chasing ISO 45001 or OHSAS compliance advice, usually because a larger contractor or a government entity has asked for it, are underserved and reachable for a boutique firm. Government contractors are the valuable pipeline, because public sector buying increasingly asks suppliers for documented safety management systems.
Three revenue streams define this model. Retainers with facility managers or developers give you predictable monthly income. Project audits tied to construction phases, license applications or compliance reviews pay higher fees per engagement. Training programmes, delivered in-house or certified through a third party, carry strong margins and scale without your costs rising in step.
Subcontracting and white-labelling for larger facilities management and security firms is common here. For a new practice, that can bring in revenue while you build a direct client base.
Mainland or Free Zone
This is one activity where the free zone route is unusually clean. A free zone license under 8110.11 lets you deliver advisory work across the UAE through service agreements with mainland clients. That is standard practice for professional services firms and does not call for a separate mainland license for advisory engagements. Let your clients decide it, not the price.
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Step by Step Setup Guide
- Step 1, pick your activity: Confirm code 8110.11, Security and Safety Advisory, and check it matches the scope of services you intend to sell.
- Step 2, check your trade name: Test your proposed name against existing registrations. Names must follow UAE naming conventions and cannot reference government entities or regulated professions without approval.
- Step 3, send in your setup documents: Passport copy, proof of residential address, and a business plan summary if asked. If you are on a UAE residency visa, your current sponsor may need to issue a No Objection Certificate.
- Step 4, take your license: Under standard processing a Meydan Free Zone license is usually issued within a few working days of documents and payment.
- Step 5, sort your visa and Emirates ID: Apply for your investor or employment visa, complete medical screening and get your Emirates ID. Allow roughly 2 to 3 weeks.
- Step 6, open a corporate bank account: Bank due diligence usually adds 2 to 4 weeks depending on the bank and how complete your file is.
Compliance and What You Need in Place
The SIRA boundary
SIRA governs security activities in Dubai, and your job is to stay clearly on the advisory side of the line. Writing recommendations is in scope. Deploying guards or running surveillance systems is not. This is the single rule that decides whether your practice stays compliant, so be strict about it in your contracts as well as your delivery.
Other regulators
UAE Civil Defence is the touchpoint for fire and life safety advisory work. Sector bodies apply depending on who your client is, so the Dubai Health Authority becomes relevant on healthcare facility safety engagements.
ISO 45001
Alignment with ISO 45001 occupational health and safety standards is increasingly asked for by government contractors and large developers. It is not a license condition, but it is close to a commercial one if you want that pipeline.
VAT
Advisory services carry VAT at 5%. Registration is mandatory once annual taxable turnover passes AED 375,000. Below that line, voluntary registration is worth thinking about if your clients want to recover input tax on your invoices.
Insurance and staff
Professional indemnity insurance is strongly advisable. Client contracts in this sector increasingly ask for it, and it protects a practice whose output is a recommendation rather than a physical thing. MOHRE Emiratisation rules apply once your headcount reaches the relevant threshold, which is unlikely to be immediate for a small firm. Ongoing duties are light: annual license renewal, VAT filing on your cycle, and visa quota management as the team grows.
Market Opportunity
Demand here is structural rather than cyclical. It rests on sustained construction, hospitality expansion and compliance rules that keep tightening across both public and private sectors, none of which turn off when the economy wobbles.
Mordor Intelligence expects the Middle East and Africa security services market to grow steadily through 2030, driven by infrastructure investment and tighter regulation across Gulf states. IMARC Group puts the UAE security industry among the fastest-growing in the region, with demand concentrated in Dubai and Abu Dhabi across construction, hospitality and logistics.
Events are a distinct opportunity. The Department of Economy and Tourism reports Dubai hosted over 400 major business events and exhibitions in a single year, and each one needs safety and security advice at planning and operational stages. Add the sporting calendar and public gatherings and you have repeatable project work alongside retainers.
Conclusion
Security and safety advisory is a lean, high-margin professional services model that suits Dubai well. The rules are clear, the client base is growing, and your overheads are low against the fees you can charge. The business runs on expertise, documentation and relationships.
Two things decide how well it goes. Keep a hard line between advice and operations so your SIRA position is never in question, and build toward retainers and training rather than living on one-off audits.
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