Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does this activity cover?
It covers design for homes, offices, shops and hotels. That includes finishes, furniture, lighting and colour.
2. Can I produce architectural drawings?
No. Architectural design sits under a separate code and falls outside this one.
3. Can I do engineering design for interiors?
No. Interior design engineering services are a separate activity under code 7110.30.
4. Can I buy and supply the furniture myself?
You can pick and order furnishings for a job. Trading furniture as a product line is a separate trading activity.
5. Do I need third-party approval?
Yes. Dubai Municipality must approve this activity before Meydan Free Zone can issue the license.
Topic Summary
Dubai's Property Boom Fuels Decorator Demand
Dubai recorded over 270,000 property deals worth AED 917 billion in 2025, its best year on record. Every new handover creates a space that needs fitting out, keeping decorators in steady work.
A Market Worth Billions and Still Growing
The UAE interior design market was valued at USD 1.52 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach USD 2.15 billion by 2030. Across the wider Gulf region, the market already stood at USD 14.79 billion in 2026.
Residential and Commercial Work Both Qualify
The business activity covers decorators who style private homes and villas as well as those who fit out offices, shops, cafes, and hotels. Both residential and commercial design fall under the same license activity.
Services Span Design, Sourcing, and Coordination
Licensed decorators can create colour schemes, select furniture and lighting, advise on layout, and coordinate with suppliers and fit-out teams. The activity covers the full journey from brief to finished space.
Architecture and Engineering Are Out of Scope
This activity does not permit architectural or engineering design work, which sit under a separate code. Web page design and stage-set design are also excluded from this license category.
Dubai Municipality Approval Is Required First
Before Meydan Free Zone can issue a business license for this activity, pre-approval from Dubai Municipality must be obtained. AML compliance requirements do not apply to this activity.
How To Start Your Interior Design Business in Dubai With Meydan Free Zone
Interior decorators shape how indoor space looks and works. The work covers homes, offices, shops, cafes and hotels across Dubai. Decorators pick finishes, furniture, lighting and colour to suit a brief. They also advise on layout and guide the look of a job from start to finish.
Demand tracks the property market, and that market is busy. Dubai saw more than 270,000 property deals worth AED 917 billion in 2025, its best year on record.1 Every handover makes a space that someone wants fitted out and furnished. Both new build and refits feed steady work to decorators across the emirate.
The design sector is growing as well. The UAE interior design market was worth USD 1.52 billion in 2024 and should reach USD 2.15 billion by 2030.2 Across the wider Gulf the market stood at USD 14.79 billion in 2026.3 Most of that growth now comes from redoing space that already exists.
Key market figures
Whether you style villas, fit out offices or dress shop and hotel space, this activity covers design work. The figures below show the size of the market and what drives it.
Sources: Government of Dubai (2026), Grand View Research (2025), Mordor Intelligence (January 2026)
[blockCTACostCalculator]
Who is this activity for?
What this activity covers
This code covers the work of interior decorators. That means shaping how indoor space looks, feels and works. The class guidelines group it with other design work.
- Designing and styling space for homes, offices, shops and hotels
- Choosing furniture, fabrics, lighting, flooring and artwork
- Building colour schemes and themes around a client brief
- Advising on layout and how a space will be used day to day
- Working with suppliers and fit-out teams so the design is built as drawn
Product scope
What falls outside this activity
This activity does not cover architectural design or engineering design. Both sit under separate codes in class 7110. Interior design engineering services are one of those, listed under code 7110.30. The class guidelines also place web page design and stage-set design outside this activity.
In short, you can plan, style and furnish a space, but you cannot draw it as an architect or engineer.
Compliance
THIRD-PARTY APPROVAL
This activity requires pre-approval from Dubai Municipality (DM) before a business license can be issued by Meydan Free Zone.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE
This business activity is not subject to AML compliance requirements.
[blockCTAContact]
Citations
1. Government of Dubai, Dubai Real Estate Market Records New Historic Milestone, 2026.
2. Grand View Research, UAE Interior Design Market Size and Outlook, 2025 to 2030, 2025.
3. Mordor Intelligence, GCC Interior Design Services Market Report, January 2026.
