Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need SIRA approval to start a security consulting business?
Yes. SIRA approval is required before your trade license is issued. SIRA looks at the team behind the license, not just the entity, so personnel CVs, qualifications, and security clearances all need to be in your file.
Can I run guards or install CCTV under this license?
No. Code 7490.08 covers advisory work only. Manned guarding, CCTV installation, alarm monitoring, and executive protection all sit in separate SIRA categories and need their own licenses with their own qualifications.
How long does the SIRA approval take?
Turnaround depends on how clean your file is when it lands. A well-prepared submission with clear CVs and scope moves faster. Plan for two to four weeks in a free zone route and longer if the mainland referral applies.
Do I need professional indemnity insurance?
It is not a legal must, but it is a strong signal to clients and often a tender requirement. Security advice is high-stakes work, and cover protects you if a recommendation is challenged.
Can foreigners own a security consulting business in Dubai?
Yes. You get 100% foreign ownership when you set up with Meydan Free Zone, and the same is true for most mainland activities registered through DET.
Topic Summary
Understand Exactly What Code 7490.08 Covers
Activity code 7490.08 authorises advisory work such as security risk assessments, vulnerability studies, corporate security strategy, and compliance audits. It does not cover operational services like manned guarding, CCTV installation, or cash-in-transit, which require separate SIRA-regulated licenses.
Secure SIRA Approval Before You Trade
The Security Industry Regulatory Agency must approve your firm before your trade license is issued, and every senior consultant needs individual SIRA clearance. Your SIRA license number must also appear on all engagement letters and client-facing documents.
Choose Your Jurisdiction Based on Your Clients
A mainland DET license lets you work directly with UAE government entities and bid on public tenders without restriction. A Meydan Free Zone license offers 100% foreign ownership, lower costs, and a faster two-to-four-week setup, but mainland client work may require a local service agent.
Budget Realistically for Year-One Costs
Free zone setup typically runs AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 per year, while a mainland license costs AED 20,000 to AED 35,000 for year one. There is no mandatory minimum share capital for professional licenses in most free zones, keeping the entry barrier relatively low.
Target the Right Client Segments Early
Property developers, hotels, corporate security teams, event organisers, and financial institutions are all active buyers of security consultancy in Dubai. Work is typically project-based or retainer-based, which means a small senior team can service large clients without a heavy permanent headcount.
Plan for the Scope Creep Trap
Clients who value your risk assessment will often ask you to also manage guards and install cameras, but those services sit outside a 7490.08 license. Having a clear written scope of services from the start protects your compliance position and sets client expectations correctly.
How To Start a Security Consulting Company in Dubai with Meydan Free Zone
Dubai's security market has grown alongside its status as a regional hub for finance, tourism, and major events. Property developers, hotels, retail groups, and corporate campuses all need security expertise, and activity code 7490.08 is the license that lets you sell that advisory work.
This guide covers what the code permits, the SIRA approval you need before you can trade, the jurisdiction choice, and how to get set up.
Key Stats at a Glance
Sources: ISIC Rev. 4, Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), Meydan Free Zone
What This License Covers
Code 7490.08 authorises security expertise delivered on a consultancy and advisory basis:
- Security risk assessments and threat analysis
- Vulnerability studies for buildings, sites, and events
- Corporate security strategy and policy development
- Event security planning for concerts, conferences, and sports
- Physical security design consulting, meaning specifying kit rather than installing it
- Security audits and compliance reviews
- Business continuity and crisis management planning
This is a professional advisory license, not an operational one. Manned guarding, CCTV installation, alarm monitoring, cash-in-transit, and executive protection all fall outside it and need separate SIRA-regulated licenses under different codes.
That boundary is the one most likely to catch you out, because clients who like your assessment will ask you to run the guards and put in the cameras.
Who Your Clients Will Be
- Property developers commissioning security-by-design reviews on new projects
- Hotel and hospitality operators running standing security assessment cycles
- Corporate security teams outsourcing strategy, policy, and audit work
- Event organisers planning security for concerts, conferences, and sporting events
- Retail chains and shopping centres managing loss prevention and crowd flow
- Financial institutions running physical security and business continuity reviews
- Government project offices procuring advisory work on major infrastructure
Work is project-based or retainer-based, which suits a lean team and senior specialists. That is a large part of why this license is workable: you can take on substantial clients without a large permanent team.
Mainland or Free Zone
This is the biggest choice you will make when setting up. Let your clients decide it, not the price.
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Step-by-Step Setup Guide
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Compliance and What You Need in Place
SIRA registration and personnel qualifications
SIRA is the primary regulator. Every senior consultant needs SIRA clearance, and your firm needs a SIRA license number visible on your engagement letters and reports. Keep team CVs and clearances current, because SIRA audits do happen.
Scope discipline
Do not stray outside advisory work under this code. The moment you put a guard on site or install a camera, you are in a different SIRA category and, without the right license, in breach. Enforcement is real, not theoretical.
Data protection
Security assessments produce highly sensitive documents such as site plans, vulnerability reports, and personnel details. The UAE Personal Data Protection Law and confidentiality duty apply. Store client files with encryption, restrict access, and keep them only for as long as the engagement needs.
Professional indemnity insurance
Recommended, and required by many corporate clients before they will sign an engagement. It protects you if advice is challenged, and it is a strong credibility signal on tender submissions.
Tax
VAT registration is required once taxable turnover passes AED 375,000, and security consultancy supplied within the UAE is standard-rated at 5%. Keep clean books from the first invoice.
Visas
Quota follows your office. A flexi-desk typically supports one to three visas, and a dedicated office unlocks more.
Renewal
Annual and mandatory for both the trade license and the SIRA registration. Non-renewal brings fines and can suspend your ability to trade.
Market Opportunity
Demand is tied to Dubai's construction pipeline, its position as a global events destination, and the rising standards written into UAE regulation for physical security, business continuity, and crisis management. Developers, hotels, and event organisers buy this work steadily rather than occasionally, because security sits on the critical path of getting a project or event approved and running.
The cost structure is the other attraction. There is no kit, no stock, and no site equipment, so a qualified senior consultant can be trading within a few weeks of SIRA sign-off and grow by adding specialists as the work arrives.
Conclusion
A security consulting license under 7490.08 is a well-defined professional category suited to senior consultants, boutique advisory firms, and specialist practices working in one of the region's most active security markets.
Three decisions shape your setup: jurisdiction, scope clarity, and how quickly you can get your SIRA file through the door. Settle those at the outset and the rest follows a predictable path.
Use the cost calculator for an estimate, or speak to the Meydan Free Zone team to confirm the right activity code before you commit.
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