Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
What is activity code 7020.92 and what does it cover for cooking consultants in Dubai
Activity code 7020.92 — Cooking Consultant falls under ISIC Division 70, Management Consultancy Activities. It authorises the holder to provide expert advisory services related to culinary operations, not to manufacture, handle, or sell food commercially.
Typical services covered include menu development, kitchen workflow design, supplier sourcing strategy, staff training programmes, and culinary concept creation. Because the licence is advisory in nature, no Dubai Municipality food establishment permit is required at the point of business setup.
Who are the typical clients of a cooking consultant business in Dubai
The client base for a licensed cooking consultant in Dubai is broad. Hotels, restaurant groups, cloud kitchen operators, catering companies, and food manufacturers all engage cooking consultants at various stages of their operations — from concept development and market entry to operational restructuring and menu repositioning.
Institutional clients such as hospital catering operators and airline caterers also commission specialist advisory work. The diversity of potential clients reflects the strength of the UAE's food service market, which is estimated at over USD 16 billion as of 2024.
What is the difference between a cooking consultant licence and a chef-for-hire arrangement
A cooking consultant licence under activity code 7020.92 is an advisory and management consultancy function, not a labour or food production arrangement. The billing model is typically project-based or retainer-driven rather than hourly labour, which creates a more attractive margin profile for experienced practitioners.
A chef-for-hire arrangement, by contrast, involves the direct provision of labour — the individual works within a client's kitchen as an employee or contractor. A cooking consultant instead provides strategic guidance that the client's own team then implements, keeping the consultant's role firmly in the advisory category.
Should a cooking consultant register on the Dubai Mainland or in a Free Zone
Mainland registration through the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) offers the widest commercial reach across the emirate. However, professional licences held by foreign nationals have historically required a local service agent, which adds administrative overhead.
Free Zone registration — such as through Meydan Free Zone — allows 100% foreign ownership with no local agent requirement, lower overhead costs, and faster processing times of 3–7 working days compared to 2–4 weeks on the Mainland. Solo consultants and small advisory practices often find the Free Zone route more practical.
What are the government fees involved in setting up a cooking consultant business in Dubai
Government fees for a cooking consultant licence in Dubai typically range from AED 10,000 to AED 20,000, depending on the jurisdiction chosen — Mainland (DET) or a Free Zone — and the number of visas allocated under the licence.
The fee range accounts for variables such as trade name reservation, initial approvals, Memorandum of Association signing, and any tenancy or Ejari registration costs on the Mainland. Free Zone packages may bundle several of these costs together, making total expenditure easier to forecast upfront.
What are the steps to obtain a cooking consultant licence on the Dubai Mainland
The Mainland route is managed through the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and involves four main steps. First, reserve a trade name via the DET portal. Second, obtain initial approval from the DET. Third, register a tenancy contract through Ejari. Fourth, receive final licence issuance from the DET.
It is important to select activity code 7020.92 — Cooking Consultant precisely at the application stage. Vague or incorrect activity descriptions can cause reclassification problems at renewal and may complicate banking and visa processing at a later stage.
What are the steps to obtain a cooking consultant licence through a Free Zone such as Meydan
The Free Zone route — using Meydan Free Zone as an example — involves three core steps: a trade name availability check, submission of the application with supporting documents, and signing of the Memorandum of Association (MOA), after which the licence is issued.
A key advantage is that a physical office is optional depending on the package selected, making it well suited to independent practitioners. The process typically completes within 3–7 working days, and 100% foreign ownership is permitted with no local service agent required.
Does a cooking consultant in Dubai need food handling permits or Dubai Municipality approvals
No. Because activity code 7020.92 is classified as a management consultancy activity — advisory in nature — rather than food production or retail, no food handling permits or Dubai Municipality food establishment approvals are required at the point of business setup.
This distinction is one of the practical advantages of structuring the business as a consultancy. Operators who also wish to produce, handle, or sell food commercially would need a separate and additional licence category, which carries its own regulatory and permitting requirements under Dubai Municipality rules.
Start a Cooking Consultant Business in Dubai
Dubai opens restaurants faster than most cities can staff them. Hotels, chains, cloud kitchens and catering firms all reach a point where the team in the building cannot solve the problem on its own, and they bring in someone who can. That someone is a cooking consultant.
This guide covers what activity code 7020.92 lets you do, how to license it in Dubai, and what the work is really worth once you are running. The good news is that this is advice, not cooking, so the heavy food rules do not land on you.
Key Stats at a Glance
What This License Covers
Activity code 7020.92 sits under ISIC Division 70, Management Consultancy Activities. That placement matters more than it looks. You are licensed to give expert guidance on kitchens and food operations. You are not licensed to make, handle or sell food.
The work usually covers menu development, kitchen workflow design, supplier sourcing strategy, staff training programmes and culinary concept creation. It is not the same as being a chef for hire. You tell the client's team what to do, they do it, and you bill by project or by retainer rather than by the hour. That is why the margins are better than kitchen work.
Who Your Clients Will Be
The list is broader than most people expect:
- Hotels and restaurant groups
- Cloud kitchen operators and catering companies
- Food manufacturers
- Hospital catering operators and airline caterers
They come to you at different moments. Some are building a concept from nothing. Some are opening in a new market. Some have an operation that is losing money and need someone to say why. Menu repositioning is a steady earner, because every group does it eventually and few of them want to run the exercise in-house.
Mainland or Free Zone
Most independent consultants land in a free zone, because the overhead is lower and the process is faster. Mainland earns its keep when you want the widest possible reach across the emirate. 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
- Step 1, book your trade name: Use the DET portal for a mainland company, or run a name availability check through the Meydan Free Zone portal.
- Step 2, pick the exact activity code: Ask for 7020.92, Cooking Consultant, by name. A vague activity description causes trouble at renewal and can slow your banking and visas later.
- Step 3, get initial approval: On the mainland this comes from DET. In a free zone you submit the application with your supporting documents.
- Step 4, sort premises and sign the MOA: Mainland needs a tenancy contract registered through Ejari. In a free zone you sign the Memorandum of Association and a physical office is optional.
- Step 5, take the license and open a bank account: Open the account as soon as the license lands. Banking delays hold up invoicing and slow down signed contracts.
Compliance and What You Need in Place
No food permits at setup
Because 7020.92 is a management consultancy activity, you do not need food handling permits or Dubai Municipality food establishment approvals to start. That is one of the real advantages of building this as a consultancy.
Where the line moves
If your scope stretches to on-site kitchen training or supervised tasting events at a client's premises, check with Dubai Municipality whether a food activity permit is triggered. The test is simple: are you directing other people, or are you handling food yourself for commercial purposes?
Tax
The UAE has no personal income tax. Corporate tax at 9% applies to taxable income above AED 375,000 from June 2023 under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022. VAT registration becomes a must once annual turnover passes AED 375,000, and you register with the Federal Tax Authority.
Insurance
Professional indemnity cover is not demanded by law here, but it is worth carrying. Advise a large hotel group or a multi-outlet chain, have a recommendation go wrong, and the money at stake is real. Most serious operators in this space are insured, and larger clients increasingly ask to see the certificate before they sign.
Scope and renewal
Renew the license every year, whatever jurisdiction you chose. Keep the activity scope on the license honest. Drifting into food production without updating it creates a problem at renewal and can affect your visa standing.
Market Opportunity
The UAE food service market is estimated at over USD 16 billion on 2024 figures, and it keeps pulling in hotel groups, restaurant chains, cloud kitchen operators and institutional caterers. All of them hit moments when in-house knowledge runs out, and the cost of a bad kitchen decision is far higher than the cost of asking someone who has done it before.
Pricing in this market usually settles into three shapes. Project retainers run from AED 15,000 to AED 50,000 depending on scope and client size. Monthly advisory work runs from AED 8,000 to AED 25,000. Equity or royalty deals are rarer, and tend to appear when a restaurant group is launching a new concept and wants you invested in whether it works.
If you plan to build a wider advisory firm covering food technology, restaurant operations or hospitality management, you will likely need extra activity codes on the same license. Confirm that with your setup adviser before you submit, not after. Adding codes later is possible, but it is slower and it costs more than getting the scope right the first time.
Conclusion
Cooking consultancy in Dubai is a low-overhead professional services business with a large and active market behind it. The license is clean under 7020.92, and none of the food handling complexity that comes with production lands on you.
A free zone setup is usually the fastest and cheapest route for a foreign founder working independently, with full ownership and no local agent. Get the activity scope right at application, open the bank account early, and the business runs on its reputation from there.
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References
