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Maritime services licence in the UAE

Ship management, chartering, marine surveying and yacht services. Dubai Maritime City and the Fujairah zones serve different ends of this market — Fujairah for bunkering and Indian Ocean routing, Dubai for management and leisure marine.

What to know first

  • Vessel registration is a separate process from company licensing.
  • Crewing and marine insurance activities carry their own approvals.
  • International maritime conventions apply independently of UAE law.

Suitable free zones

DMC-Maritime

Dubai

Ship management, marine services and yacht businesses.

From
AED 28,000
Setup
10–30 d
Max visas
∞

FFZ

Fujairah

The UAE's only Indian Ocean port — bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

From
AED 12,000
Setup
5–15 d
Max visas
∞

100% remote setup

RAKMC

Ras Al Khaimah

Port-side industrial land for bulk commodities and marine industry.

From
AED 16,000
Setup
10–25 d
Max visas
∞

Let's talk about your actual case

A twenty-minute call. We will also tell you if the UAE is the wrong answer for you — it often is.

WhatsApp · hello@plug2uae.com