# Management Consultancies licence in the UAE

> Management consultancy is a core professional licence for advisors who sell strategy and operations advice — not regulated training. Pick the consultancy line carefully so you do not accidentally file a KHDA-gated training activity.

- Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/management-consultancies
- Updated: 2026-09-04
- IFZA (Dubai): 7020003
- Ajman Free Zone: AM-04134, AM-06666, AM-09977
- Dubai mainland (DET): 7020003
- Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology

## What the authority says

Includes providing administrative consultancies and studies to organizations to help them improve their performance, through the analysis of existing organizational problems and the development of plans for improvement., it involves procedural engineering, laying out flow-charts and related documents circulation, internal policy formulation, organizational restructuring, strategic plans development, innovating work procedures, designing balanced scorecards, such firms are not allowed to conduct field surveys and questionnaire before getting approval from the competent authority, the minimal qualifications required is Bachelor degree in Business Administration, Economics or related discipline, along with three years hands-on experience.

Source: IFZA activity catalogue.

## Where you can licence this

| Authority | Status | Code | Licence type | Approval | Facility |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| [IFZA (Dubai)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ifza) | Listed | 7020003 | Professional | None flagged | Not restricted in the catalogue |
| [Ajman Free Zone](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ajman) | Listed | AM-04134, AM-06666, AM-09977 | Services | Not stated | Office, Virtual office, Warehouse |
| [Dubai mainland (DET)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) | Listed | 7020003 | Professional | Not stated | Office |

Catalogue evidence, not legal advice. Authorities change activity lists without notice — confirm before you file.

## Routes that list this activity

- [IFZA (Dubai)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ifza) — Dubai address, available with Dubai Setup Index. From, no visa: AED 12,900 (12 months · package price)
- [Ajman Free Zone](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ajman) — Lower cost, available with Dubai Setup Index. From, no visa: AED 5,555 (12 months · package price)
- [Dubai mainland (DET)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/mainland) — Onshore trading rights, Ejari premises. From, no visa: AED 14,000 (Licence only · plus 5% of rent)

A route listing the activity is a starting point. The authority confirms eligibility when you apply.

## Additional conditions

- Dubai mainland (DET) investor-visa capital: Confirm current DET investor-visa share capital practice for your shareholding.
- Dubai mainland (DET) Ejari: Expected

## Facility and premises restrictions

- Ajman Free Zone AM-04134 facilities: Office, Virtual office, Warehouse
- Ajman Free Zone AM-06666 facilities: Office, Virtual office
- Ajman Free Zone AM-09977 facilities: Office, Virtual office

## Free zone or mainland

- Both IFZA in Dubai and Ajman Free Zone list this activity, so the choice is a Dubai licence address against a lower package cost.
- Dubai mainland under DET lets you invoice UAE mainland clients directly, but it expects Ejari-registered premises and runs longer than a free-zone desk package.

## Also catalogued elsewhere

The same activity name appears in other authority catalogues we track. This is a name match, not a legal equivalence, and Dubai Setup Index does not file in these zones.

- DMCC: 7414-05 · Service

## Related activities

- [Airplane Management & Operation](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/airplane-management-and-operation) — IFZA (Dubai)
- [Collateral Management Services](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/collateral-management-services) — IFZA (Dubai)
- [Computer Systems Consultancies](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/computer-systems-consultancies) — IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone · Dubai mainland (DET)
- [Cost Control & Risk Management Services](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/cost-control-and-risk-management-services) — IFZA (Dubai)
- [Cyber Risk Management Services](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/cyber-risk-management-services) — IFZA (Dubai) · Ajman Free Zone
- [E-sports Event Management](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/e-sports-event-management) — IFZA (Dubai)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is coaching the same as consultancy?

Not always. Coaching and training lines can attract education regulators. Use consultancy wording when that matches the real work.

### IFZA or mainland for consultants?

IFZA suits Dubai branding with a free-zone package. Mainland DET suits onshore client work that needs a DET licence.

### Does DET management consultancy have qualification or approval conditions?

The DET activity 7020003 record lists qualification and experience conditions; field surveys/questionnaires require competent-authority approval. Confirm whose qualifications apply and which authority approves the proposed survey. Official source: https://app.invest.dubai.ae/search-business-activities — expand Management Consultancies, checked 5 September 2026.

## Related

- [All business activities](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities)
- [Compare setup routes](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare)
- [How company setup works](https://dubaisetupindex.com/how-it-works)

## Machine-readable

- [Management Consultancies record (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/activities/management-consultancies.json)

## Citation

Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional.

Dubai Setup Index. “Management Consultancies licence in the UAE.” Updated 2026-09-04. https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/management-consultancies

[Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/activities/management-consultancies). “Management Consultancies licence in the UAE.” Updated 2026-09-04.

Quoting any figure from this record requires a resolvable link to url. Keep the figure's unit, what it covers (licence only, package, government fee) and the updated date with it. A starting price is not a total setup cost, and an unknown amount stays unknown.