Fishing License in Dubai: Requirements & How to Apply

Dubai’s fishing economy starts long before a Michelin-star plate of grilled tuna steak or a seaside fish market bargain. It starts at sea level. Think of boats leaving the harbour at 4 AM, GPS routes blinking in the dark, and the first net hitting the water. The UAE’s fishing and aquaculture market is valued at $22.5 billion in 2024, fuelled by rising seafood consumption, marine tourism growth, and advanced port infrastructure that makes offshore operations globally connected by default. Fishing equipment is another UAE market segment that’s soaring with demand, at a value of $12 million in 2024.

From kingfish catch cycles timed to monsoon shifts to licensed crew-led fishing runs supplying coastal vendors, commercial fishing in the UAE is a market-on-call, built on regulation, route planning, tourist peaks, and maritime precision. You can also venture into fishing’s toolkit economy by trading the rods, reels, hooks, lines and tackle bundles that support fishing in Dubai.

Whether you're a solo sea operator mapping your first coordinates, a coastal catch-to-kitchen supplier fuelling boutique seafood bistros, a founder scaling through regulated vessel schedules serving demanding tourist seasons, or curating micro-tackle bundles of hooks, lines and reels, a fishing license in Dubai is your key to harvesting marine life professionally in waters where demand is steady and seasonal spikes are guaranteed.

Fisherman -  9609.98

This covers commercial fishing operations carried out by individuals or companies. It focuses on the act of catching fish or harvesting marine life for business purposes, typically using licensed fishing vessels, boats, and maritime-approved equipment.

Under this business activity, you can operate commercial fishing vessels or registered boats, harvest high-demand marine species such as reef fish, open-water fish, crustaceans, and molluscs (as permitted), deploy licensed crew for offshore fishing schedules, maintain official catch logs, sustainability records, and maritime compliance documentation, and run seasonal or daily fishing routes aligned with tourism peaks, festive seasons, and port cycles.

You could be the one catching fish during winter tourist peaks, operating monsoon-timed commercial fishing calendars where seasonal demand surges are expected, or harvesting hyper-local marine species for businesses that plan seafood procurement cycles months in advance.

However, you’re not allowed to engage in veterinary activities or any activities of fitness centres.

So, if you want to turn the open seas into a legitimate business, operate licensed marine routes, and build a fishing operation that meets Dubai’s peak aquaculture demand, this business activity is for you.

Third-Party Approval:

You’ll need to get approval from DMA (Dubai Maritime Authority) before your trade license is issued.

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance:

Business activity 9609.98 is exempt from this requirement.

Fishing Tackles Trading -  4763.90

This is the business behind every rod, reel, and hook packed before sunrise.

This business activity involves the commercial trade of fishing accessories and tackle.

In simple terms, it covers the retail and resale of trading commercial fishing essentials such as rods, reels, hooks, lines, nets, tackle boxes, floats, bait containers, lures, swivels, and even curated pre-bundled or travel-sized tackle kits built for Gulf water conditions and seasonal buyers.

Your role is to stock, bundle, and sell fishing tackle that’s market-ready, durable for Gulf waters, and commercially trusted. In practice, this could look like selling corrosion-proof hook packs designed for Gulf waters, curating beginner-to-pro tackle kits timed to tourist fishing seasons, curating salt-air-immune reel kits for harbour fishers, or retailing pre-packed rod-and-reel bundles purchased before boats hit Dubai’s busiest fishing months.

Think of yourself as the toolkit behind every departure for captains, crews, and seasonal sea-goers. ‍

Third-Party Approval:

You’ll need to get approval from DMA (Dubai Maritime Authority) after your trade license is issued.‍

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance:

Business activity 4763.90 is exempt from this requirement.