How to set up a manpower business in Dubai
1Register the mainland companyA manpower-supply company is mainland, because it places workers with clients across the UAE. Reserve the trade name and file the initial approval with DET.
2Get the MOHRE labour-supply approvalManpower supply is a controlled activity. MOHRE reviews the company and its guarantees before it approves the labour-supply licence, which is the step that gates the business.
3Meet the guarantee and capital requirementsThe activity carries bank-guarantee and capital conditions, because you are sponsoring and placing workers. We confirm the current requirements for your setup.
4Set up the visa quotaA manpower company's product is people, so the establishment card and visa quota are central. We arrange the quota so you can sponsor and place staff.
5Open the corporate bank accountOpen a business account to run payroll and receive client payments. We introduce you to the right banking officer.
Why start a manpower business in Dubai?
The UAE's construction, hospitality, retail and facilities sectors run on flexible labour, and companies increasingly outsource staffing to licensed suppliers rather than sponsor every worker themselves. A licensed manpower-supply company fills that gap. It is a controlled activity, so the barrier to entry is real, but that same barrier keeps out casual competition once you are licensed.
Manpower licence: what it involves and cost
A manpower-supply or labour-supply licence is a mainland activity that needs MOHRE approval on top of the DET trade licence, along with bank-guarantee and capital conditions that reflect the responsibility of sponsoring workers. Because those conditions and your visa quota drive the cost, we price your exact setup rather than publish a figure that would not fit it. Get your exact quote.
Documents required
Passport copies of the shareholders and the manager
The proposed trade name and the labour-supply activity
A tenancy contract for a physical office
The bank guarantee and capital evidence MOHRE requires
Mainland vs free zone vs offshore: which fits?
How OMC helps you establish your manpower business
We have handled UAE company formation since 2007, across more than 1,400 companies. Manpower supply is a MOHRE-controlled activity, so we manage the DET licence and the MOHRE approval together, confirm the current guarantee and capital conditions rather than assume them, and set up the establishment card and visa quota. We also introduce you to a banking officer for payroll and client payments.
Frequently asked questions
You register a mainland company, then obtain a labour-supply approval from MOHRE, which reviews the company and its guarantees before licensing the activity. OMC files the licence and handles the MOHRE approval and the visa quota.
It is a mainland activity, because a manpower company places workers with clients across the UAE, which a free-zone licence does not permit. We set it up on the mainland with the required MOHRE approval.
Yes. Foreign investors can own a mainland manpower-supply company. We confirm the ownership rule and the MOHRE conditions for the specific labour-supply activity before you file.
Because a manpower company sponsors and places workers, MOHRE requires a bank guarantee and capital as a safeguard. The amount depends on the activity and quota. We confirm the current requirement at the quote stage.
The trade licence is quick, but the MOHRE approval and the guarantee arrangements set the real timeline. We give you a realistic schedule once we know your activity and quota.
Related services
Mainland company setup
PRO and government approvals
Corporate bank account opening
Company formation in the UAE