Concierge Services Dubai: Cost, Pricing and How to Bill
Content reviewed by My Business Setup Team, Business Setup Specialists.
A Concierge Services License in UAE works best when the actual customer offer is defined clearly before setup. The important issue is whether the business will provide lifestyle assistance, corporate support, booking coordination, personal services, or a broader managed-services model. That affects activity fit and how the company should be positioned. A cleaner setup usually comes from narrowing the service model early instead of using a broad convenience label.
Who Should Consider a Concierge Services License?
- Lean founders validating demand
- SMEs expanding services or adding a new revenue line
- Operators formalizing existing work under a UAE entity
What You Can and Cannot Do
Concierge services scope should be matched against the real services being sold, especially where booking, coordination, sourcing, personal assistance, or corporate support functions are involved. Some adjacent services may need separate activity wording.
How Much Does a Concierge Services License Cost?
For a Concierge Services License, expect AED 6,500 - 28,000 in a free zone and AED 13,000 - 25,000 on the mainland for year one, with the licence issued in roughly 5-10 working days once documents are ready. The lower end of each range is a single-activity licence with no staff visas in a low-cost emirate; the upper end reflects Dubai, extra activities, or a larger office.
| Item | Indicative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free-zone licence (year one) | AED 6,500 - 28,000 | Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, RAK and UAQ sit at the low end; Dubai zones at the high end |
| Mainland licence (year one) | AED 13,000 - 25,000 | Excludes the tenancy, which mainland requires separately |
| Establishment / immigration card | AED 1,200 - 2,000 | One-off, needed before any visa |
| Investor or partner visa (2 years) | AED 3,500 - 5,500 | Includes medical, Emirates ID and status change |
| Employee visa (2 years) | AED 4,000 - 6,500 | Per employee, plus deposit on mainland |
| Ejari tenancy (mainland only) | from AED 15,000 / year | Not required for a free-zone flexi desk |
| Corporate tax registration | No fee | 9% applies only on taxable profit above AED 375,000 |
| Annual licence renewal | 85 - 100% of year-one licence fee | Excludes one-off formation items |
Indicative market ranges for planning, not a quote. Government fees, zone packages and external approvals change; confirm current figures before you apply.
Approvals you should budget time for
Qualification attestation may be required. This is the part that moves the timeline, not the licence itself.
Cost depends on jurisdiction, office setup, staffing model, and whether the business is being launched as a lean coordination service or a broader premium support operation.
Good to know
- 100% foreign ownership available
- Flexi/shared office keeps overhead low
- Visa quota scales with office size
Watch out
- Choosing the wrong jurisdiction for your sales model
- Under-budgeting immigration items (establishment card, visas)
- Missing activity-specific technical approvals
Is a Concierge Services Business Profitable in the UAE?
Concierge is a margin business built on a small number of high-value clients, not volume. The licence is cheap and the barrier to entry is low, so what separates the firms that survive is the pricing model and the supplier network behind it. The UAE is a genuinely strong market for it: Henley puts the country at roughly 72,000 resident millionaires with several thousand high-net-worth arrivals a year, and those clients arrive without the local relationships they are used to.
How the business makes money
| Revenue stream | Typical pricing | Share of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | AED 3,000 - 15,000 per client | The core line; predictable and the easiest to scale |
| Annual membership tiers | AED 30,000 - 100,000+ | Classic through to bespoke; the top tier is near-unlimited access |
| Comprehensive personal retainer | AED 250,000 - 500,000 per year | A single HNWI client handling all personal logistics |
| Corporate and institutional contracts | AED 500,000+ per year | Employee benefit or executive-support programmes; longest sales cycle |
| Per-request and transactional fees | 10 - 20% of booking value | For non-retainer clients, or above a retainer's included hours |
| Supplier commissions | 5 - 15% of booking | Hotels, restaurants, yacht and jet charter, events |
Startup capital beyond the licence
The licence is the small number. This is what actually has to be funded before you open.
| Item | Indicative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trade licence and visas | AED 15,000 - 35,000 | A professional licence on a flexi desk is enough to start |
| Brand, website and collateral | AED 20,000 - 60,000 | Matters more here than in most service businesses; clients buy discretion and polish |
| CRM and request-management system | AED 10,000 - 40,000 | Plus a monthly licence; essential once you pass a handful of clients |
| Supplier network and memberships | AED 20,000 - 80,000 | Trade memberships and the relationship-building that makes the service deliverable |
| Working capital, 6 months | AED 150,000 - 400,000 | You will often settle supplier costs before the client pays |
Monthly running costs
| Cost | Indicative monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle managers | AED 40,000 - 150,000 | The binding constraint; 24/7 cover needs at least 3 people |
| Founder or account director | AED 25,000 - 50,000 | Client relationships rarely delegate well early on |
| Office or flexi desk | AED 1,500 - 6,000 | Most of the work is remote and on the phone |
| Technology and subscriptions | AED 2,000 - 8,000 | CRM, telephony, travel and booking tools |
| Business development | AED 10,000 - 40,000 | Referral partners, events and private networks, not paid ads |
Margins and what breaks them
A retainer-led concierge firm runs at roughly 20 to 35% net margin once it is past break-even. The whole model turns on one ratio: how many retainer clients a single lifestyle manager can carry, which in practice is about 8 to 15 depending on how demanding they are. Below that you are paying for 24/7 cover you have not sold, which is where most new firms die. Commission-only models look attractive because they carry no fixed cost, but revenue swings hard with travel seasons and you have no base to pay staff from. The durable version is a retainer floor that covers payroll, with commission and per-request fees as the upside.
What a lender or investor will ask for
- Which pricing model you are running: retainer, membership tier, commission, or a hybrid
- Target clients per lifestyle manager, and the cost of 24/7 cover before you reach it
- Named supplier relationships that make requests deliverable, not just a list of partners
- How you handle liability, discretion and data protection for client information
- Realistic client acquisition path, which in this market is referral and private-network led
Indicative market ranges for planning, not a forecast. Returns depend on location, pricing, season and execution — treat these as a starting point for your own numbers, not a projection.
How to Get Started
- Choose jurisdiction (Mainland vs Free Zone)
- Reserve trade name & obtain initial approval
- Confirm office allocation (flexi/shared vs Ejari)
- Issue license & process establishment card and visas
- Medical & Emirates ID, then start operations
Documents Checklist
- Passport copy & recent photo of each shareholder
- Current visa/entry status
- 2 to 3 preferred trade names
- Brief scope & staffing plan
Concierge Services License FAQs
Is a physical office mandatory for Concierge Services License?
Many Free Zones allow flexi/shared packages. Mainland may require Ejari depending on visas and the activity.
How many visas can I start with?
Commonly 1 to 4 at the start, subject to office allocation and immigration rules.
What is included in the base cost?
Trade license and core company docs. Immigration items (establishment card, status change, medical, Emirates ID) may be bundled or itemized.
Planning your UAE setup?
Free tools and guides to set up the right way:
- Estimate your cost with the calculator
- How to start a business (step-by-step)
- Compare UAE free zones · Cheapest free zones
- Free zone vs mainland · Corporate tax
- How many visas your licence gives you
- Establishment card — cost and renewal
- Dubai customs code for importing and exporting
- Does your activity need external approval?
Last updated: October 2026
Requirements, timelines, and fees vary by jurisdiction, office setup, and external approvals. Confirm the current structure before applying.