Check Who You Are Actually Dealing With

You are about to sign a contract, approve a tenant's company or pay a first invoice to a new supplier. Before money moves, you want to know three things: the company exists, its licence is current, and it is the same entity named on your documents.

For a Dubai licence, start with Invest in Dubai's "Search License Information" page. It lets you "Search by License Number, Dubai Unified License (DUL) Number, English Business Name, or Arabic Business Name". In a search read on 20 September 2026, the results showed the DUL number, licence number, licensing authority, English and Arabic business names and licence status. For other emirates, the UAE Government Portal (u.ae) lists channels for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah, and the federal National Economic Register. A search shows what the register holds. In our view, it does not prove who may sign for the company or whether it can pay.

This article sits under our guide to setting up and running a business in Dubai. It covers the checks a buyer, landlord or finance team can run on another company's licence, and the documents to ask for where a register stops.

Start with the licence copy you were given

Ask the counterparty for a copy of its current trade licence before you search anything. Check the copy for the name of the authority that issued the licence; that decides which register you search.

Then compare the copy with the official result, field by field. A mismatch in name, number or issuing authority is a question to raise before you sign, not after you pay.

On Invest in Dubai's search, the result table read on 20 September 2026 had six columns: "DUL NO.", "LICENSE NO.", "LICENSING AUTHORITY", "BUSINESS NAME (ENGLISH)", "BUSINESS NAME (ARABIC)" and "LICENSE STATUS". One status value shown on the results read that day was "Active".

The issuing authority may be a mainland economic department or a free zone authority. Our guide to trade licence types in the UAE covers the licence categories, and our mainland or free zone decision guide covers how the two routes differ.

Where to search: match the register to the licensing authority

The u.ae "Verify business licences" page states: "Several channels and platforms can be used to get information about a business licence. These include websites of DEDs in each emirate and National Economic Register." It then lists links under the line "The following links will help you check business activities registered, and licences issued in the UAE:".

The table below sets out the official tools we reviewed on 20 September 2026, and what each page showed that day.

For Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, the u.ae links point to trade name tools, not licence searches. Sharjah's department runs a separate licence search, listed in the table. We did not find a public licence search for Ajman, Umm Al Quwain or Fujairah on the u.ae page reviewed on 20 September 2026. We also did not find a Ras Al Khaimah link there. For those emirates, ask the authority named on the licence how to verify it.

Searching the Dubai register well

Search by number, not by a word. A test search for a common word returned "4433 Search results" and the message "More than 100 results found. For optimal results, try searching with the License Number, Dubai Unified License (DUL) Number, English Business Name, or Arabic Business Name". Enter the licence number from the copy, then check the names that come back.

Check the licensing authority column. The first results in that test were licences issued by Dubai Healthcare City Authority. So the search lists licences from more than one Dubai licensing authority. We did not test which Dubai free zone authorities it includes. If a free zone licence returns no result, go to the free zone authority named on the copy.

Read the Arabic name as well as the English. A difference in either language is worth a written question.

If a result says it is not available. Opening one result in the test showed "This DUL license is not available" and "If you are the owner, please contact the license issuing authority". Ask the counterparty to explain, and confirm with the authority named on the licence before you proceed.

What the DUL is. Invest in Dubai's Dubai Unified Licence guide states: "DUL will become a single identity for businesses to use, from accessing government services, to providing information for customers and partners". Its business directory states: "Search for businesses in Dubai using their name or Dubai Unified Licence (DUL) number."

What the table did not show. The six columns read on 20 September 2026 did not include an expiry date or the licensed activities. Check the licence copy for both. Then check that the activities cover what the company is selling you; our guide to adding or changing activities on a Dubai trade licence explains how activities sit on a licence.

If the status is not "Active". Ask the counterparty for its renewed licence and confirm the status with the licensing authority. Our guide to trade licence renewal in Dubai covers renewal from the licence holder's side.

The federal layer: the National Economic Register and the Ministry

u.ae describes the register this way: "Through the UAE's National Economic register (NER), businesses can view online their business licence details, which the government has on record, and get instant information about existing companies and business activities in the UAE."

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism's launch release, dated 01 October 2024, stated: "NER currently features a total of 1.5 million active and cancelled commercial licenses." That figure dates from 2024. The point for a buyer is that cancelled licences sit in the register too, so read the status, not just the name.

The licensing authorities listed on u.ae's NER page, as read on 20 September 2026, are the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, the economic departments of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah Municipality and Dibba Municipality. That list names no free zone authority. We could not open the NER platform itself on 20 September 2026, so this article describes none of its fields.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism also runs a service card titled "Enquire About Commercial Companies Licence". It states the purpose as to "obtain the details or a copy of the company's file". It lists users as "UAE nationals, residents, foreign companies", fees as "N/A" and the first step as "Login to MOE website". The card shows the time as "immediately". The Ministry also publishes a page of company registrars within the UAE, with the contact number 800 1222.

Real estate counterparties: the Dubai Land Department tools

If you are renting through a broker or buying from a real estate office in Dubai, the Dubai Land Department (DLD) runs its own checks. Its office trade licence service is described as: "Search trade license numbers registered with DLD and check the validity."

The search asks for a "License Number" and, per the page's results template, returns "Company Name", "License Number", "License Issue Date", "License Expiry Date" and "License Activities", among other fields.

DLD also publishes two related services. One lets a customer "view the real estate brokerage companies list licensed by RERA in Dubai Emirate." The other lets a customer "verify the e-copy of the licenses and permits issued by the Land Department for all real estate activities practitioners in the Emirate of Dubai via Trakheesi system."

These tools cover licences registered with DLD. Use them for real estate counterparties, alongside the Invest in Dubai search, not in place of it.

Free zone counterparties

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism states: "Entities established in free zones shall be subject to the laws and regulations governing the respective free zone authorities." Check the licence copy for that authority's name; that authority's own tools are the place to check.

DMCC. DMCC publishes a "Register of DMCC entities" with the heading "Search our register of DMCC entities". We could not read the embedded search fields on 20 September 2026. DMCC also runs a document check: its documents carry "a system-generated authentication code to ensure that only accurate and up to date information is provided to third parties." The page states: "Enter the verification code below and click 'search' to retrieve the original document." If a DMCC company sends you a document with a code, check it there.

DMCC's member directory carries a condition. It states the directory is "published with the express consent of our member companies". It adds: "It is expressly forbidden to copy, download, store, reproduce, resell, license, distribute, disseminate, transmit or otherwise deal with the DMCC member directory for email or telephone marketing." Use it to check a counterparty, not to build a contact list.

JAFZA. We did not find a public company directory or licence-verification tool for JAFZA or DAFZ in searches of their websites on 20 September 2026. JAFZA's registration letters guide, dated 29 May 2024, states "The registration letters available upon request are:" and lists a Certificate of Good Standing among them. It shows "AED 3,000" against the Certificate of Good Standing, and "AED 10 Electronic fee (+5% VAT)". The company requests these letters itself through the Dubai Trade portal. So ask a JAFZA counterparty to obtain one if you need it.

Sharjah licence holders. Sharjah's department answers an FAQ on proof of paid violations: "Through the 'Personal Statements' service on the website. It clarifies the license status and confirms there are no outstanding violations. This is useful for banking and official transactions." That service is for the licence holder, so request the statement from the company.

Other free zones. We did not review other free zones' tools. Ask the authority named on the licence what it publishes or issues. Our guides to free zone company setup and mainland company setup explain the two setup routes.

Buying from a free zone company for use on the mainland. u.ae's free zone page states: "To sell goods or services locally, a free zone company must either work through a licensed mainland distributor or establish a mainland branch or company." If your contract is for local supply, ask the free zone company which route it uses, and ask the relevant authority if the answer is unclear.

What a licence search cannot tell you (our advice)

We did not find an official statement on what a licence search does not confirm, on the pages reviewed on 20 September 2026. The points below are our editorial advice, not an authority's rule.

1. Who may sign. The Dubai result table read on 20 September 2026 showed no signatory field, and we did not read the other registers' fields. Ask for the constitutional documents and the resolution or power of attorney that authorises the person signing. For a JAFZA company, its letters guide lists a company officers letter among the letters available on request.
2. Whether the company can pay or deliver. A licence status says nothing about finances. Ask for recent financial statements or trade references, in proportion to the contract's value.
3. Whether the activity covers your contract. The Dubai result table read on 20 September 2026 did not show activities. Compare the activities on the licence copy with what you are buying.
4. Whether a document is genuine. Where the authority offers a code check, as DMCC does, use it. Otherwise, ask the company to obtain a certificate from its own licensing authority.
5. Whether the person you are dealing with works for the company. Confirm contact details against a source you found yourself, not one supplied in the same email as the invoice.

A worked example

A finance team in Dubai receives a first invoice from a new supplier. The invoice quotes a Dubai licence number and a bank account.

The team asks for the licence copy and searches Invest in Dubai by licence number. The result shows the same names, licensing authority and the status "Active". The copy's activities match the goods, and its expiry date is in the future.

The invoice is signed by a person the team has not dealt with. So the team asks for the authorisation that lets that person sign. It also confirms the bank details by calling a number taken from its own records, not from the invoice email.

Had the search returned "This DUL license is not available", the team would pause payment, ask the supplier and contact the licensing authority named on the copy.

Practical asset: the counterparty licence verification checklist. Fill in the left column from the licence copy, the middle column from the official search, and mark the last column. Anything marked "Ask" is resolved in writing before you sign or pay. | Item | Licence copy says | Official search shows | Match / mismatch / ask | |---|---|---|---| | Licence number | | | | | DUL number (Dubai) | | | | | Licensing authority | | | | | Legal name in English | | | | | Legal name in Arabic | | | | | Licence status | (if shown) | | | | Expiry date | | (not in the Dubai table read on 20 September 2026) | | | Activities cover the contract | | (not in the Dubai table read on 20 September 2026) | | 1. Pick the register. Dubai licensing authority: Invest in Dubai "Search License Information". Real estate office: DLD "Trade License Search". Sharjah: SEDD licence search. Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah: the channels listed on u.ae "Verify business licences". Ras Al Khaimah: ask the authority named on the licence how to verify it (we found no link on u.ae on 20 September 2026). Free zone: the authority named on the copy. 2. Search by number. Use the licence or DUL number, not a word from the name. 3. Mark each row. Match, mismatch, or ask. 4. Request what the search cannot show. Signatory authorisation; financial statements or references; a certificate from the company's own authority (for example a JAFZA Certificate of Good Standing, or a Sharjah "Personal Statements" document); any DMCC document with its verification code. 5. Confirm contact and bank details from a source you found yourself. 6. Keep a record. Save the search result with the date, and file it with the contract.

Fees checked on 20 September 2026.

What the authority decides, what you prepare, what a provider can do

The authority decides. The licensing authority named on the licence decides whether that licence is issued, renewed or cancelled, and what its register shows. A search reflects that authority's record; it is not a judgment by anyone else.

You prepare. The comparison, the questions and the decision to sign are yours. For a large or unusual contract, involve your lawyer or auditor in reviewing signatory and financial documents.

A provider can help. Within whatever its licensed activity covers, a provider can prepare your own company's documents and submit them through the correct channel. Apply the same check to any provider you hire; our article on how to choose a PRO services company in the UAE covers that choice.

Information verified against official sources on 20 September 2026.

Contact RINJAZ to confirm availability, scope and quotation. RINJAZ is a privately licensed UAE service provider. It is not a government entity and does not act for any authority. A provider's role, within whatever its licensed activity covers, is to prepare documents, submit them through the correct channel and track progress. The licensing authority named on each licence decides what its register records, and no provider can promise the outcome of any check or application.