Starting an insurance brokerage in Dubai involves regulatory approval from the UAE Central Bank (which oversees insurance broker licensing) in addition to a standard trade licence through Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) — a materially more involved process than most professional-services activities.
Licensing and Central Bank approval
An insurance broker needs Central Bank of the UAE approval, which includes minimum capital requirements, professional indemnity insurance for the brokerage itself, and background/fit-and-proper checks on the company's owners and key staff. This regulatory layer sits on top of the standard trade licence and is generally slower and more document-intensive than most other professional-services approvals covered in this series.
Staffing and qualification requirements
Individual brokers advising clients typically need to hold recognised insurance qualifications and be registered with the Central Bank alongside the company's own approval, similar in structure to how a law firm needs individually registered lawyers beyond its company licence. Confirm current qualification requirements directly given periodic regulatory updates in this sector.
Costs and timeline
Costs include the trade licence, Central Bank application fees, minimum capital requirements, and professional indemnity insurance — a meaningfully larger upfront investment than a standard consultancy licence. Engage the UAE Central Bank's insurance regulatory department directly early in your planning, since this approval timeline typically exceeds standard company formation by a considerable margin.