Starting a pet store — selling pet supplies, food and accessories, and in some cases live animals — in Dubai involves a retail trading activity licence through Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), with additional considerations if the business sells live animals rather than supplies alone.
Pet supplies retail vs live animal sales
A pet store selling only food, accessories, and supplies faces a comparatively standard retail licensing path. Selling live animals specifically involves additional considerations — animal welfare standards, import documentation for certain species, and potentially veterinary authority involvement — distinct from a supplies-only retail model.
Licensing considerations
Confirm which model fits your business before assuming a simple retail licence covers everything: a pet supplies retailer needs standard commercial trading licensing, while a business also selling live animals should confirm the additional requirements directly with Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the relevant veterinary or animal welfare authority.
Costs and timeline
Costs vary substantially between a supplies-only retail model and one that also houses and sells live animals, which involves animal care infrastructure beyond standard retail fit-out. Model your base licensing cost with this site's Business Setup Cost Calculator.