In Dubai the fit-out contractor builds and, on the mainland and in DDA zones, applies for the fit-out permit; the interior designer designs, prepares drawings and supervises; a design-build firm does both under one contract. Contractors must be on the Dubai Contractor Register under Law No. 7 of 2025. Anyone offering engineering consultancy needs annual Dubai Municipality registration under Law No. 14 of 2025.
What is the difference between a fit-out contractor and an interior designer?
The designer decides what gets built and draws it; the contractor builds it and carries the site. JAFZA's fit-out manual puts it plainly: the consultants are "registered and approved architects, engineering & interior design consultants appointed by the tenant to provide the design, submissions, and supervision services", and the contractor is the one "appointed by the tenant to execute the fit-out work".
| Role | What they do | Registration in Dubai | Signs or submits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit-out contractor | Builds the works: partitions, ceilings, floors, joinery, MEP changes; runs the site, labour and subcontractors | Trade licence plus the Contractor Register, classified, under Law No. 7 of 2025; engineers and technicians need a Professional Competency Certificate | Dubai Municipality decoration permit; DDA Fit-Out Permit and completion; Civil Defence and DEWA applications |
| Interior designer or fit-out consultant | Space plan, finishes, drawings for the landlord and authority, often site supervision | Trade licence; annual Dubai Municipality registration under Law No. 14 of 2025 where they offer engineering consultancy | Drawings to the landlord; the design submission where a zone asks for a consultant (Trakhees, JAFZA, Dubai South) |
| Engineering consultant | Structural, MEP and fire design where the works need it; building modification permits | Trade licence and annual Dubai Municipality registration (Law No. 14 of 2025) | Engineering drawings and modification applications |
| Design-build company | Design and works under one contract | Contractor Register for the contracting; consultancy registration for any engineering design, held by it or a partner | Depends on which licence does each task |
Which licences does a fit-out contractor need in Dubai?
A trade licence and a place on the Contractor Register. Law No. 7 of 2025 has been in force since 8 January 2026 and applies across Dubai, including free zones and special development zones such as DIFC. Contractors are classified by their capabilities, new entrants start in the lowest tier, subcontractors must also be licensed and registered with prior approval, and engineers and technicians working for contractors must hold a Professional Competency Certificate. Clients, developers included, may not engage a contractor that is not registered. Contractors already operating have until 8 January 2027 to regularise.
For fit-out permits specifically, Dubai Municipality takes decoration permit applications only from a contractor on its approved list, and its service list names "building contracting companies and decor companies". The DDA also registers the consultants and contractors who work in its zones (AED 250 a year). How to check one: checking a contractor's licence and the check a contractor tool.
Does an interior designer need a licence in Dubai?
A trade licence, yes; Dubai Municipality registration only for engineering consultancy. Law No. 14 of 2025, in effect since April 2026, says no one may practise or hold themselves out as an engineering consultant without a valid trade licence and registration in the Municipality's register, renewed every year. Its listed disciplines are architecture, civil, electrical, electronic, mechanical, mining, geoengineering, coastal, petroleum and chemical engineering. Interior design is not named. So a designer can plan your office, but ask what their office is registered for before they stamp engineering drawings. Existing offices have until April 2027 to comply. Search both registers on Dubai Municipality's consultants and contractors data page; more in the consultant law guide.
Who signs the fit-out submission?
Usually the contractor applies and the designer supplies the drawings; a few zones want a registered consultant on the design.
| Jurisdiction | Who submits |
|---|---|
| Dubai Municipality (mainland), units over 100 sq m | A contractor on the Municipality's approved list; no consultant is required by the resolution |
| DDA zones (Dubai Internet City, Media City, Design District and others) | The fit-out contractor appointed by the tenant, with approved stamped and proposed drawings |
| Trakhees (PCFC and Nakheel areas) | Consultant or contractor |
| JAFZA | The tenant's fit-out consultant or contractor, through the tenant's Dubai Trade account |
| Dubai South | Tenant's designers for the drawings; a Dubai South-registered contractor for the work permit |
All 11 jurisdictions, with timings and fees: fit-out approvals by jurisdiction. The order of the steps: fit-out approvals in Dubai.
When do you need a designer, a contractor or design-build?
Match the team to the scope; the bigger the change, the more you need a separate designer or consultant.
| Your scope | Approval route | Who to hire |
|---|---|---|
| Painting, flooring, furniture, like-for-like ceilings, low partitions (DDA zones) | Landlord or facilities management NOC only (DDA Circular 318) | A registered contractor; a designer is optional |
| Unit of 100 sq m or less, or in a mall, no structural change | No Dubai Municipality or DDA permit; Civil Defence conditions and landlord consent still apply | A registered contractor, Municipality-approved on the mainland; a designer if you want a new layout |
| Full Cat B fit-out over 100 sq m | Landlord, then the authority's fit-out permit, Civil Defence, DEWA if load changes | Designer plus contractor, or a design-build company |
| Structural change, mezzanine, change of use, merging units | Building modification permit, not a fit-out permit (DDA Circular 338) | A registered engineering consultant plus a contractor classified for the work |
How do the contracts fit together?
Either two contracts or one. With a separate designer, you sign a design contract first; the drawings then become the scope that two or three contractors price, which makes the quotes comparable line by line. With design-build, one contract covers both, and the price is often fixed before the design is finished, so the scope and the exclusions in writing matter more. Law No. 7 of 2025 recognises turnkey (design and build) projects, subject to conditions; Dubai Municipality is to issue the framework details.
- Ask every bidder for its trade licence and Contractor Register classification, and the designer for its Municipality registration if it will stamp engineering drawings.
- Write down who applies for each approval and who pays the fees.
- Ask who supervises the works on your behalf. In a design-build contract, nobody independent does unless you appoint them.
- Compare quotes on the same scope. See office fit-out cost per sq ft for published bands and use the quote comparison tool for the line-by-line check.
To find licence-checked fit-out companies or interior designers, send one request with the area, location and target date: get matched offers.
Questions
What is the difference between a fit-out company and an interior designer?
The interior designer designs the space, prepares the drawings and often supervises; the fit-out contractor builds it and, on the mainland and in DDA zones, applies for the fit-out permit. A design-build company does both under one contract.
Does a fit-out company need to be registered in Dubai?
Yes. Under Law No. 7 of 2025, in force since 8 January 2026, contractors across Dubai, free zones included, must be licensed, registered and classified in the Contractor Register, and clients may not engage one that is not. Existing contractors have until 8 January 2027 to regularise.
Does an interior designer need Dubai Municipality registration?
Only for engineering consultancy work. Law No. 14 of 2025 requires anyone offering engineering consultancy, including architecture, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering, to hold a trade licence and an annual Dubai Municipality registration. Interior design is not named in the published list of disciplines, so ask what your designer is registered for.
What is design and build fit-out?
One company takes both the design and the works under one contract. Law No. 7 of 2025 recognises turnkey (design and build) projects, subject to conditions that Dubai Municipality is to set out. Ask which entity holds the contracting registration and who prepares any engineering drawings.
Who submits the fit-out permit, the designer or the contractor?
On the mainland, a contractor on Dubai Municipality's approved list; in DDA zones, the tenant's fit-out contractor. Trakhees accepts the consultant or contractor, JAFZA the tenant's consultant or contractor, and Dubai South expects a locally registered consultant for the design and a Dubai South-registered contractor for the permit.
When do I need an engineering consultant for a fit-out?
When the work goes beyond an interior fit-out: structural changes, a mezzanine, a change of use or merging units need a building modification permit, not a fit-out permit. Some zones, such as Trakhees, JAFZA and Dubai South, also expect a registered consultant to prepare or submit the design.
Keep going
Sources
- Dubai Municipality: Law No. (7) of 2025 Regulating Contracting Activities in the Emirate of Dubai (document dated 27 August 2025, Arabic only), opened 3 November 2026
- Al Tamimi & Co: an overview of Law No. (7) of 2025: in force 8 January 2026, free zones including DIFC, employer prohibition, classification, subcontractors, Professional Competency Certificate, turnkey projects, Article 26 deadline, opened 3 November 2026
- Dubai Municipality: Law No. (14) of 2025 Regulating Engineering Consultancy Practice in the Emirate of Dubai (document page), opened 3 November 2026
- Al Tamimi & Co: Dubai issues new law regulating engineering consultancy activities (9 October 2025): licence and annual registration, disciplines, April 2026 effect, one year to comply, opened 3 November 2026
- Dubai Municipality: consultants, contractors and suppliers data: registers of engineering consultancy offices and contracting companies, opened 3 November 2026
- Dubai Municipality: services list: self permit for decorative works for building contracting and decor companies, opened 3 November 2026
- Dubai Legislation Portal: Administrative Resolution No. (85) of 2019 on decoration works: application by a Municipality-approved contractor, opened 3 November 2026
- Dubai Development Authority: Fit-Out Permit: requester contractor, documents, consultant or contractor registration (AED 250), Circular 318 and Circular 338, opened 3 November 2026
- Jafza: Fit-out Manual (August 2024): definitions of fit-out consultant and contractor, opened 3 November 2026
- Dubai South: Tenant Fit-Out Manual v1.3 (January 2017): designers submit drawings, registered contractor applies for the work permit, opened 3 November 2026
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and vary by community and authority: confirm with the authority or your consultant before you start work.