How to Start an Advertising Agency in Dubai?

by Zaara 10, May 2019

Every company puts most of its effort in manufacturing a product that would be loved by the target audience but very little is put into marketing the product. Marketing your business activity is essential for the future of your product. If people are not aware about your product, you might end up bankrupt. Advertising is one of the mediums through which your product can reach the potential customers.

Yours might be a start-up who does not want to put money on more resources to advertise a product. That is when you can hire an advertising agency to make your products and services popular. Advertising agencies are essentially involved in marketing a product through online and offline medium. Advertising requires lot of creativity and innovation so that you can catch a customer’s attention.

As you know, Dubai has been business destination for every investor and entrepreneur due to the incentives that the country offers. There are a lot of products having substitutes in the market due to which competition has been at its all time high in Dubai. Some companies have an internal team of advertisers while some hire an advertising agency. All in all, due to growth in business formation in Dubai, advertising agencies are in demand.

Advantages of Setting up an Advertisement Agency in Dubai

Procedure to Set up Advertising Agency in Dubai

All the advertising companies, while opening their business in Dubai, must comply with the Advertising Standards published in the UAE Official Gazette. These standards are issued by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai and require that all the marketing agencies file their advertisements with the Regulation and Compliance Commission with the Authority. The advertising sector in Dubai is quite developed and the companies operating in this field having various business activities those they can offer to the businesses they work for.

Services Offered by Advertising Agency in Dubai

The KHDA provides for the following means of promoting advertisements.

  • Email ads
  • Printed ads
  • Billboards
  • Radio and Television
  • Multimedia advertisement
  • Social media services

Requirements by KHDA on Advertising Agency Operating in Dubai

  • They must show respect for the religious beliefs
  • They must be impartial
  • They must not be offensive towards anyone
  • They must respect people’s privacy
  • They must contain the name of the agency creating them
  • They must present accurate information

Let us now understand how to set up an advertising agency in Dubai.

  1. Fill an application form to get an initial approval from the Department of Economic Development (DED) by submitting relevant documents including the passport copies
  2. Register a trade name and make payment
  3. Once the authorities look through your document they will approve upon proper authentication
  4. After you get all the documents and approvals, it will be submitted to DED and you will get license after the final payment

You can open an advertising agency is mainland or freezone. Dubai Media City represents free zone companies with operations in the media field. And if you want to establish company in Dubai mainland, you must have a local sponsor whose shares will be 51% in the company.

Even though advertising has a strong competition in the marketing field, the demand for advertising services is high and customers are willing to pay in accordance. If you are interested in starting an advertisement company in Dubai, you can always look for a consultant who is well aware of the all legal obligations in Dubai. We at Commitbiz are business setup consultants set up in Dubai who can help you provide business solutions. Contact us today- we’d be happy to help.