More than 900,000 Dubai Unified Licences have been issued to businesses across Dubai’s mainland and free zones, according to Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. UAE government guidance says every business in the country must have a physical address to operate.
In Dubai, a mainland trade licence also needs an office rental agreement registered with Ejari, the Dubai Land Department’s tenancy system. Some virtual office providers sell an Ejari-registered contract as a separate product, so a mainland licence holder should check the package covers it.
Among the providers below that publish prices, a virtual office in Dubai starts at AED 197 a month for a business address, and packages in which a receptionist answers calls in the company’s name cost from AED 399 to AED 1,200 a month. For how the arrangement works, see what a virtual office is.
At a glance
- A Dubai Marina address with desk days later: myOffice, Marina Plaza
- A JLT address with lounge time: One Business Centre, One JLT
- A Trade Centre address with coworking hours: The Executive Centre, One Central
- Calls answered on a staffed floor: Servcorp, Emirates Towers
- Regular desk time in Business Bay: Flowork, Vision Tower
- Ejari support with a staffed reception: Jetset Business Centre, Prime Tower
myOffice, Marina Plaza
What you get: A business address at Marina Plaza or Boulevard Plaza in Downtown Dubai, with mail management. Higher plans add a Dubai phone number with call answering, and flexi desk and meeting room access.
Who it suits: Businesses that want a Dubai Marina address and the option of desk days later.
What it costs: From AED 197/month for a business address. Five plans in all.
Worth knowing: The page does not match each inclusion to a plan, so ask which plan includes call answering before comparing it.
Contact: 04 424 5000
Learn more: myOffice Marina Plaza
One Business Centre, One JLT Tower
What you get: The Address Package covers an address at One JLT, mail management, two meeting room hours and three lounge hours a day. A virtual office with Ejari is sold separately.
Who it suits: Businesses that want a JLT address with lounge time included.
What it costs: From AED 299/month
Worth knowing: Call answering starts at the AED 399 package
Contact: 04 429 5800
Learn more: One Business Centre One JLT
The Executive Centre, One Central
What you get: The Business Address package covers an address at The Offices 3, One Central, mail notifications, a guest reception service and 8 coworking hours a month.
Who it suits: Founders who want a Trade Centre address and a few hours a month at a desk.
What it costs: From AED 450/month for address and mail.
Worth knowing: Calls are answered only in the AED 630 Call Handling and AED 720 Premium packages, so the address package suits a business that handles its own phone.
Contact: 04 526 4777
Learn more: The Executive Centre One Central
Servcorp, Emirates Towers
What you get: The Address Package covers an address on Levels 41 and 42, mail and courier management and an hour a day in the lounge. The Virtual Office adds a local number answered by a dedicated receptionist, 24/7 voicemail and 60 lounge hours a month. Ejari services are offered separately, subject to a compliance check.
Who it suits: Firms that want calls answered in the company’s name and a staffed floor for client meetings.
What it costs: From AED 560/month for address and mail.
Worth knowing: Most of the value is in the receptionist and the staffed floor, so a business that only needs a mailing address would use little of either package.
Contact: 04 319 9100
Learn more: Servcorp Emirates Towers
Flowork, Vision Tower
What you get: One plan, sold at Business Bay and Dubai Hills: the business address, a dedicated landline with answering, mail and courier management and 88 coworking hours a month.
Who it suits: Small teams that want regular desk time with their address.
What it costs: From AED 1,000/month for address, mail and call answering
Worth knowing: With one plan only, a business that just needs an address also pays for the landline and desk hours.
Contact: 04 496 5400
Learn more: flowork Vision Tower
Jetset Business Centre, Prime Tower
What you get: A Business Bay address on the 20th floor of Prime Tower, which the centre occupies in full, with a staffed reception, mail handling, and Ejari and licence support.
Who it suits: Mainland licence holders who want Ejari support and a staffed reception in Business Bay.
What it costs: Contact Jetset Business Centre for pricing.
Worth knowing: Meeting room hours are not included, so the value sits in the address, the reception and the Ejari support.
Contact: 04 665 7555
Learn more: Jetset Business Centre Prime Tower
Choosing the right virtual office in Dubai
Start with the licence. A mainland company needs an Ejari-registered rental agreement, so confirm the provider can supply one and what it costs on top of the package. A free zone company follows its own authority’s address rules, so check what that authority accepts.
If clients phone you, look for a receptionist answering in the company’s name; in most packages here it sits above the entry plan. If clients visit, a staffed reception and meeting rooms on site matter more than the tower.
Prices here are quoted on different terms, so compare them on the same basis. The Dubai virtual office directory lists more addresses across the city.
