Oil and gas services licence, for tender work
An oil and gas services licence names the work you sell. Tenders then weigh vendor registration and an ICV certificate.
- Usual route
- Usually mainland
- Extra approval
- Vendor and ICV
- AML
- Standard bank checks
An oil and gas services licence in Dubai can be mainland (DET) or free zone, and its wording covers consultancy, inspection and testing, or equipment supply. Most of these activities need no sector approval. The work comes through operators' vendor registration, and tenders weigh an In-Country Value (ICV) certificate issued through MoIAT's authorised certifying bodies.
- Covers
- Engineering consultancy, inspection and testing, and oilfield equipment supply
- Not covered
- Drilling and site contracting, and trading fuel or crude
- Premises
- An office; a workshop or yard for equipment and testing
- Timeline
- Weeks for the licence; months to qualify as a vendor
Consultancy, testing or equipment supply
Each service is its own licence activity. Operators compare that wording with the scope you list when you register as a vendor.
Inside this licence
Outside this licence
- Covered by A contracting activity, with operator approvals
- Covered by Petroleum products trading
- Covered by Drilling rig trading, its own activity
- Covered by Engineering consultancy
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Consultancies often take on testing after the first contract, so we list the testing activity at the start when your team can do it.
Operators in the UAE or the region
National oil companies and their main contractors usually want a mainland company on the vendor list. That company needs an office lease registered in Ejari. Work billed abroad often runs from a free zone.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| UAE national oil companies and their contractors | Mainland (DET) | Vendor lists and tenders usually expect a mainland licence |
| International oil companies across the Gulf | Either route | Either works, matched to where the contracts are signed |
| Clients in Africa, Asia and beyond | Free zone | Work billed abroad suits a free zone company |
Under Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025, a free zone oilfield services company that works regularly for mainland clients in Dubai needs a DET branch licence or permit. For QFZP purposes, that mainland service income is usually non-qualifying.
For engineering advice billed outside the UAE, we choose the zone by how many engineers need visas and where the contracts are signed. Compare free zones
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
Oil and gas services licence approvals
No sector regulator signs off these services before DET or the free zone issues the licence. The slower part is commercial, because each operator runs its own vendor registration and tenders weigh the ICV score.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET or the free zone
The licence
- Licence worded for your servicesDET or the free zone
After the licence
- Staff work permits and visasMOHRE and GDRFA Dubai
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
- Vendor registration with each operatorThe operator's procurement team
- Accounts for the ICV certificateA licensed auditor
- ICV certificate issuedA MoIAT-authorised certifying body
We book the auditor and the ICV certifying body well before your first tender.
When can you bid for tenders?
Two timelines start on the same day. The company side ends once each engineer holds an Emirates ID, while tender readiness fixes when a first contract can be won.
New companies can be certified on management accounts in their first months, so we plan the ICV certificate around your first tender date.
The company
- Trade name and approvalDays
- Licence issuedWeeks
- Visas and bank accountWeeks
Ready to bid
- Vendor registration submittedWeeks
- Accounts ready for ICVWeeks
- ICV certificate issuedWeeks
- Operator pre-qualificationMonths
Large contracts and the bank
Bank viewStandard; large contracts, long payment terms, overseas suppliers
Oil and gas service contracts often pay on long terms, while equipment from overseas makers is paid for up front. The sums are large.
Questions start when one client pays most of the income, or when suppliers sit in high-risk countries. We open the file with the signed contracts and a supplier list by country.
Licence gaps that cost tenders
A consultancy licence for site work
A consultancy licence covers advice and engineering design, with project management alongside. Crews on a live site need a contracting activity added, and the operator compares your licence wording with the scope you list as a vendor.
No ICV certificate at bid time
Operators weigh In-Country Value when they score a tender. In ADNOC's bid evaluation, a supplier with no current certificate scores zero on ICV. Have it in hand before the first bid.
Free zone company on a UAE tender
A free zone company can price a UAE tender well and still fail vendor registration. Operators often ask for a DET branch or a mainland entity first, so the structure comes before the bid.
Questions from service firms
A question about your plan? Describe your oil and gas services plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does an oil and gas services licence cost in Dubai?
How to start an oil and gas services business in Dubai?
What is an ICV certificate in the UAE?
How do I get an ICV certificate in the UAE?
Can a free zone oil and gas company win UAE tenders?
Do I need a licence to supply oilfield equipment in Dubai?
How do I register as a vendor with ADNOC?
Can an oil and gas consultancy do work on site?
Can I trade fuel on an oil and gas services licence?
Can an oil and gas engineer get the UAE Golden Visa?
Related pages
Petroleum products trading licenceA petroleum products trading licence needs Supreme Council of Energy permits once fuel or lubricants enter Dubai.
Engineering consultancy licence in DubaiA trade licence alone lets no office sign drawings, until Dubai Municipality has registered the practice and its engineers.
Dubai mainland company setupDubai mainland company formation with a DET licence: trade across the UAE, bid for government tenders and hold 100% ownership for most activities.
Is your first tender on the calendar?
Name the services you sell and the operators you want as clients, and we draft the activity wording and a plan for each vendor file.
On the call
- Consultancy, testing or equipment supply
- ICV certificate timing
