Solar energy licence in Dubai, trading or installing
Fitting solar panels on Dubai rooftops needs DEWA enrolment and certified experts on your team, on top of the trade licence.
- Usual route
- Mainland (DET)
- Extra approval
- DEWA enrolment
- Timeline
- Weeks
- AML
- Not a DNFBP activity
A solar energy licence in Dubai depends on what you do with the panels. Trading them is a standard licence on the mainland or in a free zone. Designing or installing grid-connected rooftop systems needs a DET licence and enrolment with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) under Shams Dubai. DEWA only accepts connection requests from enrolled firms.
- Covers
- Trading, designing or installing solar PV systems and components
- Not covered
- Large ground-mounted plants, general electrical contracting, EV charging
- Premises
- An office on the licence; a warehouse if you hold stock
- Timeline
- Weeks for the licence; enrolment follows once experts are certified
What a solar panel licence covers
Solar work splits three ways: selling equipment, designing systems as a consultant, and installing them as a contractor.
Covered
Not covered
- Covered by EV charging
- Covered by Electromechanical contracting
- Covered by Project company for the tender
- Covered by Construction contracting
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
DEWA asks for a renewable energy consultancy or solar installation activity on the licence, so we match the wording to its enrolment list first.
Mainland or free zone for solar
Installing in Dubai points to DET, because DEWA enrols firms holding a Dubai trade licence. Trading equipment can sit in either.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Villa and building owners in Dubai | Mainland (DET) | DEWA enrols consultants and contractors that hold a Dubai trade licence |
| Installers and traders buying stock wholesale | Either route | Importing and wholesaling equipment works from a mainland or free zone warehouse |
| Projects and buyers outside the UAE | Free zone | Re-export and overseas design work sit comfortably in a free zone |
A free zone company can reach mainland buyers through a DET branch licence or permit (Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025). Goods sold to mainland customers face the QFZP qualifying test.
Several free zones license this activity; we match the zone to your visas, office and banking. Compare free zones
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
DEWA enrolment for solar installers
DEWA accepts Shams Dubai connection requests only through enrolled consultants and contractors. Enrolment needs a graduate electrical engineer on the company's sponsorship and staff certified as DEWA Solar PV Experts, in numbers that grow with plant size.
Before the licence
- Trade name and initial approvalDET
The licence
- Trade licenceDET
Alongside the licence
- Solar PV Expert certificationDubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)
After the licence
- Consultant or contractor enrolmentDEWA
- Solar NOC and design approvalDEWA, for each project
- Inspection and grid connectionDEWA, for each project
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
We line up engineer visas so certification can start early.
Which DEWA step does your solar work add?
Tick the work you plan to take on. The heaviest item shows what DEWA expects beyond the trade licence.
Without an enrolled firm, a rooftop system cannot connect to the grid. We plan the hires around the certification DEWA asks for.
Tick every kind of solar work you plan
| What you plan | Points to |
|---|---|
| The trade licence alone, with the right trading activity | |
| Equipment on DEWA's eligible list, or a manufacturer's compliance certificate | |
| DEWA consultant enrolment, with a sponsored electrical engineer and certified experts | |
| DEWA contractor enrolment, with more certified experts as plant size grows | |
| DEWA contractor enrolment, with more certified experts as plant size grows |
Tick a line to see where your plan points.
What banks ask a solar company
Bank viewStandard, with questions on equipment imports and customer deposits
Banks treat a solar company as a standard trading and contracting business. Early payments go abroad for panels and inverters, often in large lots, and the first income may be deposits from villa owners. Expect questions on suppliers, shipping routes and how deposits match installations. We put the supplier contracts, the first customer orders and the DEWA enrolment status into the bank file together, so the money trail follows the projects.
AMLNot a DNFBP activity; the bank's own customer checks still apply.
Where solar licence files stall
A free zone licence for rooftop installs
DEWA enrols firms holding a Dubai trade licence with the right activity. A free zone trading company can sell the panels, but it cannot file the connection request that puts them on a Dubai roof.
Hiring before checking the experts
Enrolment rests on a sponsored graduate electrical engineer and DEWA-certified Solar PV Experts. A team hired without the right degree or experience holds enrolment back, and the company cannot connect a single rooftop until it is fixed.
Stock that fails DEWA's equipment rules
Panels and inverters for grid-connected systems must meet DEWA's eligibility requirements. Buying a container of unlisted equipment without a compliance certificate leaves stock that rooftop projects cannot use.
Questions about a solar energy company licence
A question about your plan? Describe your solar energy company plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow to start a solar energy business in Dubai?
How much does a solar energy licence cost in Dubai?
What are the requirements for a solar panel installation licence in Dubai?
Do I need a DEWA permit to install solar panels in Dubai?
Can a free zone company sell solar panels in Dubai?
Related pages
ActivityEV charging licence in DubaiAn EV charging company that runs public charge points in Dubai needs a DEWA licence, beyond the trading licence for selling chargers.
ActivityTechnical services licence in DubaiA DET licence covers routine maintenance in clients' buildings.
JurisdictionDubai mainland licence through DETSuits businesses that sell to UAE customers or bid for Dubai tenders.
Selling panels, or putting them on roofs? DEWA enrolment turns on the answer
Fifteen minutes with a senior advisor on the solar work you plan and the team you have. You leave with the activity wording, the route and what DEWA will expect.
On the call
- The activity wording that fits your plan
- The route, and the approvals in order
- A written quote before any work starts
