Landscaping in Dubai looks like an easy trade to enter, and that impression is exactly the trap. The trade licence is the least of it. Dubai Municipality controls who may physically do landscaping work, and from January 2026 it controls it far more tightly than before. DET only issues the landscaping activity with external approval from Dubai Municipality, and a new law now forces every contractor, landscaping firms included, into a Contractor Register with a mandatory grade that caps the size of work you can take on [1][3]. Add the recycled-water rules for irrigation, the federal permits for plants and pesticides, and the waste law for green waste, and the "just get a licence and buy a mower" version of this business does not exist.
The 2026 change is the headline. Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025 on contracting activities came into force on 8 January 2026, and it converts landscaping from a light-touch trade into a classified, registered contracting activity under Dubai Municipality, with certified technical staff and a grade you cannot exceed [1]. A guide written before this, or one that still calls landscaping "unregulated," is out of date on the single most important point.
This guide covers the Dubai Municipality gate and the new Contractor Register, the softscape-versus-hardscape split, the recycled-water rule, the plant and pesticide permits, ownership, and the tax position. Since 2013, our team has set up contracting and services companies across the UAE, so the traps here come from real files. This is a guide, not legal or tax advice on your specific licence.
Why is a trade licence only the first step?
Because Dubai Municipality sits behind the licence and behind the work. DET issues the landscape and gardening works activity only with external approval from Dubai Municipality, so the licence itself is gated by the Municipality before you even start [3]. That is different from an ordinary trading licence you can pull and use immediately.
Then there is the work itself. Landscaping is treated as a contracting specialty, and contracting in Dubai is regulated, inspected and now registered. On-site landscaping across Dubai plots and communities is a mainland activity under Municipality oversight, not something a bare licence lets you do anywhere. The licence is the entry ticket. The Municipality approval, the register and the technical staff are what actually make you a lawful landscaping contractor.
Common Mistake: Treating landscaping as an unregulated trade you can start with a licence and a pickup truck. Dubai Municipality gates the activity, the new Contractor Register grades you, and your technical staff must be certified. Budgeting for only the trade licence is how new landscapers find they cannot bid the work they planned.
What is the new Contractor Register, and why does it matter?
It is the biggest change to this business in years, and it decides the size of job you can win. Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025 regulating contracting activities came into force on 8 January 2026, with a grace period to January 2027, and it requires every contractor and subcontractor operating in Dubai, including in free zones, to register in a unified Contractor Register managed by Dubai Municipality [1][2].
The part that reshapes a landscaping business is the grading. Contractors are classified and graded on financial capacity, technical staff and project history, must operate strictly within their approved classification, and cannot exceed it. A new entrant with no UAE track record starts in the lowest grade, which caps the value and scale of projects it can take, with promotion only on meeting higher-tier criteria [1][2]. On top of that, technical employees must hold a Professional Competency Certificate issued by the Municipality, and the contractor must be independent of any engineering consultancy office.
Pro Tip: Plan your growth around the grade, not around the licence. Because a new landscaping contractor starts in the lowest grade and the grade caps the projects you can bid, the route to bigger community and government contracts runs through building the financial capacity, certified staff and project history that promote you. Treat the grade as the real ceiling on the business. Get your landscaping setup and grading scoped properly→
What is the difference between softscape and hardscape?
It is the split that decides how much approval a job needs, and getting it wrong under-scopes the work. Landscaping divides into living elements and built elements, and the two sit in different approval lanes [3].
- Softscape is the living and irrigation side: plants, trees, turf, shrubs, soil and irrigation lines. For basic planting, lawn and paving on a private villa plot, you generally do not need a separate Municipality building permit, though you still need the approved landscaping activity, and in master-developer communities such as Emaar, Nakheel or DAMAC a developer NOC is required before work starts.
- Hardscape is the built and structural side: paving, retaining walls, pergolas, pools, water features, outdoor kitchens and gas lines. These cross into building and engineering approval territory. Pergolas above a size threshold, pool drawings and gas-line kitchens typically need Municipality building or engineering sign-off, structural drawings and consultant-stamped plans.
So a pure grounds-maintenance contract is light-touch, while a design-and-build garden with structures pulls in consultant-stamped drawings for layouts, sections, water features, pools and irrigation with backflow protection. Confirm the exact hardscape thresholds with Dubai Municipality, because they move. Where a job crosses into real construction, our construction guide covers the wider contracting approvals.
What are the water and irrigation rules?
Recycled water, not potable, and this is a design rule the Municipality checks. Dubai runs a dedicated treated sewage effluent (TSE) network that feeds most large landscapes, and the policy is that landscape irrigation uses recycled TSE water to protect the potable, desalinated supply. Using potable water where non-potable is available is treated as inefficient and non-compliant [4].
That shapes the design, not just the plumbing. Because TSE carries higher salinity, the Municipality expects salt-tolerant plant selection, efficient drip irrigation, an irrigation layout with backflow prevention, and water-conservation-minded plant and soil choices. Confirm the current connection and water-quality requirements with Dubai Municipality and DEWA. The practical rule for a landscaping company is simple: design irrigation around TSE availability from the start, and never assume potable water as the default, because that assumption fails both the compliance check and the client's running costs.
What about plants, pesticides and green waste?
Three federal and local layers that guides skip, and each can stop a job. Importing plant material, spraying chemicals and disposing of green waste are all regulated [5][6][7].
- Plants, seeds and soil. Importing them requires MoCCAE import permits and phytosanitary certification, with foreign certificates authenticated and shipments inspected at the port. You cannot import any plant material freely, so plan sourcing around what is permitted.
- Pesticides and fertilisers. Pesticides are governed by Federal Law No. 10 of 2020 on Pesticides, which controls registration, import, use and disposal. Only registered products may be used, importers and users need permits, and a landscaping firm that sprays should expect pest-control-style applicator approvals from Dubai Municipality. A chemical being legal abroad means nothing if it is not on the UAE register. Our pest control guide covers the spraying-approval side in detail.
- Green waste. Garden and organic waste is a regulated stream under Dubai Law No. 18 of 2024 on waste management, which applies emirate-wide including free zones. Green waste must go through compliant transport, treatment and disposal, with escalating penalties for illegal dumping. Our waste management guide covers the mechanics.
Real Talk: The compliance stack, Municipality grading, certified staff, recycled-water design, registered pesticides and green-waste disposal, is exactly what separates a real landscaping contractor from a man with a van. The barriers that make setup slower are the same barriers that let you bid community and government contracts the informal operators cannot touch. The regulation is the moat, not just the paperwork.
Can a foreigner own a landscaping company, and does a free zone work?
You can own 100% on the mainland, but the operating business has to be mainland-based. Landscaping, gardening and contracting are on the DET list of activities open to 100% foreign ownership, with no mandatory Emirati shareholder, so ownership is not the obstacle [1]. Confirm the specific activity remains on the current DET foreign-ownership list at application. Because landscaping is a Municipality-regulated contracting activity that has to work on Dubai plots, the operating entity is a DET mainland company, and our mainland company setup page walks through the exact route a landscaping contractor needs.
The free-zone question needs care. A bare free-zone licence authorises activity inside that free zone, not physical on-site landscaping on mainland plots and communities. Since a 2025 executive resolution, a free-zone company can work on the mainland, but only by obtaining a DET branch licence or a temporary permit and coming under the DET and Municipality regime, and the new contracting law pulls free-zone contractors into the Municipality's Contractor Register anyway [1][2]. So a free zone is not a shortcut for an on-site landscaping operator. Where a free zone does earn its place is a separate trading arm, for importing and selling plants, irrigation supplies and garden products rather than doing on-site work, and our free zone company setup page covers that route. For the operating business, plan for a mainland company under Municipality oversight. Our free zone versus mainland guide covers the trade-offs.
How is a landscaping company taxed?
Standard rates, and the free-zone 0% does not reach on-site work. On corporate tax, a landscaping company pays 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above, with Small Business Relief available for revenue up to AED 3 million for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026, which suits a young, labour-heavy landscaper. It still requires registration, filing and record-keeping, and it lapses after that date unless extended [1]. Our corporate tax filing guide covers the mechanics.
On VAT, landscaping services are standard-rated at 5%, with registration mandatory once turnover passes AED 375,000. And the free-zone 0% is not a route here: on-site landscaping delivered to mainland customers is mainland-sourced, non-qualifying income taxed at 9%, so a free-zone structure does not make landscaping income tax-free. Plan on the standard position rather than a free-zone tax break that does not apply to physical work on Dubai plots.
What does it cost, and is it worth it?
The licence is modest; the labour, equipment and grading requirements are the real spend. Here is a realistic 2026 picture in AED, all figures approximate and worth confirming against the current schedules.
| Item | Typical range (AED) |
|---|---|
| DET mainland licence with landscaping activity | Activity component from ~8,000 |
| All-in first-year setup (licence, DM approval, office, visas) | 15,000 to 30,000+ |
| DM Contractor Register and classification | Additional fees, plus financial-capacity evidence |
| Certified technical staff (Professional Competency Certificate) | Per employee |
| Vehicles, irrigation materials, mowers, TSE arrangements | Equipment-dependent |
A lean grounds-maintenance operation can start toward the lower end, while a design-and-build firm needs a qualified landscape architect or engineer for consultant sign-off and heavier equipment. Landscaping is labour-intensive, so budget per-worker visas, medicals, insurance and Wages Protection System payroll on top of the setup. The market case, though, is unusually strong and government-backed.
Quick Math: The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan aims to sharply expand green and recreational space across the emirate, some sources citing roughly a doubling, alongside green corridors and large protected natural areas [8]. That is a multi-decade tailwind under public demand, on top of villa communities, master developers, hospitality and commercial grounds that all need ongoing maintenance. Access to the biggest public and community contracts runs through the Municipality grade, which is exactly why building financial capacity and certified staff to climb the grades is the growth strategy.
Is a landscaping company a profitable business in Dubai?
It can be, because the demand is structural and much of it recurs every year, but the margins reward operators who control labour and water costs rather than those who chase one-off installs. The emirate has a year-round greening mandate, a steady pipeline of villa, community and hospitality contracts, government beautification projects, and, crucially, annual maintenance contracts that refill the revenue line season after season [8].
The honest counterweight is real. Landscaping is labour-intensive, so crew salaries, visas and accommodation are a heavy fixed cost, irrigation and water carry their own running cost even on recycled TSE supply, and the informal end of the market is crowded, which pushes down pricing on basic grounds work. The money is in the maintenance retainer and the graded contract, not in mowing lawns cheaply. The table below frames where the three common routes actually sit, so you can pick the model that matches your capital and appetite for labour.
| Route | Primary regulator | Capital intensity | Recurring revenue | Labour intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping contracting (design and build) | Dubai Municipality | High (staff, equipment, grade) | Moderate, project-led | High |
| Garden and grounds maintenance | Dubai Municipality | Low to moderate | High, annual contracts | High |
| Plant and irrigation supply trading | DET | Moderate (stock, warehouse) | Moderate, reorder-led | Low |
The maintenance route is where the recurring money lives, and it pairs naturally with adjacent facilities work, so operators often run landscaping alongside a cleaning company or a facade cleaning company to sell one community a full grounds-and-common-area package. If you would rather sell products than labour, the plant, irrigation and garden-supply trading arm is a genuinely different business, and a free zone company setup can suit that trading route where no on-site mainland work is involved. Based on our experience, the firms that make landscaping pay treat the annual maintenance contract as the engine and the design-and-build project as the upside, not the other way round.
What documents and steps does it take to start a landscaping company?
More paperwork than a plain trade licence, because Dubai Municipality approves the activity, grades the contractor and checks the technical staff, and because a landscaping crew needs labour accommodation and equipment before it can work. A realistic document checklist looks like this.
- Shareholder documents: passport copies and photos of each shareholder, and the local service or manager details where required.
- Trade name and initial approval: a reserved DET trade name and DET initial approval for the landscape and gardening activity.
- Memorandum of Association: the MOA for the company structure and shareholding.
- Tenancy: a registered Ejari for the office, and a plan for a labour accommodation lease for the crews.
- Dubai Municipality approval: the external Municipality approval for the landscaping and agriculture contracting activity, plus Contractor Register classification.
- Technical staff: certified technical employees holding a Professional Competency Certificate, with engineer or landscape-architect sign-off for design-and-build work.
- Labour accommodation: compliant accommodation for the workers, since landscaping runs on crew labour.
- Equipment and vehicles: ownership or lease records for mowers, irrigation materials, tools and the vehicles that move crews and green waste.
The order matters more than the list, because the grade governs what you can bid and the Municipality approval gates the licence. A realistic staged timeline reads like this.
| Step | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| DET trade name, initial approval and licence with landscaping activity | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Dubai Municipality landscaping and agriculture contractor approval | 2 to 4 weeks, alongside the licence |
| Contractor Register classification and grading | Added weeks, needs financial and staff evidence |
| Labour visas, medicals and accommodation | 3 to 6 weeks for the first crew |
| Equipment, vehicles and irrigation setup | Alongside staffing |
| First contract and developer NOC where needed | Once graded and crewed |
Plan the Municipality approval and the grading alongside the licence rather than after it, since the grade sets the ceiling on the work you can win from day one. Talk to a setup expert→ to map the documents and timeline around your firm.
What are the ongoing costs and compliance for a landscaping company?
The setup is one payment, but a landscaping company carries a stack of recurring obligations that run for the life of the business, and underbudgeting them is a common reason young firms struggle. The DET licence and the Ejari renew annually, the Dubai Municipality approval and the Contractor Register classification carry their own renewal cycle, and the Professional Competency Certificates for technical staff must be kept current [1][3].
Because landscaping is labour-heavy, the biggest running cost is people: crew visas and their renewals, labour accommodation, medicals, and payroll under the Wages Protection System, plus insurance covering workers and public liability on-site. On tax, the company files corporate tax annually and files VAT once registered, charging the standard 5% on landscaping services. Then there are the sector-specific running costs, the recycled TSE water and irrigation supply, registered pesticide and fertiliser stock, and compliant green-waste disposal, each of which is a monthly cost, not a one-off. These renewals, filings and approvals are exactly the kind of ongoing work our post-setup services handle, so the firm stays compliant while the crews stay in the field. Budget the renewals and the WPS payroll from year one rather than treating them as an afterthought.
Can you open a corporate bank account for a landscaping company?
Yes, with a local bank once the licence and ideally the Municipality approval are in place, but expect the standard UAE onboarding rather than an instant or fully-remote account. UAE banks do not open fully-remote corporate accounts for a physical, labour-based contracting business; they run full know-your-customer checks on the shareholders and the activity, and they usually require an in-person meeting with the licence, the MOA and the tenancy in hand [1].
Practically, a clear picture of the business helps the account move faster, and for a contractor that means showing the Municipality approval, the grade, and any signed maintenance contracts or a credible pipeline. A history of real contracts and invoices is what reassures a bank that the account is a working trading account, not a shell, so firms that can point to secured community or villa work tend to onboard more smoothly. A maintained minimum balance is normal, and getting the banking right early avoids cash-flow friction once crew salaries and supplier payments start.
Real Client Stories
The contractor capped by the new grade. A client set up in early 2026 expecting to bid a large community landscaping contract, then learned the new Contractor Register placed a first-time firm in the lowest grade, capping the project value it could take. We built a plan to add certified staff and financial capacity to climb the grades. The grade, not ambition, set the ceiling, and knowing that early shaped a realistic bidding strategy.
The garden that irrigated with potable water. A landscaper designed a villa garden on potable irrigation, which is treated as non-compliant where recycled TSE water is available and expensive to run. We redesigned around TSE with salt-tolerant planting and backflow protection. The client passed the Municipality check and cut the water bill, and the firm now designs every irrigation layout around TSE from the start.
The free-zone licence that could not landscape. A client set up in a free zone expecting to landscape mainland Dubai plots, then found the licence did not authorise on-site work outside the zone without a DET branch or permit, and that the contracting register applied regardless. We put the operating business on a mainland footing. The free zone was never a shortcut for physical work across the city.
Set up your Dubai landscaping company the right way
Landscaping rewards operators who treat the Dubai Municipality approval, the new Contractor Register and the water and pesticide rules as the real business, and it traps those who think a trade licence and a mower are enough. Since 2013, BusinessDubai.ae has completed 700+ company registrations across the UAE, including contracting and services companies. We will help you secure the Municipality approval and register in the Contractor Register, get your technical staff their competency certificates, structure the mainland company for on-site work, plan the recycled-water design, the plant and pesticide permits and the green-waste disposal, and set up the corporate tax and VAT position correctly, all with clear itemised pricing. Talk to a setup expert→ for a plan built around your firm. Our free zone versus mainland guide covers the structure choice, and post-setup services covers ongoing approvals and renewals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start a landscaping company in Dubai?
Register a DET mainland licence with the landscape and gardening activity, which requires external approval from Dubai Municipality, register in the Municipality's Contractor Register and obtain a grade, and get your technical staff their Professional Competency Certificates. On-site landscaping across Dubai is a mainland, Municipality-regulated activity [1][3].
Is landscaping regulated in Dubai?
Yes. Dubai Municipality gates the landscaping activity, and since Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025 came into force on 8 January 2026, landscaping contractors must register in a unified Contractor Register with a mandatory classification and grade, and employ certified technical staff. It is not an unregulated trade [1][3].
What is the Dubai Contractor Register?
It is a unified register managed by Dubai Municipality, required under Law No. 7 of 2025 from January 2026, in which every contractor and subcontractor, including landscaping firms and free-zone contractors, must register. Contractors are graded on financial capacity, staff and history, and must work within their grade [1][2].
What grade does a new landscaping company start at?
The lowest grade. A new entrant with no UAE track record is placed in the lowest classification, which caps the value and scale of projects it can take, with promotion only on meeting higher-tier criteria for financial capacity, certified staff and project history [1][2].
What is the difference between softscape and hardscape?
Softscape is living and irrigation work, plants, turf, soil and irrigation lines, which is lighter-touch on private plots. Hardscape is built and structural work, paving, walls, pergolas, pools and water features, which crosses into Municipality building and engineering approval with consultant-stamped drawings [3].
Can I irrigate a Dubai landscape with potable water?
Generally no as the default. Dubai policy directs landscape irrigation to recycled treated sewage effluent to protect the potable supply, and using potable water where TSE is available is treated as non-compliant and inefficient. Designs use salt-tolerant planting, efficient drip irrigation and backflow prevention [4].
Do I need permits to import plants and soil into Dubai?
Yes. Importing plants, seeds and soil requires MoCCAE import permits and phytosanitary certification, with foreign certificates authenticated and shipments inspected at the port. You cannot import any plant material freely, so sourcing must be planned around what is permitted [5][6].
Do landscaping companies need pesticide approvals?
If they spray, yes. Pesticides are governed by Federal Law No. 10 of 2020, only registered products may be used, and users need permits, with pest-control-style applicator approvals from Dubai Municipality expected for spraying. A chemical being legal abroad does not make it usable here if it is not on the UAE register [6].
How is green waste from landscaping handled in Dubai?
Green and organic waste is a regulated stream under Dubai Law No. 18 of 2024 on waste management, applying emirate-wide including free zones. It must go through compliant transport, treatment and disposal, with escalating penalties for illegal dumping, so a landscaping firm needs a proper disposal route [7].
Can a foreigner own 100% of a landscaping company in Dubai?
Yes. Landscaping, gardening and contracting are on the DET list of activities open to 100% foreign ownership, with no mandatory Emirati shareholder. Confirm the specific activity remains on the current DET foreign-ownership list at application [1].
Can I run a landscaping company from a free zone?
Not for on-site mainland work on its own. A free-zone company can work on the mainland only via a DET branch licence or temporary permit, coming under DET and Municipality oversight, and the contracting law pulls free-zone contractors into the Municipality Contractor Register anyway. Plan a mainland company for the operating business [1][2].
How much does it cost to start a landscaping company in Dubai?
An all-in first year for a mainland setup is commonly around AED 15,000 to 30,000 or more, depending on office and visas, plus Contractor Register and classification fees, certified-staff costs, and labour and equipment. Landscaping is labour-intensive, so per-worker visa and payroll costs matter. Figures are approximate.
Do I need a landscape architect or engineer for a landscaping company?
For design-and-build work with structures, yes. Hardscape elements need consultant-stamped drawings, and the Contractor Register requires certified technical staff with Professional Competency Certificates, independent of engineering consultancy offices. Pure grounds maintenance is lighter on technical staff [1][3].
How is a landscaping company taxed in Dubai?
Corporate tax is 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above, with Small Business Relief for revenue up to AED 3 million for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026. VAT on landscaping services is 5% once turnover passes AED 375,000 [1].
Does a free-zone landscaping company get 0% corporate tax?
No on its core work. On-site landscaping delivered to mainland customers is mainland-sourced, non-qualifying income taxed at 9%, so a free-zone structure does not make landscaping income tax-free. The standard position applies to physical work on Dubai plots [1].
What is a developer NOC in landscaping?
In master-developer communities such as Emaar, Nakheel or DAMAC, a no-objection certificate from the developer is required before landscaping work starts on a plot, on top of the Municipality-approved activity. It is a routine but essential step for community and villa work [3].
Is landscaping a good business in Dubai in 2026?
The demand case is strong. The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan aims to sharply expand green and recreational space, and villa communities, developers and hospitality all need ongoing maintenance. The caveat is that the biggest public and community contracts are gated by the Municipality grade, so climbing the grades is the growth path [8].
What is a Professional Competency Certificate for landscaping?
It is a certificate issued by Dubai Municipality that a landscaping contractor's technical employees, such as engineers and technicians, must hold under the contracting law. It is part of what the Contractor Register checks, alongside financial capacity and project history [1][2].
How long does it take to set up a landscaping company in Dubai?
The trade licence and Municipality approval can take a few weeks, and the Contractor Register classification adds time because it requires evidence of financial capacity and certified staff. Plan the register and grading alongside the licence rather than after, since the grade governs what you can bid [1].
Does the new contracting law apply to free-zone landscapers?
Yes. Law No. 7 of 2025 requires contractors and subcontractors operating in Dubai, including in free zones and DIFC, to register in the Dubai Municipality Contractor Register. So a free-zone landscaping contractor is not outside the regime and is graded like a mainland one [1][2].
Is a landscaping company a profitable business in Dubai?
It can be. Demand is structural, from a year-round greening mandate, villa, community and hospitality contracts, government beautification projects and recurring annual maintenance contracts. The counterweight is heavy labour, water and irrigation costs and a crowded low end, so the margin lives in maintenance retainers and graded contracts, not cheap grounds work [8].
What documents do I need to start a landscaping company in Dubai?
Shareholder passports and photos, a reserved DET trade name and initial approval, the Memorandum of Association, an Ejari for the office, the Dubai Municipality landscaping and agriculture contractor approval and Contractor Register classification, certified technical staff, labour accommodation for crews, and equipment and vehicle records. The Municipality approval and grading are the gating items [1][3].
What are the ongoing costs of running a landscaping company in Dubai?
Annual DET licence and Ejari renewals, Dubai Municipality approval and Contractor Register renewals, Professional Competency Certificate upkeep, crew visas and labour accommodation, Wages Protection System payroll, insurance, corporate tax and VAT filing, plus recycled TSE water, registered pesticide and fertiliser stock and green-waste disposal. Labour is the largest running cost [1][3].
Can I open a corporate bank account for a landscaping company in Dubai?
Yes, with a local bank once the licence and ideally the Municipality approval are in place. UAE banks do not open fully-remote accounts for a physical contracting business, so expect full know-your-customer checks and an in-person meeting. Showing the grade and signed maintenance contracts helps the account onboard faster [1].
Do landscaping crews need labour accommodation in Dubai?
Yes. Landscaping runs on crew labour, so a firm needs compliant labour accommodation for its workers alongside their visas, medicals and Wages Protection System payroll. Accommodation is a recurring cost that scales with headcount, and it is part of what makes labour the heaviest line in a landscaping budget rather than the licence.
Do I need a separate approval to handle fertilisers in Dubai?
Fertilisers and soil imports fall under MoCCAE permit and phytosanitary requirements, and pesticides are separately governed by Federal Law No. 10 of 2020, with only registered products permitted and applicator approvals from Dubai Municipality expected for spraying. A landscaping firm that stores and applies chemicals should plan for these permits, not assume garden inputs are unregulated [5][6].
What is the difference between landscaping contracting and garden maintenance?
Landscaping contracting includes design-and-build work with hardscape and structures under Dubai Municipality grading, which is capital and staff heavy. Garden and grounds maintenance is the recurring, annual-contract side, lighter on capital but still labour-intensive and Municipality-regulated. Many firms run maintenance for steady revenue and take on contracting projects for the upside [3][8].
Do I need approval for irrigation and water connections in landscaping?
Yes, in practice. Dubai directs landscape irrigation to recycled treated sewage effluent to protect the potable supply, so an irrigation design must plan around TSE availability with backflow prevention and salt-tolerant planting, and connection and water-quality requirements are confirmed with Dubai Municipality and DEWA. Designing on potable water as the default fails both the compliance check and the client's running costs [4].
References
[1] Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025 Regulating Contracting Activities: the unified Contractor Register managed by Dubai Municipality, classification and grading, certified technical staff and the Professional Competency Certificate, in force 8 January 2026, with 100% foreign ownership and the corporate tax framework as context. Al Tamimi analysis of Law No. 7 of 2025
[2] Dubai contractor classification under Law No. 7 of 2025: grading tiers, the lowest grade for new entrants, and the technical competency certificate requirement. Contractor classification guide
[3] DET activity list and the landscaping and gardening works activity requiring external approval from Dubai Municipality, and the softscape and hardscape approval split. DED / DET activity list
[4] DEWA sustainability and treated sewage effluent strategy: recycled water for landscape irrigation to protect the potable, desalinated supply. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
[5] MoCCAE import permit for plant, soil and fertiliser consignments with phytosanitary certification. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
[6] UAE Federal Law No. 10 of 2020 on Pesticides: registration, import, use and disposal, with only registered products permitted. UAE Legislation portal
[7] Dubai Law No. 18 of 2024 Regulating Waste Management: organic and green waste as a regulated stream, applying emirate-wide including free zones. Dubai Legislation Portal
[8] Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan: sharply expanding green and recreational space, green corridors and protected natural areas across the emirate. Government of Dubai, Dubai 2040
