All Guides / HR, Staffing & Business Support
Starting an HR, staffing or business support company in the UAE
Recruitment and manpower supply are licensable but sit under the Ministry of Human Resources, and the two are not interchangeable.
What This Sector Covers
Recruitment agencies, executive search, temporary staffing and labour supply, HR consultancy, payroll administration, call centres and business process outsourcing all appear in the activity lists. Outsourcing and back-office activities are among the least restricted; recruitment is not.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation governs recruitment and manpower supply, and treats them as distinct models. A recruitment agency introduces candidates to an employer who then sponsors them. A manpower supply company sponsors the workers itself and supplies their labour to clients, a materially heavier license with guarantees attached.
Who typically licenses this. Recruiters, staffing firms, EOR and PEO providers, HR consultants and BPO operators.
Browse by category
Find Your Category First
Not sure which activity you need? Start with the category closest to your business, then pick the activity inside it.
Business Support & Outsourcing
147- Administrative & Secretarial Services
- Typing & Translation Centre
- Call Centre & Customer Service Outsourcing
- Business Process Outsourcing
- Document Management & Archiving
Recruitment & Staffing
27- Recruitment Agency
- Temporary Staffing & Labour Supply
- Freelancer & Gig Platform Services
HR Services
24- HR Consultancy
Approvals You Should Expect
Across our partner zones, 20 of the 194 listings in this sector (10%) carry a named external approval. These are the bodies that appear most often, an approval here is a condition of the license, not an optional extra, and several must be obtained before the license issues.
Which Zone Carries It
Every partner zone publishes activities in this sector, but not evenly. SPC carries the most at 43 listings. Breadth is not the only thing that matters (fees, visa quota, facility type and reputation all count) but a zone with a thin list in your sector is a zone that may not have your exact activity.
Before You Apply
- Domestic worker recruitment is a separate, tightly regulated category from corporate recruitment.
- Employer-of-record models depend on who holds the visa, structure this before you sign client contracts.
- Charging candidates placement fees is restricted; the fee model is part of what the ministry approves.
A to Z of Every hr, staffing & business support Activity
Every activity published in this sector across our partner zones, alphabetically. Zone codes show where each one is available; click any activity carrying ⓘ to read the free zone’s own official description of it.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
L
M
O
P
R
S
T
W
Questions We Get Asked
Do I need the exact activity, or is something close enough?
The exact one. Banks, customs, payment providers and clients all read the license wording literally, and an activity that only roughly describes what you do creates friction at account opening and at import. With 77 activities published in this sector alone, there is almost always a precise line available.
Can I hold more than one activity on a single license?
Yes. Every zone allows multiple activities on one license, usually with a package covering a set number and a fee per additional activity beyond it. Some zones restrict mixing across license types, for example combining a trading activity with a professional one, so the combination matters more than the count.
What does an “external approval” actually mean here?
It means a body outside the free zone has to sign off before your license can issue or before you may operate. In this sector that most often means Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation (MOHRE), followed by Sharjah Municipality. The free zone will not waive it, and applying without it is the most common cause of a stalled application.
Which free zone should I choose for this sector?
Start by confirming the zone publishes your exact activity, that alone removes several options. In this sector SPC publishes the most activities. Then weigh cost, visa quota, whether you need a physical facility, and whether your clients or bank have a preference. We do this comparison as part of the setup rather than leaving it to you.
Is a free zone license enough to trade on the UAE mainland?
Not by itself. A free-zone company can sell to mainland customers through a distributor or agent, and can service mainland clients in many sectors, but holding a physical outlet, a workshop or a site presence on the mainland generally needs a DED license or a branch. This matters more in some sectors than others, it is decisive in retail, hospitality and contracting.
How current is this list?
It reflects the activity lists each zone publishes, as loaded into our catalogue. Zones add and retire activities without announcement, and fees change. Treat it as an accurate map rather than a live feed, and confirm the specific activity before you commit.