If you want to open a Shisha café in the UAE or think about investing in one, you should know that the government and Dubai municipality have set rules that everyone who wants to open a Shisha café in Dubai has to follow. If you wish to establish a Shisha café or incorporate Shisha services into your restaurant, ensure you adhere to the precise procedures to avoid rejection of your application. These rules are based on Federal Law No. 15 of 2009 on Tobacco Control. Follow these steps to get a Dubai Shisha Cafe license.

To begin, you will need to get initial approval by applying for a Shisha Permit Service request and a trade name reservation. Next, you will need to sign agreements at a notary public in Dubai. Finally, you will need to obtain approval from the Dubai Municipality and have the tenancy contract for the space attested. You need copies of all business partners’ passports to submit these documents. The Dubai Municipality will sign off on the final approval for the Shisha permit. You can continue your journey legally and without issues after they inspect the shisha lounge and teach you about it.

Before you can open a Shisha bar in Dubai, you need to fill out a few papers that are required by the rules and procedures. At a glance, here are the papers and instructions you need:

The paperwork will have a location plan, a design and engineering plan, details about the electrical, plumbing, lighting, and ventilation systems, as well as any other information the Dubai government needs for a Shisha cafe license.

Here are some of the specific rules that Dubai Municipality has put in place for Shisha permits. Applicants should thoroughly understand these rules:

1. The shisha business has to be in a commercial building on the main road, and the owner has to give permission for shisha to be sold on the property.
2. The inside space can’t be less than 200 square meters, and the cafe bar can’t be bigger than 150 square meters.
3. There must be at least 150 meters of space between the Shisha cafe and nearby apartments and buildings.
4. The minimum distance between your Shisha business and nearby schools and nurseries is 150 meters. The minimum distance between your Shisha business and mosques and other places of worship is also 150 meters.
5. The cafe’s front door must face the main street and have good air flow. The main road needs to be approved by the government.
6. As part of its basic design, the Shisha facility must have a separate outdoor entrance. The service area should also be separate from the rest of the building.
   The main entrance to the building should be at least 7.5 meters away from the shisha bar.
7. Shisha shops must have at least three smoke-free rooms and make sure that the smoking areas are separate from the non-smoking areas. The ceilings must be at least 3 meters high.