When an office tenant in Business Bay or a restaurant group in JLT looks for a fit-out company, they are not only buying design and joinery. They are buying someone who can get the approvals done, finish before the rent-free period runs out, and hand over a space that passes inspection. Your website has a few seconds to show you can do all three.

This guide covers what a fit-out company website in Dubai should show in 2026, including how the new contractor register changes what clients will check.

What clients check before they call a fit-out company

Most fit-out buyers are tenants, facility managers or project managers. They often compare several companies before asking for quotes. Before they reach out, they look for:

Proof you are licensed and registered for the work.
Proof you know the approval route for their building or free zone.
Projects like theirs: same size, same use (office, retail, F&B, clinic).
A realistic process and timeline.
A fast way to send drawings and get a site visit.

Most fit-out websites lead with mood-board photos and a "Get in touch" button. That shows taste but does not answer any of the five points above.

Licence and registration: what changed in 2026

Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025 on contracting activities took effect on 8 January 2026. According to Kennedys' summary of the law, all contractors must be licensed and registered in a central register managed by Dubai Municipality, existing contractors have until 8 January 2027 to regularise their status, and employers will be prohibited from engaging contractors that are not registered and classified. Al Tamimi's note adds that the law also covers free zones and the DIFC, and that contractors may not perform or market contracting activities without a valid commercial licence.

For your website, that means buyers, and their procurement teams, will increasingly look for registration details before they ask for a quote. Practical steps:

Show your legal company name exactly as on your trade licence, plus the licence number and issuing authority.
Once registered, state your registration and classification in the footer and on your About page.
Keep these details in one place on the site, so a renewal means editing one line.

Do not claim a registration or classification you do not hold yet. Get your licensing advice from the authority or a consultant; your website should simply reflect what is true.

Show that you know the approval route

Fit-out approvals in Dubai depend on where the property is. A dubizzle overview of fit-out approvals lists Dubai Municipality for most mainland projects, the Dubai Development Authority for areas such as Dubai Internet City and Dubai Design District, Trakhees for areas including Jebel Ali Free Zone and Palm Jumeirah, separate frameworks for DIFC and DMCC, Dubai Civil Defence for fire safety and DEWA for electrical approvals.

The paperwork is detailed. On its fit-out permit page, the DDA lists the contractor as the applicant and asks for items such as the tenant's appointment letter, a copy of the Ejari, the building owner's NOC, NOCs from other authorities and stamped drawings.

A tenant who has never done a fit-out does not know any of this. A website that explains it in plain language immediately looks more competent than one that does not. Add:

An "Approvals" page that explains, in five or six steps, what happens between signing the lease and getting the completion certificate, and which documents the tenant must provide.
The authorities and zones you have actually worked with. List them as text ("We have handled permits in DDA and DMCC areas"), only if true. Never use government logos as if you were endorsed.
A note on who does what: what you handle, what the landlord handles and what the tenant must sign.

Portfolio pages that match how buyers search

Buyers search by use and location: "office fit-out company Dubai", "restaurant fit-out JLT", "clinic fit-out Dubai Healthcare City". Build your project pages the same way:

One page per service type: office, retail, F&B, clinic, villa interior.
Under each, three to six real projects with the area in square feet, the location (district, not the exact unit), the duration and the scope.
Photos from your own site: before, during and after. A shot of the MEP rough-in or the ceiling grid shows workmanship that a finished photo hides.
No renders presented as finished work. If you show a design render, label it clearly.

Client names and logos only with written permission. Many corporate tenants do not allow their name in a contractor's marketing, so "Tech company office, 6,000 sq ft, Dubai Internet City" is a perfectly good project title.

Arabic and English

Your buyers may read English comfortably, but some landlords, owners and government-linked clients prefer Arabic. A short Arabic version of your main pages (home, services, approvals, contact) widens who can shortlist you. It also helps for searches typed in Arabic. Make the language switch obvious at the top of every page.

The quote request: make it easy to send drawings

A fit-out enquiry is rarely a single sentence. The buyer wants to send a floor plan, the landlord's fit-out guide or a few photos of the shell-and-core space. Make that simple:

A quote form that asks for the essentials: property type, location, size, target handover date, and whether a design exists.
Service buttons that pre-fill the form. "Restaurant fit-out" on the F&B page should open the form with that service already chosen.
A WhatsApp button with your UAE number, for buyers who would rather send the floor plan straight from their phone.
A clear promise on response time that your team can actually keep.

We compared the two routes in WhatsApp lead forms vs contact forms. For fit-out, offering both works best, because procurement teams often need an email trail while tenants prefer WhatsApp.

Mistakes that cost fit-out companies enquiries

"Turnkey solutions across the GCC" with no Dubai project shown. Be specific about where you work.
A company profile only as a PDF download. Put the key facts on a web page too, so they are readable on a phone and findable on Google.
No licence details anywhere. After January 2027 this becomes a basic filter.
Stock photos of skyscrapers. They say nothing about your work.

What it costs

A Passive Coder website for a UAE fit-out company is a one-time payment from AED 1,099 + 5% VAT, goes live in one day, and includes hosting and your domain for the first year. Service pages, project pages, Arabic pages and quote forms are all part of the same site. See the UAE contractor website page or the full pricing.

FAQ

Should I list my trade licence number on my website?

Yes. It costs nothing, buyers can check it, and it separates you from unlicensed operators. Put it in the footer so it appears on every page.

Does the new contractor register apply in free zones?

According to the legal summaries linked above, Law No. 7 of 2025 covers contracting activities in free zones and the DIFC, with airport-related contracting exempt. Confirm your own case with Dubai Municipality or your licensing consultant.

Can I show projects for clients who asked not to be named?

Yes, describe them by type, size and area instead of by name, and leave out anything that identifies the client, such as branded signage.

Do I need a separate page for each fit-out service?

It helps. A page for office fit-out and a page for restaurant fit-out can each rank for their own searches, and each can carry a quote button that pre-fills the right service.

Ready to show buyers you can handle the approvals as well as the build? Start a free trial and set up your fit-out website today.