Yoga has gained immense popularity over the years, and today, over 300 million people practice yoga worldwide. The capital city of the UAE is not behind in this trend, and given the health-oriented population of Dubai, there is a massive business opportunity for new yoga centers. With more and more people drawn toward yoga each passing day, setting up a yoga studio in Dubai seems like a good idea.
There are numerous reasons and advantages to setting up a yoga studio in Dubai. This blog will walk you through the benefits, procedures, and costs of opening a yoga studio in Dubai. Let’s dive in.
Understanding Legal Requirements
Opening a yoga studio in Dubai requires a clear understanding of the legal requirements to operate smoothly and avoid any regulatory issues. The first and foremost step is obtaining a Yoga license in Dubai, which ensures your business is legally recognized and compliant with local laws. Without this license, running a yoga studio in the UAE can lead to fines or business closure.
Yoga Studio License in Dubai
A Yoga license in Dubai is mandatory for all yoga centers. This license involves approvals from relevant authorities, including the Dubai Municipality and the Ministry of Public Health. Additionally, your studio may need authorization from the Yoga and Sports Welfare Department since yoga is considered a recognized sport in the UAE.
Types of Business Structures
Choosing the right business structure is crucial. Most yoga entrepreneurs in Dubai prefer an LLC (Limited Liability Company) because it allows broader business operations and future expansion. Alternatively, sole proprietorships or partnerships are options for smaller setups, though they may have limitations in scaling your yoga business.
Free Zone vs Mainland Setup
You can register your yoga studio either in a free zone or on the mainland. Free zones offer 100% foreign ownership and simplified setup procedures, while mainland setups provide access to a larger local audience and the ability to operate across Dubai without restrictions.
Compliance and Regulations
Maintaining health, safety, and hygiene standards is essential. Your yoga studio must adhere to UAE regulations regarding fire safety, sanitation, and instructor qualifications. Following these rules not only ensures smooth operations but also builds trust among clients.
By understanding and fulfilling these legal requirements, obtaining a Yoga license in Dubai becomes a straightforward process, setting a solid foundation for your yoga business.
Benefits of Setting up a Yoga Studio in Dubai
If you are a well-trained yoga professional and wish to open a yoga studio in Dubai, you will enjoy various benefits. Here are a few prominent ones:
1. High Demand for Fitness:
The population of Dubai tends to be aware of their looks, and yoga is one of the things that keeps them looking fit and healthy. Therefore, yoga centers are in high demand in Dubai.
2. Large Indian Community:
Approximately 27.5% of Dubai’s population in 2025 is Indian. You can leverage this, as many Indians choose yoga as their mode of exercise because of its Indian roots, creating a vast market for yoga studios.
3. Global Popularity of Yoga:
Yoga is not just an Indian thing. It has become a necessity and way of life in western culture for people across the globe, including Dubai. Hence, you will easily find an extensive clientele if you set up a yoga center in Dubai.
4. Post-COVID Demand:
After the COVID-19 pandemic, yoga has drawn many followers as it includes breathing exercises to increase lung capacity. This is why many yoga instructors and centers expanded to an online presence, attracting even more customers.
5. Government Support and Incentives:
Since yoga comes under health and wellness, yoga centers are considered health-related organizations. Thus, they get immense support from the Dubai government along with exciting incentives.
6. Expansion Potential:
Another perk of getting a yoga license in Dubai is that you can extend the branches of your center to other emirates of the UAE in the future with ease.
Now that you know the benefits, check out the yoga studio setup process.
Documents Required to Open a Yoga Studio in Dubai
Here’s a list of documents required to open a yoga studio in Dubai:
- Passport copies of owner(s)
- UAE residence visa copies of the owner(s)
- No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the landlord
- Yoga instructor professional certification
- Experience certificates or letters (if applicable)
- Detailed business plan
- Proposed studio layout/floor plan
- Health & safety approvals (hygiene, fire safety, MOHAP approval)
- Trade name approval from DED
- Passport-size photographs of owner(s)
- Bank reference letter (optional)
- Power of Attorney (if using a consultant)
Process to Set Up a Yoga Center in Dubai from India
The process of setting up a yoga studio in Dubai is quite straightforward. Here is what you need to do:
1. Decide the Legal Structure
The first step is to decide the legal structure of your yoga studio. Although you can choose to set up a yoga center in Dubai as a partnership or a proprietorship, an LLC is considered the best business unit in the UAE. This is because LLC gives you a broader scope to do business and further establish it in other cities.
2. Choose Your Location
Next, you must choose an appropriate location for your yoga center. It is best to do some research and find out where yoga is high in demand among people. Residential areas with less competition are the best in this case. You can choose to open a yoga studio in the Dubai mainland region.
3. Get Approval
Once you have selected the right location, you need to get the necessary approvals. To open a yoga studio in Dubai, you must get approvals from two different departments. The first department is the Yoga and Sports Welfare department since yoga is classified as a sport.
Furthermore, you need a second approval from the Ministry of Public Health, considering the health and wellness advantages of yoga for the general public. Depending on the third-party operation approvals, it takes about 2 to 3 weeks to complete the configuration process.
4. Gather Necessary Documents
After getting the approvals, you must gather other necessary documents. The list of documents includes your professional experience certificate or any other recognition letter, passport, visa copies, and a couple of other documents.
A business consultant can help you with all the required documents and also help you get them approved to get your yoga license in Dubai.
5. Open A Bank Account
You must open a corporate bank account now that you have submitted the documents and got the necessary approvals. If your business is licensed, you’ll have to make sure your customers can easily make cash and online payments.
Therefore, a corporate bank account can help with seamless transactions and help you keep a record of them all. Note that it can take up to 4 weeks to open a bank account in Dubai.
What is The Cost of Opening a Yoga Studio in Dubai?
Starting a yoga studio in Dubai is a profitable venture with relatively low investment. The total cost to set up a yoga studio, including obtaining a yoga license, ranges from AED 25,000 to AED 50,000, depending on the location, size, and facilities of your studio.
While some yoga instructors prefer open-air sessions with minimal setup, many customers prefer air-conditioned studios for comfort. This makes a well-equipped yoga studio more appealing and can attract a larger clientele.
Investing in proper space, equipment, and licenses ensures your yoga business is professional, compliant, and ready to grow in Dubai’s booming wellness market.
Connect With Shuraa India
Given yoga's positive growth and rising popularity, set up a yoga studio in Dubai will help you reap significant profits. And now that you are well aware of the process of setting up a yoga studio in Dubai, you can establish one of your own within a few weeks. You can reduce this time further by seeking help from a business setup consultant.
The business setup professionals at Shuraa India are highly experienced and can help you establish a yoga center in Dubai with ease. They will guide you at every step, help you prepare a proper business plan, and even clear all your doubts if you have any.
Moreover, they will also help you gather all the essential documents and get the necessary approvals from the concerned departments. It usually takes around 6 to 8 weeks to set up a yoga center in Dubai.
However, the business consultants at Shuraa India can speed up the process, and you can set up your studio in a comparatively lesser time. All you need to do is call us, tell us all your requirements, and we will take care of it.
