A small neighborhood cafe would pay AED 1,500 a year while a major shopping mall could owe as much as AED 50,000 under a new licensing structure that ties the cost of playing music in public to the size and type of the establishment.
The framework, described in the Collective Management in Music Guide, sets a wide band of annual charges that businesses must cover to legally play music on their premises. Under the plan, venues would begin paying from December 1, 2026, according to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
The rules reach well beyond restaurants. Fitness centers, radio and television stations, concert spaces, airlines, and floating hotels all fall within scope, meaning the charge applies across a broad slice of the hospitality, retail, and media sectors.
For dining venues, the amount scales with seating and whether live entertainment is offered. A restaurant or cafe with up to 50 seats pays AED 1,500, rising to AED 2,500 if it hosts live DJs or entertainment. Venues seating up to 100 pay AED 2,700, or AED 3,500 with entertainment. Those with 101 to 200 seats pay AED 4,800, climbing to AED 6,500 with live acts. The largest dining venues, seating more than 200, start at AED 4,800 and add AED 20 for each additional seat, capped at AED 6,000—though venues offering live DJs and entertainment face a ceiling of AED 8,000.
Retail follows a separate scale. A shop of up to 300 square meters pays AED 1,700, while outlets between 301 and 700 square meters pay AED 3,400. Beyond 700 square meters, an extra AED 60 applies for every 25 square meters, with the total capped at AED 20,000. Malls are charged AED 625 for the first 100 square meters of shared space plus AED 50 for each additional 25 square meters, and their bill cannot exceed AED 50,000 a year.
Hotel charges depend on star rating and room count. Properties with up to 50 rooms pay per room—AED 50 at one to two stars, AED 120 at three stars, and AED 150 at five stars. Mid-sized hotels with 51 to 100 rooms pay AED 5,000, AED 12,000, or AED 15,000 depending on rating. The largest hotels pay AED 8,000 at the lower ratings and AED 18,000 at three stars, while five-star properties owe AED 18,000 for 100 to 200 rooms and AED 25,000 above that.
Broadcasters and airlines are treated differently again. Radio and TV stations owe one percent of their total annual income, and premium airlines offering in-flight entertainment face a maximum of AED 45,000 a year, scaled to passenger seating.
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said the reforms are meant to strengthen the competitiveness of music in the country and support broader economic diversification.
