Sharm & South SinaiOpening a Business in Sharm El Sheikh: 9 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid ThemNine mistakes we see when people open a business in Sharm El Sheikh: the wrong company form under Decree 128/2022, property deals…
Dahab · South Sinai · Decree 128/2022
Start a Business in Dahab, Egypt:
Setup and Running It
Dahab sits under the same Sinai rules as Sharm El Sheikh: Presidential Decree 128/2022. To start a business in Dahab, Egypt, you need the right company form, the licence for your dive centre, guesthouse or café, the right papers for the people running it, and books that hold up at inspection. We set your company up and keep it compliant, from Sharm El Sheikh.
- Chartered Accountant (محاسب قانوني)
- Office 314, Al Azizia Mall, Sharm El Sheikh
- Dahab rules checked October 2026
- Arabic, English, Italian, Russian
01Typical clients
Businesses we work with in Dahab
Each starts with the same company and tax registrations, then adds a licence of its own. Rules as of October 2026.
DivingDive shops and dive centresAn Egyptian JSC for a non-Egyptian project, a Ministry of Tourism licence under Law 8/2022, CDWS membership, and a CDWS card for each resident foreign dive professional.Opening a diving centreAccommodationGuesthouses and small hotelsHotels are licensed under Law 8/2022. Flats and chalets let to holidaymakers follow the Ministry of Tourism's holiday-home rules. Which route fits your building decides the paperwork.Hotel licensingFood and drinkCafés and restaurantsA tourist restaurant licensed by the Ministry of Tourism charges 14% VAT. A non-tourist outlet is exempt unless, for example, it sells through apps or charges a service fee.Restaurants and cafésSport and wellnessKite, windsurf and yoga schoolsLaw 8/2022 licenses diving, safari and marine centres. Which category a kite or windsurf school falls into, and what a yoga studio or retreat needs, we confirm for your activity.Licences and registrationsTripsDesert trips and safarisOnly licensed tourism companies may run desert safaris, filing routes and lists at least 21 days ahead, with GPS trackers and Thuraya phones. On 10 October 2026, the Ministry of Tourism's site showed the issuing of tourism-company licences as temporarily suspended.Tourism companiesOwnersFlat and chalet owners who letBuilt-property tax falls on the owner or usufruct holder, rent is taxed after a 50% deduction, and letting to holidaymakers goes through the Ministry of Tourism's holiday-home licence.Tax for property owners
02The diving chain
Opening a dive centre in Dahab, in the right order
Each step rests on the one before. Time limits are the ones the rules state, never our promise.
- 01
Company and premises
A non-Egyptian dive centre is an Egyptian JSC. The premises are leased or held under a usufruct; check the contract and the security approval before you sign.
- 02
Tax card, VAT and e-invoices
Tax registration and e-invoicing straight after incorporation. Standard activities get the normal 5-year tax card; the 8-month temporary card cannot issue e-invoices.
- 03
Ministry of Tourism licence
Diving centres are licensed under Law 8/2022. The licence fee, set by the Ministry of Tourism, covers all agencies; a temporary diving permit for up to three months carries its own, higher fee.
- 04
CDWS membership and visit
Chamber membership is required under Law 27/2023. The CDWS visits centres under its audit manual of October 2025.
- 05
Foreign dive staff
A resident foreign dive professional needs a Ministry of Tourism-licensed employer, a work permit and a CDWS card. A 2-month temporary card covers the wait while the permit is pending.
- 06
Insurance and ratios
Accident insurance is required for the CDWS card. Ratios: 1:12 on boats, Discover Scuba 1:2 from shore only, intro dives 1:1, 12 snorkellers per guide.
External instructors who bring their own clients need neither a work permit nor a CDWS card. The rest of the chain applies to every centre.
03Why us
Why clients in Sharm choose us
Starting and Running a Business in Dahab, handled by one chartered accountant from your first question to the final registration. Your accountant in Dahab, Egypt, handles company formation in Dahab, Egypt, works as your tax consultant in Dahab, Egypt, and prepares your residence permit in Dahab, Egypt. Related guides: Accounting and Company Services Across South Sinai.
+100 businesses servedHotels, restaurants, dive centres, shops and investors in Sharm El Sheikh trust us with their files.
A chartered accountant on your fileYour file is prepared and followed by a Chartered Accountant (محاسب قانوني) and tax expert.
On the ground in SharmOffice 314, Al Azizia Mall, close to the authorities your file goes through. Open every day, 09:00–23:00.
Four languagesArabic, English, Italian and Russian, with the same facts in each.
FAQ
Business in Dahab: questions
Can a foreigner own a business in Dahab?
Yes. Dahab falls under Decree 128/2022, which sets no minimum Egyptian share but requires a non-Egyptian investment project to be an Egyptian joint stock company, with at least three founders and EGP 250,000 issued capital. Later changes of shareholders need security and GAFI or FRA approval, and the company cannot own its land or building.
Does the 55% Egyptian ownership rule apply in Dahab?
No. The 55% rule comes from Law 14/2012 and applies in the rest of Sinai, such as El Tor and Saint Catherine. Since 1 April 2022, Decree 128/2022 has taken Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab and the Gulf of Aqaba tourism sector out of that law. For non-Egyptian projects there, it requires the JSC form and security approvals instead.
Can an accountant in Sharm El Sheikh handle my Dahab business?
Yes. Most of the work travels: e-invoices, bank statements, payroll, VAT returns and licence files. We work with Dahab clients by WhatsApp, phone, email and video call, in Arabic, English, Italian or Russian, and reply the same day during office hours, 09:00–23:00 every day. Meetings take place at Office 314, Al Azizia Mall.
Can I let my Dahab flat to holidaymakers?
Yes, under the Ministry of Tourism's holiday-home licence. The unit must be in a tourist area or a distinguished residential compound, and a foreign individual applicant needs a valid residence permit. The Ministry of Tourism charges an inspection fee, a first-licence fee and then a yearly renewal fee; we confirm the current amounts for your unit. The rent is taxed as well.
What does a foreign dive instructor need to work in Dahab?
A resident foreign dive professional needs a Ministry of Tourism-licensed employer, a work permit and a CDWS card, with accident insurance for the card. A two-month temporary CDWS card covers the wait while the permit is pending. External instructors who bring their own clients need neither the permit nor the card. Rules as of October 2026.
Guides on the Sinai rules
Sharm & South SinaiOpening a Business in Sharm El Sheikh: 9 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid ThemNine mistakes we see when people open a business in Sharm El Sheikh: the wrong company form under Decree 128/2022, property deals…Company formation & investmentDo You Need an Egyptian Partner? The 51%, 55% and Nominee Myths in Sharm, Dahab and El TorForeigners can own 100% of most Egyptian companies. Where the 51% and 55% figures really apply, what Decree 128/2022 means for Sharm…Nearest office: Office 314 in Sharm El Sheikh
Al Azizia Mall, Ras Kennedy, Al Salam Road. Open 09:00–23:00 every day; send us a WhatsApp message before you drive over.
Sharm El Sheikh office
Eskander Gerges — Chartered Accountant & Tax Expert
- Office 314, Al Azizia Mall, Ras Kennedy, Al Salam Road, Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt
- +20 103 349 3011
- Chat on WhatsApp
- +20 128 449 9230 (Alternative number)
- info@eskander-gerges.com
- Every day 09:00–23:00
Free consultation
Tell us about your case. The first consultation is free
Send us a few lines on WhatsApp or call. During office hours (09:00–23:00, every day) we reply the same day, in Arabic, English, Italian or Russian.