Business Setup & Company Formation

A mainland company licensed by the Department of Economic Development (DED) allows you to conduct business anywhere in the UAE without geographic restrictions — including government tenders and direct local market trading. We manage the entire process: business activity evaluation, trade name reservation, MOA preparation, notarisation, establishment card setup, and final license issuance. Recent regulatory reforms allow up to 100% foreign ownership in many activities.

UAE free zones offer 100% foreign ownership, streamlined incorporation, and flexible facility options — from flexi-desks to warehouses. With over 40 active free zones across the UAE, each catering to different industries and budgets, selecting the right one is critical. We provide independent, comparative analysis across free zones, manage the entire application process, and coordinate visa processing — so you can focus on your business, not the paperwork.

UAE offshore companies — registered through RAK ICC or JAFZA Offshore — are designed for international business operations, asset holding, IP management, and investment structuring. They cannot trade within the UAE or sponsor residency visas, but offer significant advantages including 100% foreign ownership, shareholder confidentiality, real estate holding capability in designated areas, and lower establishment costs. We coordinate the full process through licensed registered agents with full transparency on capabilities and limitations.

A trade license must be renewed annually, and failure to renew on time results in daily financial penalties, operational restrictions, and potential dissolution proceedings. We manage both initial license issuance following company formation and the full annual renewal cycle — including compliance checks, Ejari verification, immigration file updates, outstanding fine clearance, and fee settlement — so your license never lapses.

All changes to a UAE company's structure, ownership, activities, or registered information must be formally approved by the relevant licensing authority. We handle the full range of corporate amendments — adding or removing shareholders, modifying business activities, appointing managers, changing trade names, transferring ownership, or amending the MOA — ensuring proper sequencing, notarisation where required, and updates to all related government registrations.

Closing a UAE company is a formal multi-stage legal process that, if done incorrectly, can result in ongoing government penalties, personal liability, immigration complications, and restrictions on future UAE business activities. We manage the complete liquidation — shareholder resolutions, liquidator appointment, gazette publications, visa cancellations, tax deregistration, obligation settlement, and the final cancellation certificate — ensuring a clean exit with no loose ends.

Business activity selection is one of the most critical and frequently underestimated decisions in the UAE company formation process. The wrong classification can result in a license that does not cover your actual services, fines for operating outside licensed activities, and complications obtaining work permits. We analyse your business model and revenue streams, map them to the correct UAE activity codes, identify any external approval requirements, and recommend the most cost-effective activity grouping for your situation.

The choice of corporate structure affects ownership rights, profit distribution, liability exposure, UAE Corporate Tax obligations, visa eligibility, and future scalability. With mainland, free zone, offshore, and hybrid options available — each with distinct legal characteristics — selecting the right framework requires careful, independent analysis. We provide a written recommendation report covering all viable options, their implications, and a clear recommendation tailored to your specific objectives.