Business registration in Dubai, and professional consulting support

The help of the professionals is the guaranteed legal assistance and the possibility for the entrepreneur to focus on the main – on developing own business in Dubai. Each of our clients can expect a wide range of legal and consulting services for creating new and developing the existing business in Dubai. We will help you to implement any of your ideas, regardless of its complexity. We offer you effective and time-tested tools, which contribute to optimization of the workflow processes and elimination of the possible obstacles.

How to register a business in Dubai with us?

Most often, both residents and non-residents register a business in Dubai as a branch of a foreign company, or they choose to register a business in Dubai in one of several free zones. Let’s consider these two types of business registration in Dubai, the UAE.

1. Business registration in Dubai outside its free zones

So, how to register a company in the mainland of Dubai? There is the Law on companies applied to all companies in Dubai and foreign companies with one or several branches in Dubai. It regulates existing branches of foreign companies, and also contains provisions for opening new branches of foreign companies; the Law is not applied to individual entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations in Dubai. The following provisions of this document are particularly important:

• All the investors who registered business in Dubai outside the free zones can have no more than 49% of shares in that company; other 51% must belong to citizens of the UAE or a company wholly owned by citizens of the UAE.
• All branches of foreign companies must have a national agent in Dubai unless a foreign company has opened its office in accordance with an agreement with the Federal Government or the Government of the Emirate;
• Citizens of the Emirates should own all General Partnerships in Dubai.

The owner of the company in Dubai has the right to obtain a UAE residence visa. An entrepreneur can also get resident work visas for foreign employees.

The Federal Law on Companies provides several forms of legal entities for business registration in Dubai, the UAE:

• Joint Liability Company;
• Limited Partnership;
• Limited Liability Company (LLC);
• Public Joint-Stock Company (Public Shareholding Company (PJSC));
• Closed joint-stock company (Private Shareholding Company).

The Law on Companies provides shareholders with considerable freedom in drafting a charter for a limited liability company (LLC) in Dubai, and in particular, this applies to provisions relating to managing the LLC in accordance with the specific needs of shareholders. The parties are free to include provisions that allow the minority shareholder to maintain significant control over the management of the LLC. An LLC in Dubai may be licensed to conduct any legal activity, except insurance, banking and investing money in favor of third parties.

2. Business registration in Dubai in its free zones

There are many free zones in the Emirates and in Dubai in particular. UAE free zones are often created for certain types of companies. Foreign companies are generally allowed to open branches in free zones, and such branches are not subject to the requirements for the appointment of a local agent in Dubai.

The legislation in each free zone allows the business formation of companies existing and operating outside the scope of the Law on Companies; they do not require the participation of the national partner from Dubai. This means that the foreign investor can be the 100% company owner. Opening a branch in a free zone or company in Dubai is carried out through the administration of the corresponding free zone. Free zones usually guarantee the absence of corporate taxes and income taxes for a certain time.

In fact, offshore companies operating in the free zone of Dubai are considered as foreign companies and are not allowed to conduct business within the rest of the Emirate of Dubai without following the rules usually applied to foreign business organizations. The sales made by free zone companies to customers within the Emirate of Dubai are subject to general import duties.

Common difficulties in business registration in Dubai and our solutions for your business

While implementing the company formation in Dubai without any assistance, the entrepreneurs may face the following difficulties:

• It is difficult to determine the choice of the legal form of the company at first glance, as the benefits and advantages of each type are not always obvious;
• Significant time requirements for preparing and gathering the required documentation;
• Difficulties with choosing a banking institution and opening an account;
• Searching a local agent and visa application of the owners, family members and employees of the company.

When cooperating with us, you get access to the comprehensive solutions for the various administrative and organizational issues in business in Dubai. In particular, our clients receive:

• Company formation in the UAE, necessary approvals in the respective departments and incorporation of the necessary business license, obtaining the certification and licensing documentation;
• Maximum assistance in the issues of visa processing, including visas for shareholders, members of their families and employees of the company;
• Opening the corporate bank accounts in the local and foreign banks;
• Recruiting and assisting in selecting the labor force;
• Legal support of business transactions.
• Development and implementation of business ideas with taking into account the requirements of the market and applying the long-term strategies in the most various directions;
• Legal support.