Setting up a company in Dubai comes down to four decisions: where you licence the company, what activity it is licensed for, how much space and how many visas you need, and what you must register for once trading starts. These guides cover each stage in plain terms.
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The jurisdiction choice shapes everything else. A mainland licence from the Department of Economy and Tourism gives direct access to the UAE domestic market. A free zone licence gives full foreign ownership, packaged visa quotas and, in the case of DIFC and ADGM, a separate common-law framework for regulated financial activity.
- Mainland vs free zone company in Dubai
Compare mainland and free zone company setup in Dubai: market access, ownership, office rules, visas and which structure suits your business.
- What it costs to set up a company in Dubai
The cost items in a Dubai company setup: licence, registration, office or flexi-desk, visas, medical and Emirates ID, bank account and yearly renewal.
- Step by step: registering a company in Dubai
The company registration steps in Dubai: activity, legal form, trade name, initial approval, documents, licence issue, establishment card, visas and bank account.
- Visas and residency for Dubai business owners
Investor visas, employment visas, visa quotas and the Golden Visa for UAE business owners: what a trade licence gives you and what it does not.
- After you launch: tax, banking and announcing your company
What comes after a Dubai trade licence: corporate tax and VAT registration, bank account, bookkeeping, and how to announce your launch to UAE media.