Setting up a company in the UAE
The short answer
A UAE company is formed on one of a few distinct routes: a free-zone licence, a mainland licence, an offshore vehicle, or a branch of an existing company. They differ in where you may trade, what activities are permitted, what workspace is required and how visas are allocated. The route follows from what the business actually does and who its customers are, so it is chosen after those are established rather than before.
Each page below covers one route or one part of the process. Start with free zone versus mainland if you are choosing, or go straight to the page for the route you have already settled on.
- Free-zone company
- All UAE free zonesDirectory of the major zones by emirate, with activity fit.
- Mainland company
- Offshore company
- Branch or subsidiary
- Licence types explained
- Trade licence explainedWhat the licence shows and what the licence number means.
- Business activitiesHow activity classification decides jurisdiction and approvals.
- Establishment card & e-channel
- Amendments & cancellation
- Cost of company formation
- Timelines
- Renewals & compliance
Start with a structure assessment, not a package
In an initial consultation you receive a plain-language decision summary, a document-preparation list, and the next actions for your situation. It is not an approval, a fixed price, or a tax opinion.