Business Set Up

With the FIFA World Cup just a few months away, over a million football fans are expected to travel to Qatar, creating a massive demand for short term accommodation that hotels are unable to meet. This has led to Qatar tourism issuing new regulations, approving short term rental of private properties to supplement the current supply of accommodation options. Read more

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently introduced the Premium Residency Scheme, a new type of residency visa that offers the holder greater freedom to live, work and own property and businesses in the Kingdom. Read more

Airbnb has pioneered the sharing economy, revolutionised the travel industry and offered homeowners around the globe a simple way to make a largely passive income. Thanks to agreements reached between Airbnb and tourism authorities in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ras Al Khaimah, it is now possible to list your property in any of the above three emirates and make money with short term lets. Read more

The Green Visa is a 5-year UAE resident visa which comes into effect from September 2022. Following other newer and popular long-term visas such as the Golden Visa introduce back in 2019, the Green Visa allows a longer-term residency in the UAE, and is aimed at investors and skilled professional – with lower level requirements generally than the Golden Visa regime. Read more

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) is the international financial centre and financial free zone situated on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi. ADGM began operating in 2015 as a small freezone area and has subsequently grown to become one of the world’s most advanced financial hubs, attracting businesses from around the world, looking to establish a presence in the MENA region. Recognised for its common law framework, court system, excellent infrastructure and tax-friendly policies, it is an ideal location for financial and non-financial businesses alike to establish and thrive. Read more

On 28 February 2022, Dubai enacted Law No.4 of 2022, known as the virtual assets law (VAL), a new piece of legislation intended to regulate all transactions of virtual assets within the Emirate. It came alongside the establishment of the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and provides a legal framework with which to protect investors and businesses trading in virtual assets in Dubai. This article provides information on the scope and application of the new law as well as its implications on the future of the financial technology industry in the UAE. Read more

In today’s age of entrepreneurship and digital communication, starting a business has never been so popular. Dubai, in particular, offers a thriving business environment with favourable policies and initiatives that have attracted over 10,000 small and medium size start-ups to the emirate. Establishing a sole proprietorship limited liability company (LLC) or a sole establishment (SE) is a great way to set up a business in Dubai. It offers flexibility and low market entry costs and allows business to be carried out both on the mainland and in the country’s many free zones. Read more

Dubai’s Airport Free Zone is an economic free zone with more than 2000 registered businesses from over 20 sectors and industries operating within it. Established in 1996, DAFZA has a unique advantage due to its close proximity to Dubai International Airport. This makes DAFZA the perfect location for businesses that require access to the airport including logistics and freight, aerospace, and engineering. However, DAFZA can also be a great free zone for most business types. Read more

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation recently issued Ministerial Resolution No.43 of 2022, an update to the UAE’s Wages Protection System (WPS). It includes amendments to certain requirements and clarification on private sector businesses’ obligations to remain compliant with the WPS. This article highlights the key points of the new resolution that employers need to be aware of and explains the requirements and process of registration with the WPS. Read more

The UAE cabinet recently approved measures to increase the rate of Emiratisation in the country to 2% annually. The ruling will come into effect from January 2023 and has implications for all private sector businesses not complying with the quota on minimum numbers of Emiratis employed in accordance with the guidelines. Read more