Abu Dhabi

A guide to VAT Law in the UAE, the scope of the law and companies’ responsibilities with respect to compliance and how to register for VAT. Read more

People migrate to new countries for a multitude of reasons: better career prospects, improved safety and security, education opportunities, financial incentives and a more favourable climate are just a few of them. There are currently over 56.8 million expatriates living around the world and this number is expected to continue growing. The UAE’s residency programmes have helped the country’s economy benefit from an influx of foreign capital and for the recipients of the visas, they can be an amazing tax savings tool. However, if you want to obtain tax residency in the UAE and benefit from the country’s tax landscape, it’s important that you also free yourself from your tax obligations in your home country. Read more

Who is a natural or juridical tax resident? According to Libbie Burtinshaw, Head of Operations at Sovereign PPG, the Domestic Tax Residency regulation defines a UAE tax resident as either a natural person or a juridical person. A natural person is defined as an individual with a permanent place of residence in the UAE, or one that is employed, or has a business in, the UAE. It also refers to individuals who: have spent 183 days or more in the UAE over a consecutive 12-month period primarily reside in the UAE are based out of the UAE for financial and personal interest. =UAE nationals, valid Permanent Resident Permit holders, or GCC member of state nationalities must be physically present for 90 days, or more, over a 12-month period. A juridical person refers to a business or entity which is legally separated from its owners. Tax residency applies to businesses or entities established or recognised in the UAE. Read more

For employees, losing a source of income can be terrifying, especially for expat workers in a foreign country. Without a way to make money, it’s easy to fall behind on bills or take on unnecessary debt. For this reason, many industrialised countries have created policies and programmes to ensure workers are protected if they become unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning this year, the UAE will join over 70 other countries that offer some form of unemployment insurance protection. This article explains everything you need to know to prepare for the upcoming implementation of the UAE’s new unemployment insurance scheme. Read more

The Saudi Arabian IT market is one of the largest in the Middle East and North Africa region. It has ranked in the top 10 globally for their robust information technology framework. In line with the Vision 2030 goal to digitally transform the nation, the opportunities in this sector have the potential to explode in every direction as every business requires IT solutions. The Saudi ICT strategy 2023 is looking to create more than 25,000 jobs in the sector. As society evolves from traditional to more digital processes, there is a demand for IT in all sectors from governments, as well as public and private businesses. This article provides more information on the IT industry as well as the steps and requirements for setting up an IT company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Read more

The United Arab Emirates has a long history of attracting top global talent to work in its thriving business community. According to UAE law, anyone who lives in the UAE must hold a residence permit or visa at all times. For expats considering retirement and wanting to stay in the UAE, this has always presented a challenge. To remedy this problem, the UAE cabinet introduced a new retirement visa in 2018 to create a pathway to allow workers to remain in the country into retirement age. This article provides more information on the retirement visa as well as other retirement options and incentives available for expat residents such as the Golden Visa and the Golden Pension. Read more

Established in 1985, the Jebel Ali Free Zone (often referred to as JAFZA) is the world’s largest freezone, occupying an area of 3.85 million square meters, and comprising a variety of facility types including warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and office spaces. Its globally central location and proximity to the Port of Jebel Ali provides direct access to a market of over 1.5 billion people across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. For this reason, JAFZA is a preferred location for over 400 businesses that operate within the UAE’s logistics and supply chain industry. This article looks at the benefits of operating a company in JAFZA, the types of business activities permitted and the business registration process. Read more

February 20th, 2023 sees the return of the Gulfood event to Dubai. The exhibition, which is the largest annual F&B sourcing event in the world, will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre between the 20th and 24th of February and will showcase over 500 major global brands from 125 countries. The event brings together many of the major figures in the F&B industry and is a unique opportunity for aspiring chefs, up and coming food and beverage businesses and established brands to demonstrate their skills, present their products and make valuable business connections. Read more

Consultancy is an activity that involves providing professional advice and expertise to other businesses within a particular area of specialisation. A consultant aims to improve the efficiency and profitability of a business by evaluating business processes and offering advice on how to adapt them or streamline them to achieve better business outcomes. Consultancy comes under the domain of professional services and consultants provide expertise in a number of different operational areas. These can include HR, finance, marketing, IT, logistics and management. Due to the rapid growth of the UAE economy and the country’s continued diversification beyond the oil and gas sector, skilled professionals who are able to lend their expertise in a wide range of business sectors are in high demand. This article looks at the process of setting up a consultancy in the UAE and the types of approvals and permits which are required. Read more

A large part of Qatar’s Vision 2030 plan is to deviate from an oil and gas reliant economy and diversify its economic strategy, which includes growing Qatar’s events industry. In recent years, we have seen Qatar being awarded major international sporting events, such as the 2006 Asian Games and most recently, the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The media coverage around such a widely followed and supported event has assisted in securing Qatar as a global hub for future international music, business, artistic and sporting events. This article looks at the opportunities Qatar’s events industry and the processes involved in setting up an events company. Read more