PRO Partner Group Blog

The ESR was introduced in April 2019 in order prevent companies from establishing themselves in the UAE for the purposes of channelling payments which would otherwise be taxable abroad. The introduction of the ESR has successfully led to the removal of the UAE from the EU tax haven blacklist. Read more

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic represents one of the most significant global public health crises in the last 100 years. While the impact of COVID-19 remains unknown, it has and is continuing to cause major disruption and commercial instability. In this climate of uncertainty, there are many difficult decisions business will need to make. The continuation of business as usual is or will become unsustainable for many. How best then to implement changes which preserve business viability, protect the interests of employees and facilitate the continuation of commercial activity? Read more

Effective from Sunday 29th March 2020, the UAE government has temporarily closed government departments and has taken many of the processes and communication online. All departments have now been switched to a full remote work system from the start of this week. However we are still seeing that the majority of processes can still be undertaken online, from Visa processing, new licence issuance, regulatory approvals and licence renewals - and we are seeing Notary signing now being undertaken through video conferencing facilities in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Read more

Patrocinio corporativo: Esta es la opción preferida de patrocinio nacional en los EAU. Una compañía nacional (patrocino local) tiene una participación y obligación de 51% de una compañía y el 49% restante pertenece a un individual o grupo de inversores extranjeros. Con este tipo de patrocinio, es una compañía que patrocina el negocio en vez de un individual. Read more

Cars are often not the quickest way to travel in dense urban areas. An electric scooter is a motorised version of the two-wheel kick scooter, it is powered by batteries and are under the same category as a motorcycle because they both have two wheels with an engine; however they are not as regulated as motorcycles and in some areas can be used on pavements, walkways as well as minor roads. They are a quick and easy way to get short distances from A to B and can be rented and left within certain zone to allow recharge and reuse, they do not need specific docking stations, as with most bicycle hire systems. Read more

As Corona Virus COVID-19 continues to spread globally the reverberations are now being felt on global economies. Since the middle of last week global markets have seen a sharp fall - with US indexes down 10% and European market also falling sharply. The downturn is now also starting to affect businesses and the wider community within the GCC. Read more

The anticipated deadline of 31st March 2020 for notification under the Economic Substance Regulations (“ESR”) is fast approaching. Businesses should understand how the ESR will affect them and consider whether they will need to take steps to demonstrate compliance with the new regulations. Read more

In the UAE, the employer of a sponsored worker can extend sponsorship to the accompanying spouse, provided that the relevant legal requirements are met. Once the legal requirements, such as salary and suitable housing, are met, the accompanying family member may obtain a residence permit to settle in the UAE long term under Family Sponsorship. Before the accompanying spouse can start to work, a work permit / labour card must be approved and issued by the government. Read more

Oman’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has brought in a new Foreign Capital Investment Law (FCIL) by Royal Decree No: 50/2019, effective as of 2 January 2020, which aims to make Oman an attractive investment environment. The introduction of this law comes as a move to ensure the stability of foreign investment in the country. The new Law has several incentives and advantages for foreign investments to encourage business flow and stability in the Sultanate, as they have an impact on economic development. Read more

As part of the Omanisation initiative, the employment of foreign nationals is becoming increasingly regulated by the Omani authorities. In some cases, an employer must prove that a foreign worker has the skills and experience which an Omani national cannot offer, otherwise an employment visa will not be granted. Once officially employed by an Omani based company, the employment visa process will begin: Read more