Setting up a company in Dubai and wider in the UAE

Steps towards successful company formation in Dubai

Business owners need to take several steps to ensure a successful incorporation process:

Identifying the correct specific economic activities as a first step, relevant legal and financial requirements are dependent on the activity and location chosen
Selecting the legal form of the business. Different rules and regulations apply to different legal forms
Registering the trade name
Submitting the registration application form to the Department of Economic Development (DED)
Notarising the Memorandum of Association (MOA)
Obtaining the trade licence and submitting the necessary documents to the Chamber of Commerce
Paying the designated fees and obtaining the payment vouchers
Obtaining the municipality approval for the office location and undertaking the office inspection
Obtaining the Establishment Card for the immigration and labour departments
In the case of mainland companies investors may be required to find a local sponsor to act as a service agent, or local partner to act as a majority 51% shareholder. This will depend on the activity of the company.

Required documents

A certified copy of the tenancy contract or Ejari for the office lease
Approval documents from the Department of the Legal Affairs, Ministry of Economy and other government entities if the company is undertaking an activity that requires government body approval
Trade Name Reservation, Initial approval and Trade Licence application form
Notarised partnership contract or MOA
High resolution colour copies of shareholders/partners passports (and resident visas and Emirates IDs if applicable)
Corporate constitutional documents for any corporate shareholders – these will need to be notarised, legalised, attested and translated, MOFA and MOJ stamped if coming from a foreign jurisdiction
No Objection Certificate (NOC), land map or ownership certificates as well as any technical evaluation reports if required for specific activities and locations
Approval of the Trade Name Board and office inspection
Approval from Ministry of Labour and Immigration to allow the company to obtain labour quota, hire employees and issue UAE resident Visas

At PRO Partner Group we always make sure to provide you with honest answers on company formation, with full transparency, consistency, reliability, and we provide you with realistic and accurate timelines, so you are fully informed and updated at all times. If you need any assistance, please get in touch with us on +971 (0)4 456 1761 for Dubai or +971 (0)2 448 5120 for Abu Dhabi, email us at info@propartnergroup.com or complete the contact form below and we will be delighted to assist you.