Business setup services in Dubai, UAE - Alliance Business Advisors - Your trusted consulting in the United Arab Emiraes

For the vast majority of businesses (except those operating in the oil and refining industries and banks), there are really no taxes here: no income taxes, no taxes on the withdrawal of capital, no import and export duties and other taxes common for those from Western countries. The only exception is a 5% VAT which applies not to all cases.

There is no definite answer to this question. It depends on your interests, plans for future development, and budget. Due to some restrictions in free zones and on the mainland, it is very important to choose the right jurisdiction for your business setup at the very beginning so that you get access to the necessary infrastructure and markets, as well as opportunities for growth and expansion, and at an affordable price. Contact us; we know how to choose the best solution that will suit you.

There are nearly 50 different jurisdictions in the UAE. Most of them are located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, at least a couple of such zones is in each of the emirates. There are those intended to develop a certain business area, for example, Dubai Internet City is perfect for IT industries, while Dubai Media City is intended for the media, and those who work in the field of culture and arts.

Also, there are those without a certain specialization suitable for a wide range of businesses (trade, industry, services, etc.), for example, JAFZA and DMCC in Dubai. The best does not always mean the cheapest or the one with the best infrastructure; the best free zone is the one that would be perfect for you. Contact our business setup experts, and we will find the right free zone for your specific needs.

Yes, a foreigner can open a bank account in the UAE. The requirements differ in each bank, but in general, there is plenty to choose from. A foreigner without a UAE residence can open a savings account in one of the local banks. Residents have more opportunities; for example, they can get mortgages and private loans.

There are three main ways to get a residence of the UAE:

• Buy a residential property worth at least 1 million dirhams.
• Create a company in a free zone or on the mainland (not offshore).
• Get a legal job in one of the local companies.

Each company that is going to work in the UAE must obtain an appropriate license for the type of business it intends to conduct, or several if the company is multidisciplinary. The cost of a license depends on its type (commercial, service, industrial), and on specific jurisdiction. As a rule, this document is issued for a year with the possibility of renewal. The cost of such a document, in most cases, will be from AED 7,500 (freelancer) to about AED 50,000 (production), in some cases even more.

When planning to set up a new business in Dubai, you must be 100% sure that your business advisory is reliable and professional. The best way to verify this is to come to his office in person. There you can easily check all the certificates and licenses, and make sure that you are dealing with a reliable partner. Besides, personal meetings are much more valued than any telephone conversation in the Arab business world. This is the feature of local business etiquette. If you want to run your business here, you have to get used to this fact.

The UAE has not signed the Hague Convention, which abolishes the requirements for the legalization of foreign documents, so only legalized documents are recognized here. Accordingly, in order to establish a company, obtain a visa, apply for a bank account, your foreign documents must be legalized. PRO services are professional services for the legalization of these documents. Our company provides such services to its customers in order to simplify and expedite all bureaucratic procedures.

Dubai is the most popular region of the UAE among foreign investors, most free zones of various profiles are located here, Dubai has the largest resource market and lots of opportunities, but ... The term "best" in each particular case means something different; therefore, Dubai is not always the best solution for your business. Thus, for example, RAKEZ free zone provides cheaper solutions for registration and maintaining a business, and if this factor is more important to you, you make the better choice with the lower-cost RAKEZ free zone.

It is quite difficult to give a direct answer to this question. The fact is that each of them has some features. Dubai is the largest market and provides more opportunities than others. But, the entire local oil and gas refining industry is located in Abu Dhabi (read more about opening an oil or gas trading company here), as for the free zones of Ras Al Khaimah registration costs and business operating expenses are minimal there, so Dubai is not the best place for a foreign business in each and every case. This question is quite individual. If you are interested in opportunities for import/export to the country, you can read about it in detail here. The recommendations for organizing a logistics business in the UAE can be found here.

The total cost of starting a business in the UAE includes the cost of the registration process itself, the cost of obtaining a license, statutory capital, the cost of renting an office, and a number of additional minor expenses. In general, the easiest option is to work as a private entrepreneur freelancer. Such solution will cost about 10,000 dirhams (along with a virtual office rent). The cost of setting up a new company varies at a greater range, depending on the nature of your business, the chosen free zone, the required licenses, etc. Here you can read more about the costs of company opening in Dubai, the UAE.

Trade is very popular in Dubai. There is a huge amount of solvent local residents here as well as tourists, and their number continues to grow from year to year. The cost of a trade license and the necessary investments are also relatively low. But at the same time, there is very strong competition in this area (up to 80% of all companies in free zones are engaged in trade), so you must offer something original or unique.

If you have a good idea for a business and a strong desire to grow and develop, but not enough money to set up a new company, you can go two ways. So, you can come to the UAE and get a freelancer visa here (it will cost a couple of thousand dollars a year, along with a virtual office), take on the local market, make some profit and start expanding. Or, alternatively, you can use one of the crowdfunding platforms to collect the initial funds that you do not have enough to run a full-fledged company. Here are some of these platforms: Zoomal, PiSlice, Eureeca.

A person needs a license to conduct any commercial activity in the country. Having such a document, you can legally sell the products indicated in this license, here in the UAE. If you are going to sell goods over the Internet (no matter how, either with your web-site or social networks, or any other way), you need an E-commerce license. Read more about starting an online business and getting an e-commerce license here.

A company can open its branch either in one of the free zones or in the mainland of the UAE. However, the requirements may vary depending on the specific area. In order to choose the right jurisdiction and get the maximum effect from your branch, we recommend that you seek advice from our experts.