United Arab Emirates
Business setup across the UAE
Company formation is federal in its broad structure and local in almost every detail. Each emirate has its own economic department, its own free zones and its own cost base, and the emirate you register in shapes your licence, your premises obligation and your operating costs. This page sets out how the choice differs across the seven emirates.
What is federal and what is local
Corporate tax, VAT, the Commercial Companies Law and immigration policy are federal and apply wherever you register. Licensing, activity lists, premises requirements, inspection regimes and fee schedules are set by each emirate’s economic department or free zone authority. So the legal shape of your company is broadly the same across the UAE; the cost, the timeline and the paperwork are not.
Dubai
The deepest market and the largest concentration of free zones, with correspondingly higher premises costs. Suited to businesses whose customers, staff or partners are in Dubai, and to any activity where proximity to clients is part of the offer. See our dedicated page on setting up in Dubai for how the mainland and free zone routes compare there.
Abu Dhabi
The federal capital and the centre of government-linked procurement, energy and sovereign investment. Mainland licensing runs through the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. Premises costs are generally lower than comparable Dubai options, which matters most for businesses that need real space rather than a desk.
Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah
The northern emirates typically offer lower licence and premises costs, which makes them attractive for cost-sensitive setups, holding structures and businesses that do not need a Dubai address. The trade-off is distance from Dubai’s commercial centre and, for some activities, a narrower set of available approvals. Fujairah’s position on the Gulf of Oman also makes it relevant to shipping and logistics.
Ras Al Khaimah
Home to RAKEZ, one of the larger economic zones, and to RAK ICC for offshore holding structures. Often positioned as a lower-cost mainland and free zone option, though the total still depends on your activity, licence type, premises and visa quota — and government fees are set by the authority, not by us.
How to choose
Work backwards from four answers: who your customers are and whether you must invoice the UAE domestic market; how many residency visas you need in the first two years; whether you need physical premises or a desk will do; and what your activity requires by way of approvals. Those four determine the emirate, the jurisdiction and the licence — and together they account for most of the variation in what setup costs.
قد تتغير المتطلبات والرسوم والإجراءات الحكومية. تعتمد الأهلية والمتطلبات على الجهة المختصة والنشاط التجاري والظروف الفردية. تواصل مع مجموعة الأيجيس للحصول على الإرشادات الحالية.
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