What you Need to Set up a Business in Dubai

To set up a business in Dubai is far from a headache these days...

If you are wondering if setting up a business in Dubai is for you this article is a good starting point. Here we give you an overview of what you need to do to start doing business in Dubai. This article is very much an overview. If you want all of the details and access to help to set up your business quickly, PrimePlus is a great place to get that help.

Pick a business

The first step is to pick a business model. You can set up a huge range of businesses in Dubai, but there are restrictions. The Department for Economic Development (DED) maintains the list of over 2,000 different types of businesses that you can run from Dubai.

Choose a legal business form

You can choose between several legal entities in Dubai. The main entities are Limited Liability Company (LLC) or PSC Private Shareholding Company (PSC).

Where you do business in Dubai has on an impact on the type of business you can form and the kinds of licences you need to do business. You can set up and run a business in Dubai itself or take advantage of one of the many free zones. Generally, it is easier for people born outside of Dubai to set up and run their business in a free zone.

The legal format you choose and where you set up your business is a vital decision that will affect how you do business, the documents you need and how much profit you can keep. As a result, we strongly recommend that you seek advice rather than try to navigate this decision yourself.

Forming your company

Once you have decided what type of business you want to set up you need to gather the necessary documents and the fees that you need to form your company. When you have all of the relevant fees and documents together, you need to submit them and wait to see if your business formation is agreed.

To start with, you will only receive an Initial Approval Certificate. This confirms that the Dubai government has not objection to your setting up a company.

When you have received this certificate, you can go ahead and form your company. The kind of company you are forming dictates the legal processes you need to complete. You also need to apply for any relevant licences.

Finding premises and setting them up

You need to find business premises and get permission from the Dubai Municipality Planning section to base your business in those premises. They check that the premises are suitable for your business and that it complies with all of the necessary regulations such as health and safety. Remember if you have chosen to set yourself up as a free zone business your premises will need to be physically located in the relevant free zone.

How long will it take?

In theory, you can set up a business in Dubai in as little as eight days. In reality, it can take a few more days if the departments that need to issue the paperwork are busy, but for the most part things do move fast in Dubai.

Seek advice

As you can see, there are quite a few things you need to consider when setting up a business. For this reason, you need to seek the right advice and use an agent approved by the Dubai authorities to help you to set up your Dubai based business.