United Arab Emirates
Mainland UAE Company
Unrestricted activity across the UAE and abroad. The structure for a business with local customers.
At a glance
Licensing authority
DET (Dubai) and emirate economy departments
Foreign ownership
100%, strategic sectors excepted
Office
Physical office required
Visa quota
Tied to office space, no cap
A mainland company is licensed by the emirate's Department of Economy (DET in Dubai) and can sell anywhere in the UAE, to any customer. Since the 2021 reform, 100 percent foreign ownership is possible outside a short list of strategic sectors; the local sponsor era is over.
The cost: a physical office requirement and a slightly longer setup than a free zone. The reward: access to government tenders, a visa quota tied only to office space, and direct work with mainland customers, no intermediary.
Why here
When this jurisdiction is the right choice.
- Direct sales to every customer inside the UAE.
- Access to government tenders and public contracts.
- More than 2,000 activity codes; freedom to choose the office location.
- Team building with unlimited visas.
Entity types
Which structure, for whom.
LLC
The common form. One or more shareholders, limited liability, commercial and industrial activities.
Sole establishment
One natural person, unlimited liability. For professional and consulting activities.
Branch
Branch of a foreign company; no separate legal personality, limited to the parent's activities.
Process
Formation step by step.
- 01Activity selection and name approval
- 02Initial approval
- 03Memorandum and office lease (Ejari)
- 04Sector approvals where required
- 05Licence and commercial registration
- 06Corporate bank account
- 07Founder and staff visas
- 08Corporate tax and VAT registration
After formation
What has to happen every year.
- Annual licence renewal together with Ejari
- Corporate tax return and accounting records
- VAT registration above AED 375,000 and quarterly returns
- WPS payroll system and employment contract registrations for staff
Same country
Other options.
RAKEZ UAE Freezone
Ras Al Khaimah's cost-efficient zone for manufacturing, logistics and services. Forty-five minutes from Dubai.
Open pageRAC ICC UAE Offshore
A holding and asset company registered in the UAE but operating outside it. No office, no visas, low cost.
Open pageDMCC Dubai Freezone
The hub for commodities trade, and for crypto companies. Dubai's most prestigious free zone.
Open pageIFZA Dubai Freezone
Dubai's most flexible and cost-efficient setup. No physical office requirement, several activities under one licence.
Open pageMeydan Dubai Freezone
Close to central Dubai, fully digital setup. Fast and economical for ventures and service companies.
Open pageFrequently asked
The in-country registry, licence and agent steps of the formation file run through our licensed formation partners in the relevant jurisdiction. Structure design, contracts, the bank file and the tax and notification effect on the Turkish side are managed by Defensible. Rates and thresholds summarise the headline rules at the time of writing; we check the current text together on your own file.
Which sectors still require a local partner?
Sectors with strategic impact such as defence, security and certain finance and telecom activities. Technology, consulting, trading and services allow 100 percent foreign ownership.
Can I move from a free zone to mainland?
Yes, but in practice you obtain a new mainland licence and transfer the assets. If your customers are inside the UAE, incorporating on the mainland from the start is cheaper.
Let's work out which structure fits you in 15 minutes.
Tell us where you sell, who you are and what you are aiming at; we will say in the call which jurisdiction and entity type make sense. Formation itself is a separate engagement, scoped and priced there.
Book a 15-minute call