So why is mainland such a lucrative area to set up in Dubai?

Dubai Mainland is the total geographical area which is permitted by the DED (Dubai Economic Department) to all the private business entities and their representative to operate commercial business functions. These are prime locations where a foreign business owner can work, for example, international chains of food, luxury goods, car makers, etc.

As per the Business Incorporation laws of UAE in LLC company formation in Dubai, a Foreign Owner can hold only up to 49% of the business, if set up is in Mainland and a UAE national mandatorily holds 51% of total equity except in the following cases:

• Activities with 100% GCC ownership
• Instances where GCC companies enter into a partnership with UAE National
• Where the law requires 100% local ownership.
• Businesses located in Free Zones

Requirements for Dubai Mainland Business Setup

A verified office address from Dubai Municipality is required when setting up business in Dubai. The requirement of office space for Mainland company setup in Dubai, can be varied based on the type of license the investor is looking for and it is investor’s responsibility to ensure a valid tenancy contract for an office is available at the time of applying for the license of Dubai mainland company.

There are 6 main steps involved in Dubai mainland company setup. However, there are some activities which Mainland setup requires special approval from some specific Government departments. The main 6 steps involved for company formation in mainland are:

• Business Activity Selection and Name Approval
• Selection of Local Partner or Service Agent
• Apply for Initial Approval for Mainland company setup
• Preparation of Court Notarization and MOA
• Get Office Space and Tenancy Contact
• Final Submission for Mainland company formation in UAE

The professional consultants at Business Link support our clients to select the most appropriate decision in business setup and guide them through complete procedures of Dubai Mainland company formation and Dubai Economic Department company registration.

What are the Types of Business Licenses Available in Dubai?

The Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai is the main licensing authority that issues licenses for all sorts of business activities in Dubai. A major prerequisite for all business licenses is to choose the suitable license category from the following 3 categories of licenses:

Dubai Commercial License

Dubai Commercial License includes all kind of trading activities. It is a type of Limited Liability Company (LLC). As per Article 22 of the Companies Law, specifies that there should be minimum 51% shares of the UAE National. This commercial license will have a local Emirati (Dubai Local Sponsor) who will hold 51% shares in the company and for which Local Emirati will be paid annually. The local sponsor can either be an individual or a corporate sponsor.

Dubai Professional License:

It is a type of Sole Establishment or a Civil Company depends on No of investors/partners. The license holder is permitted 100% foreign ownership. In order to obtain this license a UAE national must be appointed as Local Service Agent but he will not hold any share in the company. The sponsorship fee is paid on a yearly basis. اقامة مستثمر في دبي