Dubai is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This city is known as a city of gold which gives ample business possibilities and innovative business modules for companies from all around the world.
Originating a business in Dubai needs eight days and six procedures on average once you have done with all your legalities.
But before you begin your legal procedure, you require to acknowledge some details that are must to know in the process:
Nature of business
Your nature of business will decide the type of permission you are needed. Whether it is commercial, professional, or industrial licenses, these will determine the foundation of your operations. Nevertheless, while choosing the nature of the business, remember that some ventures such as food trading, jewelry trade, veterinary enterprises, and legal consultancy need further permissions from other governmental departments.
Ownership
As a foreign national, if you like to get 100 percent ownership of your business, you are required to opt for a license and place in one of the numerous free zones of the UAE. There are particular kinds of actions that each free zone provides to and transparency in the first step will assist you to find your best option. There are above 45 free zones in the UAE with different categories of works, so you don’t lack options.
If you require a local license or want to work locally, you have to take a license from the Department of Economic Development (DED). The DED license appears with some limitations on the share of ownership for foreigners, based on various legal structures under DED.
Legal Structure
It depends on your location and nature of the business, there are laws regarding the make-up of your firm. For instance, if you think of a legal consultancy firm, this can be achieved only as a branch of the company or as a stand-alone company. Sole ownership is not permitted to take up this venture. Each free zone has its own limitations regarding company structure and you can view these up on the official website of the zone.
Trade Name
You require to name your company as per the criteria specified by the Department of Economic Development (DED). The trade name appears as an identification of your business, and therefore DED insists on associating the name as per the license class. It takes around three days to enroll a trading name, and it is valid for a duration of six months.
Shareholding Structures
The company set up in Dubai is defined by the shareholding structure. This will also notice the legal form of your business. The shareholding structure must be coherence to your business procedure and chosen field. Here are the shareholding structures that you could go for:
- Limited Liability Company
- Sole Proprietorship
- General Partnership
- Partnership in Commendam
- Public Shareholding
- Private Shareholding
- Joint Venture
- Shared Partnership
- SME License
- Representative Offices
- Branch Offices
- Limited Partnership
Business License
A payment voucher or transaction number will be given by the DED on submission of all the classified documents. The final payment requires to be made to receive the business trade license. Once you get your trade license, you become a full-fledged business entity.
It is obvious that Dubai company registration is a comprehensive procedure. Nonetheless, you can make it fast and cost-effective by selecting a business setup adviser. With a competent business adviser, you will not spend your money on undesired documents. Also, as they are well-versed with the process, company development can be immediate.
Business Premise
Having a physical presence is essential for every business in Dubai. The ownership agreement, Real Estate Regulation Authority (RERA) documents, and EJARI require to be submitted.
Employees
In most legal practices of the DED, you are required to hire a manager to supervise operations and have him ready to be on board before your enrollment is confirmed. But in other circumstances, you may not be permitted to hire at all. For example, Intelaq license holders which are the license for home-based Emirati business proprietors are not permitted to hire staff but can hire contractors. For free zones, each zone has its own particular ordinances about the structure of the business.
Business Activity Approval
In Dubai, only a few business activities are not permitted, some activities have limitations, while others are completely banned. According to Law No. 13 of 2011, the Dubai DED is the responsible body to determine, control, classify, allow, and license all the commercial activities. However, this is not implemented in free zones and offshore business setups.
Now after completing all legalities, you need to know a few more things, some of which you should avoid, and some of which need to focus on.
Let’s have a look at those things,
Explore the Culture and Absorb Yourself in New Traditions:
Grow into the heat, learn to live with it, and welcome its many positive aspects. You have to adjust yourself, complaining about the heat which can rise very intensely at 45 degrees Celsius in the summer is of no use to anyone. It is a desert after all. but this also means windy nights in historic landscapes, oasis field, dune bashing, and a complete host of other activities to appreciate.
Find out about the area, show interest in the well-being of local residents, and try to acquire a few words in Arabic, it is always valued.
Appropriate Dressing
It should be noted that people here have also become very familiar with elegance and sophistication. And while Dubai is very Western in some aspects, it has powerful Islamic roots. So, it is very obvious that whether you are male or female, being smart, fashionable, and modest in your attire is a necessity. For example, a suit and tie are approximately compulsory for men attending meetings, particularly if you are in the search of a local sponsor.
Don’t Avoid Good Manners
Emiratis and other Middle Eastern business people serving in Dubai like a good joke. But profanity is a complete no-no in the Muslim professional world, so avoid R-rated conversation and making disparaging remarks on Islamic culture, because a person could be punished, jailed, or deported.
Whatever level you are on during your starting up a business in Dubai process, taking these tips into consideration will support you to polish the growth. Although taking help with professionals during the process is of course essential.
In the end, Dubai is a city of opportunities, it’s up to you how you make most of it.
