How to Register a Company in the UAE?

The process of company setup in UAE is often seen as a difficult job by most of the aspiring entrepreneurs in the country. In fact, the foreign investors find the whole process quite intimidating, which is the reason they look for expert assistance while planning their company formation in the country. However, the process is not as complex as people think it is. If you are willing to establish your business in the prosperous land of UAE, you may need to comply with the following steps in for registration.

1.      Decide who your local partner will be:

As you may know, every foreign investor needs a local partner to perform the company incorporation procedure in the UAE successfully. While that may sound like an additional task, finding a genuine local partner can be way more taxing than it sounds. Also, you need to decide what sort of contribution you expect from the local partner.

2.      Choose a name for the company and get activity approval:

One of the challenges regarding company setup in UAE is that you don’t have the option to choose any name for your company and get away with it. While it is mandatory to get your business activities approved by the authority, you are also obligated to get the name of the company approved by the Department of Economic Development (DED). You can apply for the approval of name and business activities by submitting a standard application form at DED.

3.      Look for business premises and make tenancy contract:

There are several favorable areas where you can set up your business in the UAE. However, you need to have a valid tenancy contract for your rented business premises before you can start the operations of your company in the UAE.

4.      Make a MoA with the partner:

The MoA or the memorandum of association with your local partner is the testament to the arrangement between you two. It includes all the necessary details about your partnership, including the ownership percentage, responsibilities and much more. It needs to be submitted to the DED.

5.      Submit the MoA and the license application:

Lastly, you need to submit the MoA as well as the license application at the DED along with the required legal documents and tenancy contract. You will be needed to pay all the fees at this stage. The process usually takes about a week to get you the license.

That’s it. Now you have the permission to run a company in the UAE. However, you still need to abide by the regulations set by the government.