Company Formation

Setting up a UAE company properly: freezone vs mainland vs offshore, choosing the right emirate (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, RAK and beyond), what a trade licence really costs, self-sponsorship, and how to choose help — or whether you need it at all. The licence is the easy part; fitting it to your plans is the bit worth getting right first time.

• Company Formation

  How to choose a UAE company-setup partner (and the red flags to watch)

  If you're going to use a setup firm, choose well. The honest signs of a good UAE company-formation partner — and the red flags that tell you to keep looking.

• Company Formation

  Why creators and digital nomads base their business in the UAE

  Creators and location-independent founders increasingly base their business in the UAE — a credible, stable, 0%-personal-tax home for the brand — while living and travelling anywhere. Here's why, and the catches.

• Company Formation

  Do you need a consultant to set up in the UAE, or can you do it yourself?

  An honest look at when you can set up in the UAE yourself and when a consultant earns its keep — it's less about the licence and more about the cross-border joins that are costly to get wrong.

• Company Formation

  Can I base my company in Dubai but live abroad?

  You can own and run a UAE company while living elsewhere — but residence visas need periodic UAE presence, and where you personally pay tax depends on your own circumstances. Here's the honest picture.

• Company Formation

  Dubai vs Abu Dhabi vs RAK: which emirate should you set up in?

  Dubai isn't the only option. How Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) compare for company setup, cost and lifestyle — and why the right emirate depends on what you're actually doing.

• Company Formation

  Self-sponsorship in Dubai: can I sponsor my own visa?

  How self-sponsorship works in the UAE — using your own company to sponsor your residence visa and your family's, who it suits, and how it differs from an employer-sponsored visa.

• Company Formation

  What is a UAE freezone and how does it work?

  Freezones are the most common way Brits set up in the UAE — 100% foreign ownership, a simple licence and a route to a visa. Here's what a freezone is, how it works, and when it's the right choice.

• Company Formation

  Freezone vs mainland vs offshore: which UAE company do I need?

  The three UAE company types in plain English — what each is for, and which fits a UK founder moving over. Most service businesses want a freezone; here's why, and the exceptions.