Tax & Structuring
UAE Small Business Relief eligibility decision flow A five-step flow: resident, revenue 3 million dirhams or less now and in all prior periods, not in a multinational group above 3.15 billion dirhams, not a Qualifying Free Zone Person, and period ending on or before 31 December 2026. Passing
Tax & Structuring
Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions: all must be true A checklist of the conditions a Free Zone company must meet at the same time to keep its 0 percent Qualifying Free Zone Person status; failing any one drops the whole entity to 9 percent. Qualifying Free Zone Person: every box
Tax & Structuring
Yes, the UAE now has a corporate tax. For financial years beginning on or after 1 June 2023, businesses pay 9% on taxable profits above AED 375,000 and 0% on the first AED 375,000 (UAE Government Portal, 2026). Personal income stays untaxed. Salaries, personal investment returns and personal
Company Formation
A UAE offshore company is a non-resident holding vehicle, not an operating business. JAFZA states plainly that an offshore company "is not issued with a business licence, only a certificate of incorporation" and "cannot conduct any commercial activity with persons within the United Arab Emirates"
Company Formation
Meydan Free Zone is a 100%-digital Dubai free zone where a standard trade license starts from AED 12,500, and a Fawri instant license issues in under 60 minutes from AED 15,000 (Meydan FZ, 2026). It gives founders 100% foreign ownership, a premium Nad Al Sheba address and
Company Formation
Sharjah is the cheapest emirate to base a company in the UAE, and it runs two very different free zones to prove it. Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA), established by Emiri decree in November 1995, is the second-largest free zone in the country after JAFZA, built around a 14-
Company Formation
There is no single honest answer to "how much does it cost to set up a company in Dubai", and any quote that gives you one number is hiding something. The realistic ranges for 2026 look like this: a cheapest zero-visa free-zone licence starts from around
Company Formation
The UAE's free zones issued more than 68,000 new commercial licences in 2025, a rise of roughly 14% year on year, as reported by Gulf News citing the Ministry of Economy & Tourism (Gulf News, 2026). With more than 40 zones competing, the cheapest entry sits with
Company Formation
To set up a company in Dubai: pick your business activity, choose a jurisdiction (mainland, free zone, or offshore), select a legal form, reserve a trade name, get initial approval, secure premises (Ejari/flexi-desk), then obtain visas, a bank account, and register with the FTA. Foreigners can own 100%
Residency & Visas
A step-by-step guide to applying for the UAE Golden Visa in 2026 — how to choose your category, the documents to prepare, where to submit, processing time, and why applications stall.
Residency & Visas
People ask how long the UAE Golden Visa lasts, but the better question is how durable it is. Most categories run for 10 years and renew automatically, while a handful of routes are issued for 5 years (The UAE Government Portal, "Golden visa", 2026). The real advantage is
Residency & Visas
What the UAE Golden Visa really costs in 2026 — the qualifying investment you keep, the government and processing fees you spend, and the all-in figure by category.