Business Setup in Dubai
Company formation in Dubai starts with a few decisions that shape everything after them: what the business will actually do, who will own it and where it will be licensed. Dubai’s Invest in Dubai platform describes the early stages in that order: choose the activity, legal structure and location, obtain initial approval and register a trade name, then complete licensing and office arrangements. We help you work through those choices one at a time, so each application rests on settled information rather than guesses.
On the mainland, the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) manages company registration and licensing. Free zones work differently. Each zone has its own authority, legal forms and requirements, and published guidance notes that a free zone company needs the relevant licence or a mainland branch to trade directly on the mainland. Some activities also need approval from another government entity before or after the licence. Requirements can change, so we confirm the current position with the relevant authority at the start rather than relying on what applied last year.
Our role is practical. For a business setup in Dubai, we review your plan, prepare the documents and forms, coordinate submissions and appointments, and follow up until the authority reaches a decision. Majlis Hub is not a government entity or a law firm, and the outcome rests with the licensing authority. Where legal or tax advice is needed, we say so and help you brief the right adviser. Once the licence is issued, we organise the company records and flag what usually follows, such as establishment files, visas, a corporate bank application and corporate tax registration.
Who this is for
- Founders planning a first company in Dubai
- Overseas companies considering a Dubai branch or subsidiary
- Business owners comparing mainland and free zone options
- Professionals moving independent work into a company structure
- Investors adding a new entity alongside an existing business
- Family businesses giving a new activity its own company
What we handle
Activity and structure review
We help you describe the business plainly and map it to candidate activities and legal forms. Questions that need an official answer are listed, not assumed.
Mainland or free zone comparison
We set out the practical differences for your plan, including where you intend to trade, the premises you need and the authority involved.
Trade name and initial approval
We prepare trade name options against the published naming guidelines and coordinate the reservation and initial approval requests.
Formation documents
We organise what the authority asks for, such as ownership details and the memorandum of association. Any attestation or legal translation is coordinated with licensed providers.
Premises and additional approvals
We coordinate the lease arrangements, including Ejari registration where it applies, and any approvals your activity needs from other entities.
Licence issue and handover
We follow the application to the authority’s decision, then organise the licence and company records with the dates you will need to watch.
What comes next
We flag the steps that usually follow formation, such as establishment files, visas and a corporate bank application, and can coordinate them as separate requests.
What to have ready
- A plain description of what the business will sell or do, and for whom
- Proposed owners or shareholders, and whether any owner is a company
- Passport copies, plus Emirates ID and residence details for UAE residents
- Two or three trade name options
- Preferred jurisdiction or free zone, if you have one in mind
- Premises plans: an office, shared space or not yet decided
- For a corporate shareholder: its company documents and a resolution, which may need attestation
- Any existing licence or approval connected to the activity