Company Formation In Dubai's Free Zones

Russell Lebe Interviewed on UAE Company Formation For foreign investors considering Company Formation in Dubai, a number of free zones exist, and, as such, have a distinct legal status within the UAE. Find out how we can help?

Companies considering Company Registration in Dubai and operating within the free zones are not subject to many of the restrictions imposed by the Companies Law and other UAE laws and regulations.

Entities operating within the free zone may be 100% foreign owned. Click here for more information

UAE, Free Zone and Dubai Company Formation

If you wish to open a Dubai company you have several options. The type of business you set up will dictate whether a Free Zone, RAK IC (off shore entity) or local LLC (LTD liabilty comany) should be used. For example, DAFZA is intended for businesses that import and export goods and the business activities permitted in TECOM include “design, development, use and maintenance of everything relevant to Information Technology, E-commerce and Media”. Each free zone is governed by an independent Free Zone Authority (FZA), responsible for issuing to businesses the necessary operating licence's for operation within the relevant free zone.

For more information on Free Zone and Dubai Company Formation, take a look at our page here.

Ras Al Khaimah

There are a number of different Free Zones in the Emirates but the most popular and covenient is the Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone. The UAE is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and Ras Al Khaima is one of the fastest growing Emirates. It is virtually corruption free and its lack of red tape is a serious advantage for any business. It is situated around 45 minutes drive from Dubai and benefits from the most in depth list of non-double taxation treaties in the World. Being just 45 minutes drive from Dubai Airport and 15 minutes from RAK Airport and only 30 minutes from Sharjah airport, it's extremely convenient. Being situated right in between Europe and Asia, it's one of the most ideal locations for international trade. Saqr port is just one of three ports in the area where over 1400 ships dock every year.

For more information on RAK, take a look at our page here.

RAK Offshore Company Formation

However the first thing any potential investor should know about is a RAK offshore company, also known as a Ras Al Khaimah International Business Company or RAKIA IC, this is technically an offshore company and perfect for those with no intention of trading within the Emirates. Just some of the benefits include paying 0% tax as there are no limits on bank transfers, you don’t need to deposit any share capital, and we’ve been informed by Ras Al Khaimah that there is currently no disclosure to other tax authorities.

For more information on RAK offshore companies, have a look at our page here.

UAE Free Zones

For those wishing to trade inside the Emirates you will want to look at one of the UAE Free Zones, the most popular and convenient, as mentioned above, is the Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone. RAK is one of the most competitive Emirate States in terms of fees, costs and professional consulting and the Emirate is adjacent to Dubai. A RAK Free Zone Entity can also trade with its Dubai neighbour (5% customs duty). If you require 100% ownership then a Free Zone Establishment (1 shareholder) or Free Zone Company (2-5 partners) would be appropriate. There is no capital to be deposited in comparison to many of the other Emirate States that require high capital injections. For  more information please take a look at our RAK Freezone page

For those wishing to be as close to the Dubai Airport and Dubai Port as possible, your best option is the reknowned and popular Dubai Airport Freezone. You can find out all you need about this here.

Please contact us below for further information on our Dubai Business Registration services or to discuss the best option available for you to open a Dubai company.