Karen Ursola

Dubai Chambers membership is open to mainland and free zone companies and costs AED 300 to AED 2,200 a year. Here is who needs it, how to join and how renewal works.

Two things decide how many people your UAE company can bring in on visas: the establishment card and the visa quota. The card gives the company permission to sponsor visas at all…

A real estate brokerage in Dubai needs a trade license from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), a registration on the Dubai Land Department’s Trakheesi system and a practice card for every broker who works there. It is one of the most regulated small-business activities in the emirate, and the rules shape how you […]

You can set up a company in Sharjah on the mainland through the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) or in one of its free zones. The two routes give you different licenses, different markets and very different costs. This guide explains how they compare, what each Sharjah free zone is built for and how to […]

A UAE trade license confirms that your company has been formed. It does not automatically complete every registration the company needs in order to operate. After the license arrives, your company may still need immigration and employment registrations, tax registrations, ownership and anti-money laundering records, customs codes and external approvals. Key takeaways Your company may […]

An Employer of Record (EOR) lets you employ people in the UAE through someone else’s local entity, while company formation gives you your own licensed business. The right choice depends on what you want to achieve beyond hiring your first employee. If your plans include customers, local revenue and a permanent team, forming a company […]

A free zone company must have audited financial statements if it wants the 0% Corporate Tax rate. The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) says a qualifying free zone person has to prepare and maintain audited statements whatever its revenue. A free zone company that is not a qualifying free zone person follows the general rule instead, […]

The best free zone for a trading company depends on what you trade and where you sell. JAFZA suits goods and warehousing, DMCC suits commodities, and RAKEZ offers the lowest starting package. If most of your buyers are in the UAE, a mainland license may fit better than any free zone. Key takeaways EZONE starting […]

The cheapest free zone in the UAE, on EZONE’s starting packages, is Fujairah Creative City at AED 5,530, followed by Ajman Free Zone at AED 5,555 and SPC at AED 5,750. The lowest price is only part of the picture, because activities, visas and the way you can trade differ from zone to zone. Those […]

People use freelance visa, freelance permit and freelance license as if they were one thing. They are three parts of the same arrangement, and a company trade license is a different route altogether. This guide explains each term and helps you choose. Key takeaways A freelance permit authorises you to carry out named activities and […]