Karen Ursola is a Business Setup Advisor at EZONE, guiding founders through UAE company formation and licensing.
Getting the trade license feels like the finish line, but the license only gives you permission to exist. Over the next month you set up the practical things that let the company hire, bank, invoice and stay compliant. This checklist puts them in a sensible order so nothing is missed or done twice. It continues […]
Each of the seven emirates runs its own licensing authority and its own free zones, so the best place to set up depends on your business, your customers and your budget. Dubai gets most of the attention, but Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman all offer real advantages. This guide compares them so […]
Opening a UAE corporate bank account without residency is harder than for a resident, but genuinely doable, provided the company can show real substance and a clear reason for banking in the UAE. Key Takeaways Non-residency doesn’t automatically disqualify a company, but it does mean higher scrutiny and more documentation than a resident-owned business faces. […]
A Certificate of Incorporation is the official proof that a UAE company legally exists, issued by the licensing authority once registration is complete, and it’s one of the most requested documents after a company is formed. Key Takeaways It confirms legal existence, not operating permission. The trade license, a separate document, confirms what activities the […]
FZE and FZCO are the two standard free zone company structures in the UAE, and the choice between them comes down almost entirely to how many shareholders the company has. Key Takeaways FZE stands for Free Zone Establishment, a structure built for a single shareholder, whether an individual or a single corporate entity. FZCO stands […]
You can check UAE visa status using just a passport number, without needing an Emirates ID or application reference, through the same official portals used to check fines and residency validity. Key Takeaways Passport number alone is often enough to check visa status for visit, tourist and some residency visa types through GDRFA and ICP […]
A shareholders agreement sets out how a UAE company is actually run day to day, filling in the practical detail that a Memorandum of Association deliberately leaves out. Key Takeaways An MOA and a shareholders agreement are not the same document. The MOA is the statutory constitution filed with the authority; the shareholders agreement is […]
A holding company owns shares in other companies rather than trading itself, and setting one up in Dubai is one of the more common ways founders and family businesses separate ownership from operational risk as they grow past a single entity. Key Takeaways A holding company does not trade. Its role is to own shares […]
Every UAE free zone compared by real cost position, best fit and genuine differentiator — and the four questions that eliminate most options before you look at price.
Fujairah avoids the Strait of Hormuz entirely, but that’s not why FCC matters. What it actually licenses, what it costs, and who it genuinely suits.
