The opposite of what most people still assume.
The received wisdom about the Gulf — that a foreign owner needs a local partner holding the majority — is out of date for most activities. What is genuinely slow here is banking, and what is genuinely closed is transport.
What Gulf asks of a foreign owner.
Every line below is re-verified against the current position for your city and activity before we quote. Regulations in all five markets have moved within the last three years.
- OwnershipFull foreign ownership is now available on the UAE mainland for the large majority of commercial activities, with free zones remaining an alternative rather than a necessity. The activity list is what determines it, so the activity is confirmed before the structure is chosen.
- Mainland or free zoneMainland allows you to trade directly with the local market, which every one of our five lines requires. Free zones offer their own advantages but restrict onshore trading without an additional arrangement. We choose on where the customers are.
- Saudi ArabiaEntry runs through an investment licence from the Ministry of Investment, which is a distinct process with its own capital and documentation requirements. We assess it per venture rather than assuming it.
- DirectorsNo residency requirement for directors of a UAE company.
- TaxUAE corporate tax applies above a threshold, and VAT applies at the standard rate with registration required above the turnover threshold. Both are recent and both are real; plans built on the pre-2023 assumption of no corporate tax are wrong.
- LicensingTrade licence first, then activity approvals. Food businesses need municipality approval and inspection. Holiday-home operation requires a permit from the relevant tourism authority and is actively enforced.
- BankingThe slowest and most compliance-heavy step in the region. Expect extensive source-of-funds documentation and a timeline measured in months rather than weeks for some structures.
- TransportFor-hire transport is franchised to a small number of licensed operators in the major emirates. This effectively closes the taxi and fleet line to a new entrant, and we say so rather than take a fee to try.
Which of the five work in Gulf.
Ratings are a starting point for the conversation, not a verdict — the cell that matters is the one we check for your specific city.
- Strong hereShort-Stay Rentals · Ghost Kitchen
- Viable hereMini Mart · Vending
- Restricted hereTaxi & Fleet
- Revenue currencyDirhams and riyals (AED, SAR)
Three things worth knowing early.
Do not budget for zero tax
Corporate tax and VAT both apply. Any model circulating that assumes a tax-free Gulf is out of date by several years.
Holiday-home permits are enforced
Operating short lets without the tourism authority permit is not a grey area in Dubai. It is inspected and penalised.
Bank onboarding drives the timeline
Start the documentation early. Source-of-funds evidence for a foreign owner is the single most common cause of delay in this market.
Thinking about Gulf?
Bring the city, the venture and the capital you are prepared to commit. You will get an honest read on whether that combination is buildable there before anyone talks about fees.