Company Formation in Dubai

The UAE's largest business hub, home to multiple freezones (IFZA, Meydan, DMCC, JAFZA, DIFC) and mainland company formation via the DED.

From AED 8,000

Starting point — get your exact quote below.

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Start a Dubai company from AED 15,670 (licence, visa and bank introductions handled)

A Dubai company gets you a UAE trade licence, a residence visa, and a corporate bank account application, with a Dubai address that carries weight the moment a client, partner or bank compliance team looks you up. Freezone setups in Dubai start from AED 15,670 with Meydan or AED 16,050 with IFZA (indicative, as a consultant confirms the exact figure), and most complete in 5 to 10 working days once your documents are in.

We have started 1,400+ companies over 19+ years. This is a route we have run thousands of times, not a promise we are making for the first time.

What setting up in Dubai gets you

A UAE trade licence in your company's name
A residence visa (allocation depends on your package tier)
Company documents (licence, MOA/AOA, share certificate)
A corporate bank account application, prepared and managed for you
A Dubai address that stands up to due diligence

The authorities in Dubai

Dubai gives you more choice than anywhere in the UAE, with mainland through the DED and a range of freezones for every kind of business.

IFZA (Dubai Silicon Oasis): over 1,500 business activities and real working relationships with UAE banks. A strong first-time entry point for international SMEs. From AED 16,050.
Meydan: central Dubai address, clean registration, virtual office options. Trading, consulting and marketing. From AED 15,670.
DMCC: the premium trading and commodities zone, a name that carries weight in a bank's due-diligence check.
JAFZA: direct Jebel Ali Port access, built for logistics, manufacturing and bulk trading.
DIFC: the home of regulated finance, asset management and fintech, on its own common-law legal system.
DAFZA: beside Dubai International Airport, for businesses that move goods fast.
Dubai Mainland (DED): trade anywhere in the UAE with no freezone restrictions.

For most activities a foreigner can now own 100% of a mainland company outright, following the 2021 amendment to Federal Commercial Companies Law No. 2 of 2015. A short list of strategic sectors still requires UAE national majority ownership, which we confirm for your specific activity before you commit.

These are starting figures. Your exact price depends on your activity and how many visas you need, and a consultant confirms it in one call.

Banking (where we are sharpest)

Getting a UAE corporate account opened is the step that trips most people up. We have named account officers at 10+ UAE banks and have opened 1,000+ accounts, so we know exactly what each bank's compliance team will ask before you apply. Approval always rests with the bank, but we prepare your file to the standard they expect and manage it through to the account being live. See how our bank account opening service works.

How we handle it, end to end

Licence, trade name, initial approvals, visas through to Emirates ID, and your bank application, all through one team. Most clients keep us on afterwards for VAT, corporate tax and renewals, so the people who set your company up are the ones who keep it compliant. Explore free zone formation or mainland setup.

Get your exact price and the fastest route

Tell us your activity and how many visas you need, and we will give you the right zone and the real cost, in one free call, no obligation.

Get my exact Dubai price

Authorities in Dubai

Dubai Mainland (DED)

Mainland company formation through Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism allows trading anywhere in the UAE without freezone restrictions.

DIFC

If you are in regulated finance, this is usually where you end up. Asset managers, advisors and fintech are what DIFC is built for. It runs on its own common-law legal system and courts, which is why international clients and investors trust it. Setup is expensive, but you are paying for structure and regulatory standing, not just branding.

JAFZA

JAFZA is built for larger operations — manufacturing, shipping, and bulk trading, anything that needs port access. It connects directly to Jebel Ali Port, which is the main reason companies choose it. Not the cheapest option, but for the right business it fits.

DMCC

DMCC is the most commonly recommended premium zone, and for good reason. It hosts a large mix of trading, commodities, and service businesses. The real value is in how banks and partners see it — it is one of those names that carries weight in a due-diligence check.

Meydan

Setup partner

Meydan sits in the heart of Dubai, close to the racecourse. The Dubai address works in your favour when partners or clients look up your company details before a meeting. It covers trading, services, and consulting activities, with virtual office options and a clean registration process — a location that signals legitimacy to mid-market clients and regional partners.

IFZA

Setup partner

IFZA is in Dubai Silicon Oasis and has grown into one of the most active zones for free zone company formation in Dubai, covering over 1,500 business activities — more than most zones at its price level. It has working relationships with local UAE banks, and that matters more than most people realise: getting a corporate account opened in the UAE is not simple, and a zone with real banking connections takes significant friction out of the process. A strong choice for international SMEs entering the UAE market for the first time.

DAFZA (Dubai Airport Free Zone)

DAFZA is location-driven: it sits directly beside Dubai International Airport, so if your business depends on the quick movement of goods, it makes logistics materially easier. It is also one of the older zones, so its processes tend to run more smoothly than newer setups.

JAFZA Offshore

Jebel Ali offshore registry. The premium option; stronger standing with banks.

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