Insight from our consultants
Practical writing on setting up and running a company in the UAE: licensing, visas, banking, tax and the rules that actually change what you pay.
73 articles
Business SetupFor gold and jewellery trading, the cheapest free zone and the one a bank will actually open an account for are rarely the same. Here's how to choose.
Business SetupGold and Diamond Park is a DMCC-managed jewellery hub in Dubai, part retail mall, part free zone community. Here's what it is and who bases a business there.
Business SetupDubai Academic City explained, what it is, who's based there, and how to register a training, education or consultancy business in the UAE.
Business SetupComparing an outsourced VA against a salaried assistant in the UAE? Here's the real running cost, visa, payroll, gratuity, and which route actually fits.
Business SetupA Dubai virtual assistant handles admin, inbox, scheduling and support so you don't have to. Here's what the job covers, and the real cost of hiring one in the UAE.
Business SetupFreezone, mainland or offshore? Real starting prices from AED 11,025, the trade-offs that actually matter, and why the cheapest licence can cost you a bank account, VAT included.
Business SetupA UAE trade licence is your legal permit to trade. There are three types, and which one you need is dictated by your activity, not preference. Here's how to tell.
Business SetupRERA is Dubai's real-estate regulator, and its permit sits on top of a trade licence, not instead of it. Here's who needs it and why the cheapest setup can lock you out.
Business SetupStarting a Dubai brokerage? You need a DED mainland licence and RERA registration, not a cheap free zone package. Here's the real sequence, from AED 26,250, VAT included.
Business SetupA self-sponsored 2-year UAE freelance visa gives you a residence visa you control, not your employer. See what it really costs and how OMC handles it end to end.
Business SetupWhich countries can UAE residents enter without a prior visa? The honest answer, and why most of that access is your passport, not your Emirates ID.
Business SetupILOE gets the headlines, but employee medical insurance is what blocks your residence visa. Here's what a new UAE employer must arrange, and exactly when.
Tell us what you are setting up and we will tell you the licence, the visas and the real cost, before you commit to anything.
