Straight answers on setting up in the UAE
No fluff, no jargon. Every guide answers the question in the first line, then shows you the steps, the paperwork and the real cost. Written by the team that files these every day.
All articles
How to Start a Construction Company in the UAE
The commercial or industrial licence, contractor classification grading, and technical staff approvals behind a UAE construction company.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Trade Licences and Activities
Instant Licence in Dubai: Getting Started in 24 Hours
Who qualifies for an instant licence in Dubai, what you actually get in 24 hours, the limits of the scheme, and how to upgrade later.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Visas and Residency
Sponsoring a Domestic Worker in the UAE: Rules and Steps
The rules for sponsoring a domestic worker in the UAE: the income requirement, the Tadbeer process, insurance, and what the contract must include.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Free Zones
Flexi-Desk vs Physical Office in a Free Zone: What You Actually Need
Most founders default to a flexi-desk without checking if it actually fits. Here is the honest test for when a real office is worth paying for.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Costs and Budgeting
Office Space Costs in Dubai: From Flexi-Desk to Full Office
What workspace actually costs a Dubai company: flexi-desk, shared desk, dedicated office and full mainland office, and how each ties to your visa count.
Ali Jasim··11 min read Corporate Tax and VAT
Bookkeeping Requirements for UAE Corporate Tax
Corporate tax runs on your records, not your memory. What must be kept, for how long, and why clean bookkeeping is what actually lowers your tax bill.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Compliance and UAE Law
End of Service Gratuity in the UAE: How It Is Calculated
How UAE end-of-service gratuity is calculated under the 2021 labour law, the basic salary rule, the two-year cap, and the DIFC DEWS alternative.
Ali Jasim··11 min read Banking and Finance
Digital Business Banking in the UAE: The New Options
How digital-first business banking works in the UAE, where it genuinely helps a small company, and where a traditional bank is still the better fit.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Industry Playbooks
How to Start a Logistics or Freight Company in Dubai
The freight forwarding licence, customs broker approval, IATA accreditation and free zone choices behind a Dubai logistics company.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Company Formation
How to Close or Liquidate a Company in the UAE Properly
Walking away from a UAE company without formally closing it creates real problems later. The correct liquidation process, step by step.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Visas and Residency
UAE Visa Overstay Fines: How They Work and How to Fix It
How UAE overstay fines are calculated, what triggers them, how to check and pay what you owe, and how to fix an overstay before it escalates.
Ali Jasim··10 min read Offshore and Holding
Do Offshore Companies Pay UAE Corporate Tax?
Offshore companies are UAE resident persons under corporate tax law and must register, but many end up owing little or nothing. Here is why.
Ali Jasim··11 min readKnow your exact setup cost
Guides give you the lay of the land. The calculator gives you your number, itemised to the fils, from our real price book.