Dubai is the jurisdiction of choice for many entrepreneurs and start-ups. Foreign investors looking to invest in the UAE are able to choose from the emirates that they would like to establish businesses in as well as among the different types of legal entities they can put to operate in.

1. Types of onshore companies

Dubai company laws state that onshore companies can take different forms such as limited liability, private and public shareholding companies. all types of onshore companies must follow requirements such as: LLC companies in Dubai must have at least one partner holding at least 51% of the paid-up capital who is a UAE national.
Free zone companies are permitted to have 100% foreign ownership.

2. Registration is required

The onshore business can carry out its operations on the entire area of the UAE and even out of it, whereas the free zone company must work within the free zone. A foreign investor must have an onshore partner or sponsor to register in case of onshore company formation in Dubai.

The registration options available to companies onshore have a variety of options the registration options for free zones companies are numerous, and they are required to be registered under the legal structures that are available within those areas of economic activity.

3. Licensing requirements

To follow From a licensing point of from a licensing perspective, an onshore company typically requires:

A trade license
Manufacturing or industrial license
A professional license
Additionally, there are many companies that can assist you with a variety of services including onshore company formation, acquiring a tax domicile certificate in Dubai and much more. With this, you can get started on the process by conducting your own research as well.