Dubai Company FormationDubai · Mainland
Dubai Mainland company formation
A Dubai mainland licence is the most flexible way to do business in the UAE's largest commercial market. Your company can sell to customers across the country, open shops and offices anywhere in Dubai, and tender for government work.
- Licensing authority
- Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
- Location
- Anywhere in Dubai's commercial districts
- Best suited to
- Trading, retail, services and government contracts
- Office options
- Physical office or business centre with Ejari
Why set up here
- Direct access to the UAE's largest consumer and business market
- Thousands of permitted commercial and professional activities
- Strong standing with banks and corporate clients
- Option to open branches in other emirates
- Trade anywhere in the UAE without a distributor
- Eligible for government and semi-government contracts
How setup works
- Choose business activities and legal form
- Reserve the trade name and obtain initial approval
- Draft and sign the Memorandum of Association
- Secure office space and register the Ejari
- Pay fees and receive the trade licence
- Establishment card, visas and corporate bank account
Documents you will need
- Passport copies of all shareholders and the manager
- Passport-size photographs
- UAE visa page or entry stamp, or Emirates ID for residents
- Proof of residential address
- For corporate shareholders: attested certificate of incorporation, MOA and board resolution
- No-objection letter from your current sponsor, if you are employed in the UAE
Packages, visa allocations and fees differ by activity and change from time to time. Your advisor will confirm current figures in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I own a mainland company outright?
For most commercial and industrial activities, yes. A small number of activities with strategic impact still have ownership conditions, which we check before you apply.
Do I need a physical office?
Yes. A mainland licence needs a registered lease. Business centres offer compact, compliant offices for companies that do not need a large space yet.
Can a mainland company work in other emirates?
Yes. It can trade across the UAE, and it can open branches in other emirates by registering them there.