Sharjah Company FormationSharjah · Mainland
Sharjah Mainland company formation
Sharjah gives you full mainland trading rights at lower licence and rental costs than Dubai, with Dubai's market a short drive away and direct access to Sharjah's ports and industrial areas.
- Licensing authority
- Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD)
- Location
- Sharjah, next to Dubai
- Best suited to
- Cost-conscious trading, manufacturing and services
- Office options
- Physical office or business centre with Ejari
Why set up here
- Lower licence and office costs than Dubai
- Close to Dubai's customer base
- Large industrial areas for manufacturing and warehousing
- Access to Khalid Port and Sharjah International Airport
- 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.