Corporate Services in Dubai
Corporate services in Dubai cover everything a business needs once it decides to register, license, change or maintain its legal presence in the Emirate — forming a new mainland or free-zone company, amending an existing trade licence, updating corporate documents, recording a change of partners or activity, and following up the government transactions that come with running a company. This hub explains what each of the six service families involves, keeps the roles clear — the competent authority that issues and approves, the applicant who decides and signs, and MANJAZ as the process-support provider that prepares, coordinates and follows up — and routes you to the dedicated page for your specific need.
- Six licence categories — commercial, professional, industrial, tourism, agricultural and crafts — cover more than 2,000 registered activities
- The competent authority issues and amends the licence — DET for mainland Dubai, or the relevant free-zone authority — MANJAZ supports preparation and follow-up
- Up to 100% foreign ownership applies to many mainland activities under Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, though it depends on the activity and some setups still involve a local service agent
- Mainland, free zone and offshore follow different rules; this hub centres on the Dubai mainland, with free zones noted as an alternative
- Dubai-based, UAE-wide service
- Arabic & English
- Clear guidance on every document
- Direct request, no middlemen
Ministry of Justice accredited — translations prepared for submission to
What do you need today?
Choose the corporate procedure you are dealing with.
- Company FormationMainland and free-zone setup
- Licence AmendmentsActivities, partners, trade name
- Corporate DocumentsMOAs, resolutions, certificates
- Company ChangesOwnership, managers, capital
- Notary Public in DubaiWhat to prepare before notarisation
- Government TransactionsDET, MOHRE, immigration, chambers
- Questions & AnswersTiming, documents, common issues
What corporate services in Dubai actually cover
Corporate services in Dubai are the preparation, documentation and process support a founder or an existing company uses to deal with the authorities that license and regulate business activity — covering new company formation, licence amendments, corporate documents, company changes and the government transactions that accompany them.
The phrase covers a wide span of activity because a company's relationship with the authorities does not end on the day a licence is issued. Before formation, there is a sequence of decisions and filings — the activity, the legal form, the trade name, the approvals. After formation, the relationship continues: licences are amended, partners change, documents need updating, and a company keeps dealing with the notary, the immigration authority, the labour authority and the tax authority as it operates. All of that — the preparation, the paperwork and the coordination around it — is what this hub means by corporate services.
It is worth being precise about who does what, because the language around business setup is often used loosely. The competent authority — the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) for mainland Dubai, or each free zone's own authority for a free-zone company — is the body that registers the trade name, reviews the file, and issues, renews or amends the licence. A corporate-services provider works alongside that process: reviewing requirements, preparing and organising documents, coordinating translation and notarisation where needed, submitting the file, and following up. The two roles sit next to each other, not on top of one another.
Two ideas run through everything on this page. First, requirements, documents and timelines vary by activity, legal form and jurisdiction — there is no single package that fits every company, so the specifics of your matter always need confirming against the current requirements of the authority involved. Second, MANJAZ works on the preparation and process-support side only: it helps you get the file right and keeps it moving, but the decision to approve an activity or issue a licence always belongs to the competent authority.
Reading the hub in order is one way to use it, but most visitors arrive already knowing roughly which of the six services they need. The service cards below link straight to the formation sequence, licence amendments, corporate documents, government transactions, company changes and the long-form FAQ, so a founder mid-formation and a company handling a partner change can each skip to the page that matches where they actually are, rather than reading the whole hub end to end.
Four starting points, one hub
You are a first-time founder ready to register a company on the Dubai mainland or in a free zone.
What is usually neededA clear picture of the formation sequence — activity, legal form, trade name, approvals and the licence itself — and help preparing each document along the way.
You are an investor comparing mainland, free-zone and offshore structures before committing capital.
What is usually neededAn honest comparison of how ownership, market access and premises requirements differ by jurisdiction, without merging rules that are, in fact, separate.
You run an existing licensed company that needs to amend its licence, change a partner, or update its documents.
What is usually neededA route into the specific amendment or change that applies to your situation, since the documents and steps differ by the type of amendment or change involved.
You manage a company's ongoing government transactions — visas, notarisation, tax registration — alongside its core business.
What is usually neededOne place that maps which authority handles which transaction, so filings across the notary, immigration, labour and tax authorities stay coordinated rather than scattered.
Three roles, kept apart: the authority, the applicant, and MANJAZ.
| Who | What they do | What they do not do |
|---|---|---|
| The competent authority (DET for mainland Dubai; each free zone's own authority) | Registers the trade name, reviews the application, issues and renews the licence, approves specific business activities, and authorises licence amendments and company changes. | Does not delegate the decision to approve an activity or issue a licence to any private provider. |
| The applicant (the founder, investor or company) | Chooses the activity, the legal form and the partners, gathers and signs the documents, submits the application and pays the prescribed fees. | Cannot self-issue a licence, self-approve an activity, or bypass an external approval the activity requires. |
| MANJAZ | Reviews the file, helps prepare and organise documents for formation, amendments, changes and government transactions, arranges legal translation and attestation where documents require it, and follows the submission up. | Does not issue the trade licence, does not approve or reject a business activity, and does not guarantee any particular approval or outcome. |
The six services in this section
How a mainland company is typically formed — noting it varies
Determine the business activity
The activity is the basis for everything that follows — the legal form and licence type. DET's list covers more than 2,000 registered activities across commercial, professional, industrial and other categories.
Select the legal form
A limited liability company, sole establishment, civil company, partnership or branch, among other forms — the choice depends on the activity and the number and type of owners.
Register the trade name
DET registers the trade name in Dubai, following the legal form's acronym and public-order rules; this is separate from trademark registration, which sits with the Ministry of Economy & Tourism.
Apply for initial approval
A government no-objection that lets the investor proceed to the next steps. It does not, by itself, grant authority to run or practise the activity.
Secure premises and register the lease
Every mainland business needs a physical address; in Dubai the lease is registered through Ejari as part of the file.
Prepare and notarise the Memorandum of Association
The MOA is drafted and notarised; a duly attested local service-agent contract is also required for civil establishments and, in some professional setups, companies wholly owned by non-GCC nationals.
Obtain external approvals where required
Some activities need sign-off from another government entity before the licence can proceed — this depends entirely on the activity chosen.
Pay for and collect the licence
Once the file is approved, the trade licence must be paid for within 30 days of receiving the payment voucher, and is then collected.
Two jurisdictions, kept separate: mainland and free zone
Mainland (DET)
- Licensed and regulated by the Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai's local licensing authority
- Generally lets a company trade across Dubai and the wider UAE market without a free zone's territorial limits
- Up to 100% foreign ownership applies to many activities under Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, though some activities of strategic impact are excluded and some civil or professional setups still involve a local service agent
- An Ejari-registered lease is a required part of the formation and renewal sequence
Free zone
- Licensed by that free zone's own authority, separate from DET
- Typically offers its own entity types — such as an FZE, an FZCO, or a branch — under rules the free zone itself sets
- Ownership structure and premises requirements are set by the free zone and can differ from one free zone to another
- Often suited to businesses centred on international trade or a specific free-zone ecosystem, though direct mainland trading may require additional steps
Have a question about your case?
Two related needs after formation: licence amendments and company changes
A licence is not a one-time document. After it is issued, two overlapping but distinct needs commonly arise. The first is amending the trade licence itself — a new trade name, an added or updated business activity, a change of legal form, or a new manager — handled by the same local economic department that issued it, DET in Dubai's case. The second is a change to the company's underlying structure: a share transfer, an incoming or outgoing partner, a capital change, or a converted legal form, which usually flows through an amended, notarised Memorandum of Association and the relevant board or shareholder resolutions.
The two are connected: a change to ownership or legal form generally shows up as a licence amendment once it is approved, and a licence amendment that touches partners or capital in turn needs a notarised Memorandum of Association update behind it. Because each specific amendment or change carries its own requirements, MANJAZ reviews the request first and helps prepare the exact documents that scenario calls for, rather than offering one generic package for every case.
The documents a company typically deals with
- Formation documents: the initial-approval receipt, the registered lease (Ejari) and the duly attested Memorandum of Association required to obtain a licence
- Governance documents: the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and board or shareholder/general-assembly resolutions that record corporate decisions
- Authorisation documents: powers of attorney, local service-agent agreements where applicable, and company or authorisation letters
- External approvals: sign-off from other government entities where the specific activity requires it, before a licence can be issued or amended
- Translated and attested copies: certified legal translation into Arabic for documents drafted in another language, and attestation for corporate documents issued outside the UAE
- The current licence and its supporting file, kept up to date as the company's activities, partners or structure change
Foreign ownership: what "up to 100%" actually means
Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, amending the Commercial Companies Law, allows up to 100% foreign ownership across economic sectors and across legal forms — LLCs, partnerships and others alike. This is a genuine reform, and it is also frequently overstated. The law is not a blanket rule for every business: it carves out a number of activities of "strategic impact" that remain excluded, and the official ownership pages state that exception without publishing an itemised list of every activity it covers. Whether a specific activity qualifies for full foreign ownership depends on how DET classifies that activity — it is not something to assume in advance.
There is a second nuance worth keeping in mind. Even where full foreign ownership is available, a duly attested local service-agent contract is still required for civil establishments, and for companies wholly owned by non-GCC nationals in certain professional setups — the service agent in these cases assists with government liaison rather than holding equity. Because the classification and the excluded activities are set and updated by the authorities rather than published as one fixed list, the accurate way to answer "can I own 100% of my company?" is to check the specific activity against DET's current classification, not to assume the general rule applies automatically.
Beyond the licence: the government transactions that come with running a company
A trade licence opens the door, but a company that actually operates keeps dealing with several authorities in parallel. Dubai Notary Public notarises the Memorandum of Association, its amendments, resolutions and powers of attorney. Dubai Chamber of Commerce issues membership for licensed companies and certificates of origin for trading businesses. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security opens the company's establishment card and processes staff visas. The Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation maintains the labour establishment file and work permits. The Federal Tax Authority handles VAT and corporate-tax registration where the business qualifies.
Each of these transactions has its own form, its own supporting documents and its own reference to keep aligned with the licence — a mismatched company name or an expired document at one authority can hold up a filing at another. MANJAZ helps track which transaction sits with which authority, prepares the supporting documents, coordinates translation where a document needs it, submits the filing, and follows it through to completion — always according to that authority's own current requirements.
Timing matters here as much as paperwork. A staff visa file, for instance, generally depends on a valid establishment card, which in turn depends on a current trade licence and a registered lease; a tax registration depends on the company profile being accurate at the Federal Tax Authority. When one link in that chain lapses — a lease renewal missed, a licence amendment left unrecorded — the transactions that depend on it stall until it is corrected. Keeping the underlying licence, lease and company data current is therefore not a formality; it is what keeps every other government transaction moving.
Not sure which of the six services applies to your situation? Tell us what you are trying to do — form a company, amend a licence, update a document, or handle a government transaction — and we will point you to the right next step.
Ask about corporate servicesWhere translation and attestation enter a corporate file
Corporate filings in Dubai are conducted in Arabic. Two situations bring language and document origin into a corporate file. The first is language: a Memorandum of Association, a resolution, a power of attorney or a supporting certificate drafted in another language generally needs certified legal translation into Arabic before it can be submitted, notarised or relied on officially. The second is origin: a corporate document issued outside the UAE — a foreign parent company's incorporation certificate or a board resolution passed abroad, for example — generally needs attestation, since the UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention and does not accept a foreign apostille in place of the UAE's own attestation chain.
These two needs often stack on the same document: a foreign board resolution, for instance, may need attestation in its country of origin and in the UAE, and legal translation into Arabic once it arrives. Getting the names, dates and company details consistent across the original, the attestation and the translation matters, because a mismatch can hold up the very filing the document was meant to support. MANJAZ's Legal Translation and Certificate Attestation services exist for exactly this stage — coordinated with the corporate file so the paperwork and the translation tell the same story.
Misunderstandings worth avoiding
The mistakeAssuming 100% foreign ownership applies automatically to any mainland activity.
The fixIt depends on the specific activity under Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020; a number of activities of strategic impact remain excluded, so confirm the activity's classification rather than assuming.
The mistakeTreating initial approval as the finish line.
The fixInitial approval is a government no-objection that lets you proceed; it does not by itself grant authority to run the activity, and further steps — premises, the notarised MOA, external approvals and payment — remain.
The mistakeBelieving one identical procedure covers every licence amendment or company change.
The fixRequirements and documents differ by the specific amendment or change type — a trade-name change is not handled like a partner change — so confirm what your scenario needs.
The mistakeAssuming a corporate-services provider can approve an activity or issue a licence.
The fixOnly the competent authority approves an activity and issues or amends a licence; a provider prepares the file, coordinates it and follows it up.
The mistakeSkipping legal translation or attestation on a foreign document used in a UAE filing.
The fixA foreign corporate document generally needs UAE attestation, since the country does not accept a Hague apostille in its place, and a document in another language generally needs certified legal translation into Arabic.
The mistakeMerging mainland and free-zone rules as if they were one system.
The fixThe two are separate jurisdictions with separate licensing authorities, entity types and requirements; confirm which one your plan actually falls under before assuming a rule from one applies to the other.
How MANJAZ supports corporate services
MANJAZ works on the preparation and process-support side of corporate services: reviewing what a specific formation, amendment, change, document or government transaction requires, preparing and organising the paperwork, coordinating legal translation and attestation where a document needs it, submitting the file, and following it up until it reaches a decision. That is deliberately where the work stays. Approving a business activity, issuing or amending a trade licence, and deciding whether a document meets the authority's requirements are decisions that belong to the competent authority in every case.
The value in working this way is precision: because requirements vary by activity, legal form, amendment type and jurisdiction, a file prepared for the specific scenario moves more smoothly than a generic package assembled without checking the details. MANJAZ reads each request against its own requirements, flags what is missing, coordinates translation and attestation where the file crosses languages or borders, and keeps the applicant informed as the submission progresses — without ever presenting a particular approval, outcome or timeline as certain, because none of those can honestly be promised in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Corporate services are the preparation, documentation and process support a founder or an existing company uses when dealing with the authorities that license and regulate business activity — company formation, licence amendments, corporate documents, company changes and the government transactions that go with them. The authority decides and issues; a corporate-services provider like MANJAZ prepares, coordinates and follows up.
No. The licence is issued by the competent authority — DET for mainland Dubai, or the relevant free-zone authority — following its own review. MANJAZ provides preparation and process support: reviewing the file, preparing documents, coordinating translation and attestation, and following the submission up.
No, not automatically. Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 allows up to 100% foreign ownership across many sectors and legal forms, but a number of activities of strategic impact remain excluded, and some civil or professional setups still involve a local service agent. Whether it applies to your activity depends on how that activity is classified — confirm it rather than assuming.
There is no single fixed timeline published by the official sources, so treat any exact number with caution. The duration depends on the activity, the legal form, whether external approvals are needed, how quickly documents and premises are ready, and the authority's own processing. The one fixed point officially stated is that the licence must be paid for within 30 days of receiving the payment voucher.
A licence amendment updates what is recorded on the trade licence itself — trade name, activity, legal form or manager — through the local economic department. A company change affects the underlying structure — a share transfer, a new or outgoing partner, a capital change — usually through an amended, notarised Memorandum of Association and related resolutions. The two often connect: a structural change frequently ends up recorded as a licence amendment once approved.
It depends on the activity, the target market and the ownership and premises structure you want, since mainland and free zone are separate jurisdictions with different authorities, entity types and rules. Mainland (DET) generally suits direct trading across Dubai and the UAE; a free zone offers its own entity types and is often suited to international trade or a specific free-zone ecosystem. This hub centres on the mainland, with free zones noted as an alternative rather than merged into the same rules.
It depends on the document's language and where it was issued. A document drafted in a language other than Arabic generally needs certified legal translation before it can be relied on officially in the UAE. A corporate document issued outside the UAE generally needs attestation, since the UAE does not accept a Hague apostille in place of its own attestation chain. Not every document needs both — it depends on the specific paper.
No. Initial approval is a government no-objection that lets you proceed to the next steps; it does not by itself grant authority to run or practise the activity. Securing premises, notarising the Memorandum of Association, obtaining any external approvals the activity needs, and paying for and collecting the licence still follow before the company is licensed to operate.
Commonly: notarisation of the Memorandum of Association, resolutions and powers of attorney at Dubai Notary Public; Chamber of Commerce membership; an establishment card and staff visas through the immigration authority; a labour establishment file and work permits through the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation; and VAT or corporate-tax registration through the Federal Tax Authority where the business qualifies. Which of these apply depends on the company's activity and staffing.
MANJAZ reviews what a specific formation, amendment, change, document or government transaction requires, prepares and organises the paperwork, coordinates legal translation and attestation where a document needs it, submits the file, and follows it up. It does not decide whether an activity qualifies, does not issue or amend a licence, and does not guarantee any particular approval, outcome or timeline — those remain the competent authority's decisions in every case.
Not necessarily, and this hub does not offer legal advice. MANJAZ's work is documentation, coordination and process support around corporate services — preparing files, translating and attesting documents, and following submissions up with the relevant authority. Where a matter involves a legal dispute, contentious negotiation, or a question that needs a licensed lawyer's opinion, that sits outside what a corporate-services and translation provider does, and separate legal representation should be sought.
For most activities, no. Following the Commercial Companies Law reforms, 100% foreign ownership is allowed on most commercial, industrial and professional mainland activities. A non-shareholding local service agent is still required for certain professional licences, and a majority Emirati shareholding remains only for the limited list of activities of strategic impact set by Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021. The right answer depends on your specific activity, which the Department of Economy and Tourism classifies.
They are two separate obligations with the Federal Tax Authority. Corporate tax is a tax on business profit, with registration expected broadly regardless of the 0% band on the first AED 375,000 of taxable income. VAT is a tax on transactions: registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 (voluntary from AED 187,500). Both are handled on the EmaraTax portal but have different triggers and deadlines. Our VAT guide explains the distinction in detail.
A UBO is the natural person who ultimately owns or controls 25% or more of a company's shares, voting rights or decision-making. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 109 of 2023, most companies must identify their UBO, maintain a beneficial-owner register and file it with the registrar, updating it when ownership changes; deadlines and penalties for non-compliance apply. Our UBO guide sets out who qualifies and the filing obligations.
Arabic is mandatory. Under the Commercial Companies Law, a mainland company's Memorandum of Association — and every amendment to it — must be drafted in Arabic and attested, or it is null and void. An English version is accepted only as a supplementary translation, and if the two differ the Arabic text prevails. The MOA must also be signed by the partners and notarized before the trade licence is issued. Our MOA guide walks through the clauses and the notarization flow.
It depends on the setup. A mainland company's quota is assessed broadly on its leased office space under the Department of Economy and Tourism and Ejari rules, while a free zone company receives a fixed quota tied to its licence or desk package. An increase is requested from the labour authority and may require a premises inspection. There is no single universal number — it follows your premises and package.
Official sources
- UAE Government Portal (u.ae) — Business
- UAE Government Portal (u.ae) — Steps to Start a Business on the Mainland
- Ministry of Economy & Tourism — Establishing a Business in the UAE
- Ministry of Economy & Tourism — Full Ownership in All Economic Sectors
- Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism — Licences & Permits
This content is for general awareness and is based on the official sources available at the time of the last update. Company-formation and corporate-service requirements, fees, approvals and steps differ by the business activity, the legal form and the jurisdiction, and are set and updated by the competent authorities. It is not legal or financial advice. MANJAZ is a corporate-services provider that helps prepare, coordinate and follow up requirements with the relevant authorities — it is not the Department of Economy and Tourism or any government body, it does not issue trade licences, it cannot approve a business activity, and it does not guarantee any approval.
Tell us what your company needs
Whether it is a new company, a licence change, a document or a government transaction, send the details and MANJAZ will help identify and coordinate the right corporate-service steps.