PRAXIS · Business setup
Where, and how, to establish in the UAE and GCC.
Compare jurisdictions side by side — ownership, capital, tax, setup and operating cost, and timeline. Legal points are grounded in law; cost ranges are indicative partner data. For a current, confirmed answer tailored to your business, engage Forfait below.
| Criterion | Abu Dhabi Global Market free zone | Dubai International Financial Centre free zone | Dubai Mainland mainland | Abu Dhabi Mainland mainland | IFZA (Dubai) free zone | Dubai Multi Commodities Centre free zone | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone free zone | Sharjah Media City free zone | Saudi Arabia (MISA) mainland | Qatar Financial Centre free zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal & structural | ||||||||||
| Foreign ownership (%) | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Permitted legal forms | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Minimum share capital | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Corporate tax treatment | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Regulator / registrar | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Substance requirement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Setup cost | ||||||||||
| Setup cost | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Annual operating cost | ||||||||||
| Annual operating cost | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Timeline | ||||||||||
| Setup timeline (days) | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Strategic | ||||||||||
| Market access | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Banking access | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Reputation / standing | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
| Double-tax treaty access | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement | advisory input — confirmed at engagement |
Provenance is labelled on every figure. Cost ranges are indicative partner inputs, not quotes; legal cells cite the grounding law. Figures are never generated automatically. Confirmed, current numbers are provided at engagement.
Engage Forfait
Get a confirmed, tailored answer.
The figures above are indicative. Tell us about your business and Forfait will return current, confirmed numbers and run the setup with vetted partners end to end.