Choosing activities that sound right rather than ones that match the official list
The official activity description governs what you may invoice for. Approximation causes problems at the bank.
Mainland company formation in Dubai
A licence that lets you trade directly across the UAE market, with the activity codes, premises and visa allocation matched to what you actually intend to do.
- Trade UAE-wide
- 100% ownership for most activities
- Visa allocation planned upfront
Dubai-based since 2015Office in Barsha Heights, Dubai
Formation to filingOne firm across the whole company lifecycle
Fees stated upfrontYou see the number before work starts
A named contactYou know who is handling your file
Verify Regulator-conferred credentials and a live Google review rating are the two highest-value additions to this strip. Neither is displayed until Aizaa supplies evidence.
What’s included
- Activity selection and mapping to the correct licence type
- Trade name reservation and initial approval
- Memorandum of association drafting and notarisation
- Premises guidance and tenancy documentation support
- Licence issue and establishment card
- Immigration file and residence visa processing
- Corporate tax registration and VAT registration where applicable
Who this is for
- Businesses selling directly to UAE customers
- Businesses wanting to tender for government or semi-government work
- Businesses needing a physical presence in the city
- Companies whose visa requirement exceeds what a flexi-desk package allows
Who it is not for
We would rather say so now than three weeks in.
- Purely international businesses with no UAE-facing sales, where a free zone is usually simpler
- Anyone unwilling to hold premises where their activity requires them
Process
How it works
Each step says what we do and what we need from you, so nothing stalls on an unasked question.
Activity and structure
We confirm the activity list, licence type and legal form, and what each implies for premises and visas.
Name and initial approval
Trade name reserved and initial approval obtained. You supply passports and shareholder details.
Documentation
Memorandum prepared and notarised, external approvals obtained where your activity needs them.
Premises
Tenancy contract and Ejari or equivalent registration, sized to your visa requirement.
Licence and establishment card
Licence issued, establishment card and immigration file opened.
Visas and registrations
Residence visas processed; corporate tax and, where relevant, VAT registration completed.
Ready to start? We can open the file this week.
What goes wrong
Common mistakes
These are the ones we are asked to unpick most often.
Taking premises before confirming the visa requirement
Visa allocation is tied to space. Sizing the office after the licence is a common and avoidable expense.
Overlooking external approvals
Regulated activities need sign-off from the relevant authority before the licence issues.
Assuming the mainland route needs a local partner
100% foreign ownership is available for most commercial activities; the exceptions are specific.
Why Aizaa
Four reasons you can check
Activity codes chosen against your invoices
Not against a template — because that is what the bank and the authority will read.
Premises sized to your visa plan
So you are not renegotiating space in month four.
One written fee
Government, premises and our charges itemised before you commit.
Compliance handed over, not handed back
Tax registration, bookkeeping and renewal planned from day one.
Who handles this
Your named specialist
Assigned when your file opens
Every Aizaa engagement has one named person responsible for it. You get their direct line — not a shared inbox and not a ticket number. If they are away, you are told who is covering and when they are back.
Verify Photograph, credential and direct contact details to be supplied before this page is published. Nothing is asserted here that Aizaa has not confirmed.
Sources and review
Every figure on this page was checked against the issuing authority’s own publication:
Last reviewed 22 September 2026 by named reviewer required.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
For most commercial activities, yes. Certain specific activities retain local participation or agency requirements, so the activity has to be checked against the current list rather than assumed either way.
Usually yes, and the size affects how many residence visas the licence supports. Some professional activities have lighter requirements. We size the premises to the visa plan rather than the other way round.
Visa allocation on the mainland is generally tied to premises and activity. Tell us the headcount you need and we will tell you what space that implies before you sign anything.
In many cases the practical route is a new mainland licence with an orderly transition, rather than a conversion. The right answer depends on the zone, the activity and what you need to preserve — contracts, visas, or the bank account.
Not automatically. Premises usually make mainland the higher upfront cost; free zone companies selling into the UAE market often pay for that access in other ways. Over three years the comparison is much closer than the headline packages suggest.
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Page last reviewed 22 September 2026. Regulatory content on this page is reviewed at least quarterly and whenever the issuing authority publishes a change. Read our content disclaimer.