Articles
How UAE taxes, property purchases and disputes actually work — from official sources, with a verification date on every figure.
Company setup
Shareholders' Agreement in the UAE: What Binds the Registrar and What Doesn'tShareholders' agreements in the UAE: how the SHA sits next to the MOA, drag-along, tag-along, deadlock, exit, valuation, 2025 share classes, governing law and forum.
AML Compliance in the UAE for Companies: DNFBPs, goAML and the 2025 LawThe UAE's 2025 AML law and Cabinet Resolution 134/2025: who is a DNFBP, the AED 55,000 thresholds, goAML registration, CDD, report types and fines up to AED 5m.
Bookkeeping, Financial Reporting and Audit for a UAE CompanyWhich standard, which audit trigger, which deadline: what the FTA and the free zone expect from a UAE company's books, separate ledgers for QFZP status and penalties.
Bank Compliance in the UAE: What Is Checked and How to PrepareOnboarding a UAE company with a bank: the four tests every file goes through, what to put in it, how the review runs, why applications fail and how to keep the account.
DIFC vs ADGM: When a UAE Financial Free Zone Is Worth ItFive questions that decide whether your holding, fund or SPV needs DIFC or ADGM rather than an ordinary free zone, what each centre offers, the tax layers and the cost drivers.
UAE E-Invoicing 2026–2027: Deadlines, ASP Appointment, Scope and PenaltiesUAE e-invoicing under Ministerial Decisions 243 and 244 of 2025: appoint an ASP by 30 Oct 2026 if revenue is AED 50m+, go-live dates in 2027, Peppol model and fines.
UBO, ESR and AML: Mandatory Compliance for a UAE CompanyThe annual compliance cycle of a UAE company beyond tax: beneficial owner records, AML duties, the cancelled ESR reporting, renewals, audit, and the penalties that are known.
UAE Golden Visa: Routes, the AED 2m Property Threshold and ProcessProperty, investment or talent: which Golden Visa route fits what you have, how the AED 2 million property route works, family sponsorship and what the visa does not change.
How to Set Up a Company in the UAE: Step-by-Step Order and Common DelaysThe step-by-step order for registering a UAE company — licence, visas, bank account, tax registration — and why the bank's requirements come before the zone.
UAE Corporate Tax: the 9% Rate, the AED 375,000 Threshold and Who PaysHow UAE corporate tax works: the 9% rate and AED 375,000 threshold, penalties for missing registration, Small Business Relief to 2029 and the free zone trap.
UAE Licence Types: Why the Activity Code Matters More Than PriceThe activity code on a UAE licence follows you to the bank, the visa quota, the VAT classification and the free zone 0%. Licence types, a worked case, and how to fix a wrong code.
Opening a Personal Bank Account in the UAE: Sequence and DocumentsFor a new UAE resident: the order of visa, Emirates ID and account, what banks ask for, salaried versus self-employed profiles, non-resident options and why applications stall.
Mainland vs Free Zone in the UAE: Which to Choose for Your CompanyWhen a UAE mainland licence beats a free zone and when it does not: clients, visas, office, banking, and why the 0% free zone rate is not automatic.
UAE Tax Residency: The Certificate, the Test and the Exit From HomeBecoming a UAE tax resident is separate from getting a visa: the FTA certificate, the criteria, treaty tie-breakers, evidence of days and closing residence in your home country.
UAE VAT at 5%: Registration Thresholds, Exports and ReturnsUAE VAT for a business that knows EU VAT: the single 5% rate, AED 375,000 and AED 187,500 thresholds, zero-rated exports, reverse charge, designated zones and returns.
Office, Flexi-Desk and Substance in the UAE: What Your Lease DecidesA UAE lease sets your visa quota, shapes the bank's view and underpins the substance test for free zone 0%. How to size premises and when a flexi-desk is enough.
Moving an Operating Business to the UAE: What Actually TransfersRelocating a company to the UAE is mostly building a new one: redomiciliation or new entity, contract novation, IP, staff, data, substance, home-country exit and timeline.
Buying a Business in Dubai: Share Deal vs Asset Deal, Due Diligence, TransferHow to buy an existing company or a stake in the UAE: share vs asset deal, the due diligence checklist, share transfer in a mainland LLC, free zones and DIFC/ADGM.
QFZP Status in the UAE: How to Qualify for 0% and Keep ItWhat a Qualifying Free Zone Person must meet: qualifying income, the AED 5m or 5% de minimis cap, audited accounts, and why the rest is taxed at 9% from the first dirham.
Employment Visa UAE: How to Hire a Foreign Employee (Mainland, Free Zone, DIFC)The employer's process for a UAE employment visa: MOHRE job offer and work permit, entry, medical, Emirates ID, residence visa, WPS payroll and Emiratisation quotas.
UAE Residence Visa Through Your Own Company: Steps, Quota, FamilySponsoring yourself and staff through a UAE company: the immigration file, visa quota, medical and Emirates ID, family sponsorship, renewals, cancellation and what the visa is not.
Opening a Corporate Bank Account in the UAE: What Banks Check and Why They RefuseWhat UAE banks actually check before opening a corporate account, the most common reasons for refusal, and how to prepare the file so you do not lose months.
UAE Small Business Relief: AED 3m Threshold, Extended to 2029Under AED 3 million in revenue? What Small Business Relief actually does, who is excluded, what you give up, how to elect it, and what the extension to 31 December 2029 means.
Trademark Registration in the UAE: Cost per Class, Timeline, RenewalUAE trademark registration under Federal Decree-Law 36/2021: AED 6,500 per class, 30-day opposition, 10-year protection, licences, assignments, Madrid.
How to Choose a UAE Free Zone: Eight Criteria That Actually DecideA scoring method for choosing a UAE free zone: activity list, visa quota, renewal cost, audit rules, bank appetite, designated zone status, substance for QFZP and location.
Closing a UAE Company Properly: Liquidation Steps and the TrapsDeregistering a UAE company: the sequence of visas, FTA deregistration, bank closure, liquidator and creditor notice; why letting the licence lapse is not closure.
Real estate
Rental Yield in Dubai: How to Calculate the Net Return HonestlyGross yields in Dubai listings versus what reaches your account: service charges, vacancy, management, the housing fee, and home-country tax on the rent.
Dubai Rent Disputes: RERA Rent Increase Rules, Eviction Notice and the RDCDubai tenancy law: Ejari, the Decree 43/2013 rent increase scale, 90-day notice, 12-month eviction notice, RDC fees and appeal deadlines.
Property Registration in Dubai: DLD, Trustee and Title DeedThe day-of-transfer procedure at a Dubai registration trustee, the government fees on a worked AED 2 million example, and how to close remotely with a power of attorney.
Escrow and Oqood in Dubai: What Really Protects Off-Plan MoneyHow Dubai's project escrow and Oqood registration protect an international off-plan buyer, what they leave uncovered, and the payment mistakes that void the protection.
Freehold vs Leasehold in Dubai: What a Foreign Buyer Actually OwnsThe difference between freehold and leasehold in Dubai for a foreign buyer: designated areas, what the title deed says, resale value, mortgages and visa eligibility.
Golden Visa Through Property in Dubai: AED 2 Million, 10 Years and What to Check FirstDubai Golden Visa through property: the AED 2 million threshold, 10-year term, mortgaged property with a bank NOC, family, and what to check before buying.
UAE Mortgages for Non-Residents: How Banks Decide, What to PrepareWhat UAE banks look at when a non-resident applies for a mortgage, the sequence from pre-approval to registration, the costs a loan does not cover, and when a deal stalls.
Your Dubai Property After Death: Wills and Succession for ForeignersHow a foreign owner's Dubai property passes on death under Law 41/2022, why bank accounts freeze, how a DIFC will works remotely, and how it fits your home-country will.
Dubai Property Scams and Rogue Brokers: How to Check Before You PayThe checks that separate a licensed Dubai broker from a scam, the schemes aimed at overseas buyers, and what to do in the first week if money has already gone.
Off-Plan or Ready Property in Dubai: How to Choose and What to Read in the ContractOff-plan versus ready property in Dubai: payment plans and delay risk against income from month one, how escrow and Oqood protect money, and the key clauses.
Buying Property in Dubai as a Foreigner: the Process and the Real CostsHow a foreigner buys property in Dubai: the steps of the deal, the 4% DLD fee with a worked example, what to check before paying a deposit, and remote purchase.
Selling a Dubai Property as an Overseas Owner: Exit Without DelaysHow a non-resident owner sells in Dubai: the NOC, mortgage release, getting paid at the trustee, selling with a tenant, assigning off-plan, and tax at home.
Due Diligence on a Dubai Developer: A Buyer's ChecklistA practical due diligence checklist for a Dubai off-plan purchase: what the DLD register shows, how to read a developer's track record, and which SPA clauses matter.
All the Costs of Buying Property in Dubai: the Complete Fee ListThe complete list of buyer costs in Dubai: 4% DLD fee, trustee, title deed, NOC, agent commission — with a worked example for a property at AED 2 million.
Complaining to RERA in Dubai: When the Regulator Helps and When NotA practical guide to filing a complaint with RERA against a developer, broker or building manager in Dubai: what it can achieve, what belongs in court, and how to write it.
Service Charges in Dubai: What Owners Pay and How to Check FirstHow service charges are set and approved in Dubai, why two towers differ so much, what happens to arrears on resale, and how to dispute a budget you think is wrong.
Buying Dubai Property Jointly: Co-Owners, Spouses or a CompanyHow joint ownership of Dubai property works for spouses, partners and investor groups, what happens on death, divorce or exit, and when a company structure pays off.
Late Handover in Dubai: Your Options When the Developer Is LateWhat an off-plan buyer can actually claim when a Dubai developer is late, why stopping payments costs up to 40% of the price, and how to exit or negotiate.
Refund from a Dubai Developer: When You Can Get Your Money BackThe three routes to a refund on a Dubai off-plan purchase, how much a developer may legally retain if you default, and how to enforce once you win.
Legal support
DIAC Arbitration: What Changed After Decree No. 34 and What to Do With Old ClausesDubai Decree No. 34 of 2021 abolished the DIFC-LCIA and EMAC: where old arbitration clauses now lead, what the DIAC Rules 2022 mean and what to check.
Arbitration Clauses in UAE Contracts: DIAC, LCIA, ICC, EnforcementWhich arbitration clause to put in a UAE contract, whether a London or Paris award is enforced in Dubai, what happened to DIFC-LCIA, and how to draft a clause that survives.
Frozen Bank Account in the UAE: Why, and How to Get It ReleasedThe three kinds of account freeze in the UAE, what the bank's letter actually asks for, how to reply, and what to do when the bank exits the relationship.
Which Court Hears Your Case in Dubai: Onshore Courts or DIFC CourtsHow Dubai's courts look to a foreigner, when you can opt into the English-language DIFC Courts, what it costs, and how judgments are enforced outside the DIFC.
Signing a Contract with a UAE Company: What Your Template Gets WrongWhere an English or American contract template fails under UAE law: penalties, termination, notices, bilingual texts, signatory authority and the clause that decides where you sue.
Gratuity Calculation UAE: End-of-Service Benefits Explained with ExamplesHow UAE end-of-service gratuity is calculated under Decree-Law 33/2021: 21 and 30 days of basic salary, the one-year rule, the cap, leave pay, deductions, 14-day deadline.
Shareholder Disputes in UAE Companies: Deadlock, Exit, ControlWhat decides a partner dispute in a UAE LLC or free zone company: the licence, the bank mandate and the shareholders' agreement. Where to go and when to settle.
Crypto in the UAE: Licensing, Banking and Source of FundsWho regulates virtual assets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, what a UAE bank needs before it accepts crypto proceeds, how corporate tax applies, and when the money will not get in.
Settling a Dispute in the UAE: Making the Agreement EnforceableWhich settlement forms can actually be enforced in the UAE, how to price a settlement against litigation, what to do in the first days, and when negotiating is a waste of time.
Inheritance and Wills in the UAE for Non-Muslims: What Happens Without a WillWhat happens to a non-Muslim's UAE assets without a will after Decree-Law 41/2022, why a DIFC will still matters, and how to align it with your will at home.
Order for Payment in the UAE: Fast-Track Recovery of an Undisputed DebtHow a UAE order for payment works under the Civil Procedure Law: 5-day demand, decision in 3 working days, 15- or 30-day challenge, enforcement, cheques.
Enforcing a Foreign Judgment or Award in the UAE: What WorksHow a London award and an English or US judgment are treated differently in the UAE, the New York Convention route, the documents required, and when enforcement is pointless.
Terminating a Contract in the UAE Without Being the Party in BreachThe notice-cure-termination sequence under UAE law, why stopping performance first is the costliest mistake, and what to do if the other side terminates.
Sanctions Screening in UAE Banks: Why Payments Get ReturnedHow UAE banks apply US, UK and EU sanctions rules through their correspondents, why a payment is returned, what to fix in your structure, and where the legal line is.
UAE Travel Ban: Causes, How to Check and How to Lift ItWhy a travel ban is imposed in the UAE, how to check it free online through Dubai Police before you book a flight, and what it takes to have the ban lifted.
Employment Disputes in the UAE: Salary, Dismissal, VisaThe employee's route in a UAE labour dispute: MOHRE, free zone authority or DIFC, what to preserve from day one, what never to sign, and when a claim is already lost.
Termination of Employment in the UAE: Notice, Probation, Final Pay, MOHREHow employment ends under UAE Decree-Law 33/2021: 30–90 days' notice, probation exits, summary dismissal grounds, arbitrary dismissal pay, 14-day settlement, claim deadlines.
Debt Recovery in the UAE: Routes, Timelines and Why Assets Come FirstHow to recover a debt in the UAE: demand letter, court, arbitration, cheques and attachment orders. Why tracing the debtor's assets comes before the claim.
DIFC Will Registration: Cost, Will Types and Step-by-Step Process for ExpatsHow a non-Muslim expat registers a will in the UAE: DIFC Courts Wills fees (Full Will AED 10,000), witnesses, executors, Dubai Courts and ADJD options.