Companies with professional licenses can own real estate, assets, and also act as a parent company for holdings and other such business structures. 100% foreign ownership is allowed when incorporating a mainland company in the following service and maintenance areas: consulting, management, after-sales support and services rendered in the field of IT, healthcare, education, organization of events, and catering.
Choose your professional line of business in the UAE
Sports and education
Pre-school, secondary and higher education, professional trainings and courses, sports centers
Food and farming
Restaurants, cafes, fast-food outlets, other catering; fish-farming, poultry, and animal breeding, crop production
Medicine and healthcare
Medical centers, private hospitals and clinics, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies
Entertainment and leisure
Entartainment events management, art galleries, water parks, leisure and recreation centers, circuses and museums
Household services
Cleaning services, laundries, ateliers, beauty salons, repair and craft shops, car repair shops
Business services
Translation bureaus, secretarial services, and book-keeping, data and call centers and others
Information technology
Information security, networks setup, office equipment maintenance and software development
Consulting and management
Project management, tax advice and HR consulting, specialized advisory services and the like
Marketing and advertising
Market research, branding, promotional events, SMM-marketing, advertising of products and services
You can register your professional activities both in the territory of Free Trade Economic Zone and in the Mainland. FTZ company has a number of restrictions imposed, that’s why SORP recommends considering a better alternative — to incorporate a local company, as mainland is the only place to run your business without any restrictions.
Key features of the UAE mainland company’s professional license
100% foreign ownership
Full foreign ownership is allowed for basic professional licenses. They can be registered as Sole Establishment or Civil Company.
Global reach
When you register a local company, you are allowed to provide a wide range of services without any restrictions and in any territory, both in the domestic market and abroad.
Local service agent
When setting up a professional business, it is required to enter into an agreement with a Local Service Agent, different from the company’s shareholders and appointed to represent the company with government bodies.
Government supervision
To run certain types of activies it’s necessary to obtain permits and approvals from public regulatory authorities, such as Ministry of Health or Sports Department.
Qualification requirements
To register a number of professional business activities, confirmation of qualifications and experience of the company’s employees accredited in the UAE is required.
Office accommodation
The UAE law requires that a business company should have a physical office or other commercial space with Ejari / Estidama. The renal contract is concluded for one-year period with the possibility of renewal.
SORP solutions for licensing and support of construction businesses in the UAE
Designing business model
Evaluating competitive markets, developing your prcing policy with account of the optimal strategy to enter the UAE market
Business registration and licensing
Fast business registration and licensing due to close co-operation with the UAE regulatory authorities and use of own resources
Bank account opening
Easy corporate account opening and fast KYC procedures due to long-term co-operation with UAE banks, expertise in compliance
Legal address in Dubai
Providing rent of offices with Ejari / Estidama, flexi-desks or virtual offices to accomodate your business and get a license
PRO business support
Assistance in getting UAE investor visas, visas for your staff and their families, observing timely renewals of permits
Local agent
Providing a local service agent under a contract to represent your company in regulatory institutions of the UAE
Setting up your professional company in the UAE gives you unique business opportunities
Tax resident status
Business owners can apply for tax residency to be protected against automatic data exchange under CRS (the Common Reporting Standard).
Assets and property protection
Registering your real estate onto a UAE company to shield the owner’s personal information and make profit from the property rent.
Setting up holdings and business structures
Assistance in minimizing a tax burden, consolidating assets and businesses, optimizing the cash flows among your legal entities.
Tax benefits
No taxes on personal or corporate income as well as dividends, with the exception of 5% VAT on internal transactions.
Participation in tender bids
Successful bidding on public and commercial tenders for goods and services delivery as a credible bidder from a trustworthy jurisdiction.
Financial stability
No restrictions on inbound and outbound cash operations, no currency control, simplified KYC for transactions with stakeholders in local currency (dirham).
Comprehensive SORP support services for doing business in the UAE
Construction activities in the UAE are regulated by the state and municipalities. Therefore, to choose the best model for organizing a construction business in the UAE, we have developed solutions that prevent you from making mistakes.
Business strategy
Analyzing the UAE law specifics, determining the place of business incorporation, identifying activities and requirements to get necessary permits and approvals.
Comprehensive business analysis
Performing the market analysis, including competitive environment research, studying law specifics, choosing office spaces to settle your business.
Business consulting
Advising on all stages of starting up business in the UAE. Forming relationship with all government authorities that exercise control over Emirati companies.
Tax residency obtainment
Getting your tax resident status to shield you from CRS requirements for sharing your tax details and to use international double taxation treaties
International tax planning
Designing tailor-made tools to improve tax optimization efficiency based on perfect knowledge of UAE legislation and extensive experience in this field.
Economic substance
Prooving that your business run at the place of company registration, the decision-making exercised locally, tax residence of operations is the UAE.