
Company Formation in Dubai Mainland
Our team provides optimal company formation in Dubai mainland, recommending the best legal structure tailored to your business needs and investment budget.Ease of doing business
Easy approval processes, flexible regulatory procedures, and quick timelinesBusiness opportunities
Possibility to participate in private and government tenders100% foreign ownership
For the activities included into DED list of approved activitiesWant to know your Dubai mainland business setup cost right now?
Perfect conditions for your business
Let My Business Consulting DMCC guide you in choosing the most effective corporate structure for your mainland company in the United Arab Emirates so that you can benefit from the following features.
No limit on company activities in one license
DED offers a wide range of 2000+ business activities to choose from
Variety of legal options
Limited Liability Companies (LLC) & Private Joint-Stock Companies (inc. Single Owner Companies).
Сapital without restrictions
No minimum or maximum limit of capital amount
Office anywhere in Dubai
No limitation on where to rent/buy an office or commercial space
No limit in UAE resident visas
Visa eligibility will depend on the size of the office
Enchase more business opportunities
Pitch private and government projects that are not available to Free Zone
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My Business Consulting DMCC is here to assist you with choosing the right location, corporate structure and best facilities for your mainland company in Dubai.
Select the most appropriate legal form for your mainland company in the UAE
As part of an Instant License, there are available following legal forms:
- Sole Proprietorship – includes professional activities, owned by 1 person with unlimited financial liability.
- Civil Company – two or more partners practicing professional activity, having unlimited financial liability.
- Limited Liability Company (LLC) – includes commercial and industrial activities with at least 2 partners and can have up to 11 managers. Partners are only financially liable for the amount invested in the company.
- One – Person Limited Liability Company (LLC-SO) – includes commercial and industrial activities and is owned by 1 person or legal entity with limited liability up to the extent of share capital invested.

Company formation steps in Dubai mainland
To start a business in Dubai mainland, you need to complete several steps for company formation. After receiving the full set of required documents, the establishing process of a mainland company in Dubai should take approximately up to 21 working days. In case of external approval for some of the business activities, the timeframe for mainland business setup in Dubai may take longer. Please note that the following activities are still subject to foreign ownership restrictions: security, defence, military activities, banks, exchange houses, finance and insurance companies, currency printing, fish trap services, and others.
To help you get ready for your Dubai mainland company setup, we propose you have a look at the main steps of obtaining a UAE Mainland License. Understanding the cost of mainland company setup in Dubai is crucial.
Select business activities
Dubai Economic Development (DED) offers 2000+ activities to choose from. To choose the right activities for your business, get advice from our Business Setup Experts.
Choose your Mainland License type
Choose the best license type for your Dubai mainland company setup: Standard, Instant or DED Trader license:
- Sole Proprietorship – includes professional activities, owned by 1 person with unlimited financial liability.
- Civil Company – two or more partners practicing professional activity, having unlimited financial liability.
- Limited Liability Company (LLC) – includes commercial and industrial activities with at least 2 partners and can have up to 11 managers. Partners are only financially liable for the amount invested in the company.
- One – Person Limited Liability Company (LLC-SO) – includes commercial and industrial activities and is owned by 1 person or legal entity with limited liability up to the extent of share capital invested.
Choose the legal type applicable for your business
The following legal forms can be 100% owned by Foreign Investors:
Limited Liability Companies (LLC)
Private Joint Stock Companies (PJSC)
Civil Companies and Sole Proprietorship can be 100% owned by foreign investors
Provide your legal parties details and their applicable roles
- Make sure to provide partners details such as: ownership share, contact details – email ID and contact number, passport copy, EID and visa copy (if applicable).
- Note what will be the applicable parties’ roles: partners, managers local service agents (if any).
Choose company’s Trade Name
Provide at least 3 proposed company names. Besides not violating public morals or public order, the trade name must be compatible with the company’s legal status and type of activity. It must not contain the names of religions or governing authorities, nor the names or logos of external bodies, and must not be previously registered.
Apply for DED initial approvals
If the company’s name has been approved, you can apply for DED (Dubai Economic Department) initial approval, which is necessary for securing a commercial site lease contract or obtaining approval from other Authorities.
Apply for business activity approval (if required)
Some business activities require certain approvals from Authorities such as RTA (Roads and Transport Authority), Health Authority and others. Check if your business activities require special approval with our Business Setup Experts.
Obtain legal documents – MOA or LSA Agreement
- DED LLC companies will require a signed Memorandum of Association, signed electronically or in Notary public by all concerned parties.
- Sole Proprietorship will require a signed Local Service Agreement between the shareholder and local agent.
- Civil Company will require signed Memorandum of Civil Agreement in Notary public between all parties involved (company partners and local agent / sponsor).
Obtain your Office Lease Agreement
Minimum office/ commercial space requirement is 140 sq.m. Please note that there is a strong correlation between the size of the office and your visa eligibility in DED mainland companies.
Apply for DED Payment Voucher
This is the final voucher that will indicate the full license fees to be paid to obtain the issuance of the company’s license.
Final license and related documents issuance
Once the previous steps are completed, documents must be submitted to DED Authority to obtain the Dubai Mainland Trade License and other related documents for the company such as: commercial registry, shareholder’s details and Memorandum of Agreement. All of these documents are issued electronically.
Hear directly from our clients!
We can assist you register a mainland company in the UAE
The process of setting up and obtaining a Mainland License in the UAE can be lengthy, however, obtaining legal advice will streamline the process and help foreign companies determine the proper legal structure for their business.
You can rely on My Business Consulting DMCC for assistance in choosing the most efficient corporate structure for your mainland company and support through each step of the registration process, till your company is up and running in compliance with all UAE laws and regulations.
Besides helping your company to get started in the UAE, we provide support for visa applications, bank account opening, bookkeeping, and tax compliance.

Let us help you succeed in the UAE
Reach out to our experts to start a successful business in the UAE.