Company Formation Guides

The main Sharjah free zones compared by starting price, visas, setup time and best-fit business, plus how Sharjah compares with Dubai.

What FZE, FZCO, FZ-LLC and mainland LLC mean, how many shareholders each allows, which free zones issue which form, and how to pick the right one.

This guide covers how free zone setup works from start to finish and how to narrow 40+ options down to the one that fits.

All 22 UAE free zones ranked by published starting price, with and without a visa, plus what the headline price leaves out and how to choose without overpaying.

How UK tax residence really works when you move to Dubai: the Statutory Residence Test, split-year treatment, telling HMRC you have left, the five-year temporary non-residence rule, the UK–UAE treaty and UAE corporate tax.

The order UK founders should move to Dubai in: UK tax residence, company setup, residence visa, Emirates ID, banking and family, with real timelines and costs.

A clear, answer-first guide to setting up a company in the UAE in 2026 - the seven steps, real starting costs, realistic timelines and how to choose between free zone, mainland and offshore.

For most business activities, you no longer need a local Emirati sponsor in the UAE. Since the 2021 Commercial Companies Law reforms, 100% foreign ownership is allowed for most mainland activities, and free zones have always permitted it. A limited set of activities still requires an Emirati partner or a Local Service Agent — here's how to tell which applies to you.

A founder's guide to picking the right UAE free zone for crypto and Web3, split by whether your activity is regulated or not. Covers RAK DAO, DMCC, ADGM, DIFC and Dubai's VARA, with candid cost and approval expectations.

A ranked, cost-anchored guide to the best UAE free zones for consultants and professional-services businesses in 2026, covering Meydan, IFZA, SHAMS, Ajman and RAKEZ. Explains what asset-light consultants actually need and how to pick by type and budget.

A ranked, cost-anchored guide to the best UAE free zones for trading companies in 2026, matching JAFZA, DMCC, RAKEZ, Meydan, IFZA, SHAMS and Ajman to importers, commodity traders and asset-light general traders. Covers the trading activity, customs code, warehousing and bank account every trader needs.

A ranked, cost-anchored guide to the best UAE free zones for e-commerce in 2026 — matching Dubai CommerCity, Meydan, IFZA, SHAMS, Ajman and RAKEZ to your selling model.

What it really costs to set up a company in Dubai in 2026 - licence, visas, office and the hidden fees - with real free zone and mainland price ranges.

Meydan Free Zone licences start from AED 12,500 with up to 6 visas available. Here's what the packages include.

IFZA gives you a Dubai address for AED 20,000–22,000 in year one. SHAMS gives you a Sharjah address for AED 14,000–18,000. Here's the comparison.

DMCC costs AED 30,000–60,000 in year one. IFZA costs AED 20,000–30,000. We explain the difference so you can make a decision.

This guide covers what IFZA costs today, how the process works, what activities are supported, and where IFZA falls short compared to other options.

Dubai Silicon Oasis licenses start from AED 12,000. Here's the cost of setting up in DSO, what the tech park ecosystem includes, and who should choose it over other Dubai free zones.

Ajman Free Zone license packages start from AED 6,000. We cover the first-year cost, what each package includes, who AFZ works for, and how it compares with Dubai and Sharjah zones.

SHAMS trade license costs start from AED 5,750. Here's what that includes, and how to decide if Sharjah Media City is right for you.

Side-by-side comparison of cost, visa quotas, timelines, and best-fit use cases across 10+ zones.

How the 9% tax works, what qualifies for 0%, and how to structure your setup correctly from day one.

Residence visas, family sponsorship, Golden Visa eligibility, and the full application process.

Commercial, professional, industrial, e-commerce, and freelance, what each covers and when you need which.

Full breakdown of ownership, tax, repatriation, and operational advantages, and where the limits are.

Three routes, different trade-offs. A clear framework to help you pick the right one.