Holding Company in the UAE

Key points

In short, one of the reasons we recommend the UAE is its Dubai address, which matters more than most founders realise once the business is running. To be clear, strong track record for UAE bank account approvals. Popular activities in the UAE include trading, services, technology, consultancy and manufacturing, and most of them can be combined on a single licence.

Step by step

1. 
   Step 1

   Consultation and activity selection

   We confirm that your activity is available in the UAE, choose the licence type and agree the visa package and office option that match your plan. This is also the point at which we answer any question specific to starting a holding company in the UAE.

2. 
   Step 2

   Name reservation and initial approval

   Put simply, we submit your preferred trade names to the UAE and secure initial approval, normally within a day or two of submission.

3. 
   Step 3

   Document submission and payment

   You sign the application forms and memorandum, we submit the attested documents and the licence fee is paid to the authority. Nothing is submitted for starting a holding company in the UAE until you have reviewed and approved it.

4. 
   Step 4

   Licence issued and next steps

   Once the the UAE licence and company papers are released, we move immediately to the immigration file, residence visas and the bank meeting.

Documents required

Gather these documents and GoldenKey will take care of the rest of starting a holding company in the UAE.

• A short business plan or activity description for certain professional activities
• Proof of address such as a utility bill or bank statement, requested by some zones
• Group structure chart
• The UAE entry stamp or visa page if you are already in the country
• A no-objection certificate from your employer if you hold a UAE employment visa
• Attested parent-company documents and a board resolution if the shareholder is a company

Pricing

From day one, use the table below to compare packages for starting a holding company in the UAE; we will confirm the exact total for your case in a written quotation. The figures below for starting a holding company in the UAE are updated by GoldenKey whenever the authority changes its fees, so the price you see is the current one.

Where to license holding company

Holding structures are commonly set up in free zones or as offshore companies to consolidate ownership, simplify succession and benefit from the UAE's 0% corporate tax on qualifying dividends and capital gains.

IFZA Free ZoneDubai's fastest-growing free zone — multi-activity licence…DMCC Free ZoneWorld's #1 free zone — the premium choice for commodity tr…RAKEZRAK's all-in-one economic zone — business, industrial and …Ajman Free ZoneOne of the UAE's most affordable free zones — 0-visa packa…Ajman mainlandGoldenKey's home emirate — one of the most affordable main…

Examples of this activity

• Group holding
• Property holding
• IP holding
• Family office

Holding Company guides by nationality

IndianPakistaniBritishRussianChineseNigerianSaudiEgyptianKenyanGermanSingaporeanOmaniFrenchItalianSpanishPortugueseDutchBelgianSwissAustrianSwedishNorwegianDanishFinnishIcelandicIrishPolishCzechSlovakHungarianRomanianBulgarianGreekCroatianSerbianSlovenianUkrainianEstonianLatvianLithuanianAmericanCanadianAustralianNew ZealanderJapaneseSouth KoreanTurkishMalaysianIndonesianThaiVietnameseFilipinoBangladeshiSouth AfricanEmiratiQatari

Why the UAE

Banking, logistics, telecoms and digital government services in the UAE are among the most advanced in the region, which keeps the running costs of starting a holding company in the UAE predictable. The dirham has been pegged to the US dollar since 1997, which removes currency risk for starting a holding company in the UAE and makes international pricing simple.

Why GoldenKey

For most clients, we will tell you plainly if the UAE is not the right choice for your plan and point you to a better option, even when that option costs less. Put simply, if a document is missing or an approval is delayed on your the UAE file, we tell you immediately and explain the fix, rather than letting the application sit. Our office is a short drive from the Ajman Free Zone, Ajman DED and the immigration centre, so physical submissions for starting a holding company in the UAE happen the same day they are ready.

Frequently asked questions