The UAE Business Licensing Guide
Trade, professional, industrial and e-commerce licences — which one you actually need.
The four licence families
Trade (buying/selling goods), Professional (services and consultancy), Industrial (manufacturing), E-commerce (online-only).
How to choose
Your licence dictates your VAT profile, banking narrative and hiring quota. Choose based on how you'll actually invoice, not on what sounds impressive.
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- Company FormationMainland, Free Zone, Offshore, branch and representative office setup across the UAE and GCC.
- Corporate AdvisoryStructuring, M&A, shareholder restructuring and expansion advisory for boards and founders.
- Banking and PRO ServicesCorporate bank accounts, payments, visas, Emirates ID and government liaison.
Country guides
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