Welcome to AW Consultancy UAE

Dubai Mainland Company Formation

Our team provides optimal company formation in Dubai mainland, recommending the best legal structure tailored to your business needs and investment budget.

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Ease of doing business

Easy approval processes, flexible regulatory procedures, and quick timelines rewrite

Business opportunities

Possibility to participate in private and government tenders

100% foreign ownership

For the activities included into DED list of approved activities

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Mainland company legal form

Select the most appropriate legal form for your mainland company in the UAE

Legal forms available under the Instant License include:

  • Sole Proprietorship – For professional activities, owned by one individual with unlimited financial liability.

  • Civil Company – Two or more partners practicing professional activities, all with unlimited financial liability.

  • Limited Liability Company (LLC) – For commercial and industrial activities, requires at least two partners, up to 11 managers; liability is limited to capital invested.

  • One-Person LLC (LLC-SO) – For commercial and industrial activities, owned by a single individual or legal entity with liability limited to the invested share capital.

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How to obtain a Mainland License in Dubai

Company formation steps in Dubai mainland

To start a Dubai mainland business, company formation typically takes up to 21 working days, depending on approvals and activity type.
Understanding the mainland company setup cost and licensing steps is key to a smooth and successful launch.

Step 1 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.

Step 2 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.

he 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

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).
Step 5 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.

Step 6 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.

Step 7 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.

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).
Step 9 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.

Step 10 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.