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About Us: Independent Gulf Business Formation Research

What We Cover

Explore the scope of our independent business setup guides across the Gulf region.

Our Mission

The Dubai Setup exists to provide clear, accurate, and comprehensive information about setting up businesses in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries,specifically the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. We are an independent informational resource, not a business setup company, consultancy, or service provider.

The Gulf's business formation landscape is fragmented across dozens of government authorities, free zones, and regulatory frameworks. Entrepreneurs researching their options face a confusing mix of government portals, setup company sales pages, and outdated forum posts. Our goal is to consolidate this information into a single, neutral, well-sourced reference that presents the facts without steering readers toward any particular service provider or jurisdiction.

We believe that entrepreneurs make better decisions when they understand the full picture: the actual government fees (not inflated quotes from intermediaries), the real timelines (not optimistic estimates), the genuine advantages and disadvantages of each formation route, and the ongoing compliance obligations that follow incorporation.

About the Author

Mottalib Radif

Mottalib Radif

MBA, INSEAD · Business Formation Enthusiast

Mottalib Radif is the founder and primary author of The Dubai Setup. With an MBA from INSEAD and extensive experience in the Gulf region's business and regulatory landscape, Mottalib created this platform to help entrepreneurs, startups, and established companies understand company formation in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. His approach prioritises factual accuracy, source transparency, and editorial independence over commercial promotion.

Our Methodology

The information on The Dubai Setup is researched and compiled using a combination of primary and secondary sources. Our approach includes:

  • Official government sources: We reference company laws, ministerial decisions, free zone regulations, and government fee schedules directly. For the UAE, our primary sources include Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 (Commercial Companies Law), the UAE Corporate Tax Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022), and individual free zone authority publications. For Saudi Arabia, we reference the Companies Law (M/3 of 2022), MISA regulations, and ZATCA circulars. For Qatar, we reference the Commercial Companies Law (No. 11 of 2015), QFC regulations, and QFZA guidelines.
  • Government portals: We verify fee schedules, application procedures, and requirements against the current published information on official government and free zone websites.
  • Professional publications: We cross-reference our content with publications from established law firms, accounting firms (the Big Four), and consulting firms operating in the Gulf to ensure our descriptions of regulatory frameworks are consistent with professional practice.
  • Market data: Office rental costs, service provider fees, and other market-rate data are based on published listings and industry surveys from commercial real estate platforms and business services providers.

Editorial Independence

The Dubai Setup is editorially independent. We do not accept payment from business setup companies, free zones, or government authorities in exchange for favourable coverage. Our content presents the advantages and disadvantages of each formation route objectively, based on published facts and regulations. When we compare jurisdictions, we base our analysis on verifiable criteria,tax rates, fees, ownership rules, market access, regulatory frameworks,not on commercial relationships.

We do not recommend specific business setup companies, PROs, law firms, or consultancies. Our guides are designed to give you the knowledge to evaluate service providers yourself, ask informed questions, and make decisions based on your specific business needs rather than sales presentations.

Accuracy and Limitations

While we strive for accuracy and regularly update our content, readers should be aware of the following limitations:

  • Business regulations in the Gulf are evolving rapidly. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are all actively reforming their commercial frameworks. We update our content to reflect changes as they are published, but there may be a delay between regulatory changes and updates on our site.
  • Government fee schedules are subject to change without advance notice. The fees quoted on our site reflect the most recent published schedules at the time of writing.
  • Free zone regulations and fee structures vary by zone and may change. Individual free zones may offer promotional pricing, waive certain fees, or introduce new packages that are not reflected in our general descriptions.
  • Our tools and calculators provide estimates for informational purposes only. They do not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice.
  • The specific requirements for your business may differ from the general descriptions in our guides, depending on your activity type, nationality, corporate structure, and the jurisdiction you choose.

For decisions involving significant financial commitments, we recommend engaging a qualified legal advisor, tax consultant, or licensed business setup professional with expertise in the specific country and jurisdiction you are targeting.

Countries We Cover

Our coverage focuses on the three largest and most active business formation markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council:

United Arab Emirates

The UAE is the most popular destination for company formation in the Middle East, with over 45 free zones, a well-established mainland licensing system, 100% foreign ownership for most activities (since 2020), and a 9% corporate tax rate introduced in June 2023. Our UAE guides cover mainland vs free zone decisions, free zone comparisons (DMCC, JAFZA, DIFC, ADGM, IFZA, and others), detailed cost breakdowns, visa options (including the Golden Visa), and the corporate tax and VAT compliance framework. We provide specific cost data in AED with EUR equivalents (~€) to help European entrepreneurs budget accurately.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia offers the GCC's largest domestic market and the most ambitious economic transformation under Vision 2030. Our Saudi guides cover MISA foreign investment licensing, the Companies Law (Royal Decree M/3 of 2022), Saudization (Nitaqat) requirements, the dual tax/Zakat system (20% CIT on foreign-owned profits, 2.5% Zakat on Saudi-owned shares), 15% VAT, Special Economic Zones (KAEC, NEOM, Jazan, Ras Al Khair), and the Regional Headquarters Program. We provide costs in SAR with EUR equivalents using the rate of 1 EUR = 4.08 SAR.

Qatar

Qatar is the smallest but wealthiest per-capita market in our coverage, with a unique three-way formation choice: mainland (MOCI), Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), and Qatar Free Zones (QFZ). Our Qatar guides cover the QFC's English common law framework, the absence of VAT (unique in the GCC), the 10% corporate tax, permanent residency options, and the two operational free zones at Umm Alhoul and Ras Bufontas. We provide costs in QAR with EUR equivalents using the rate of 1 EUR = 3.97 QAR.

How We Differ from Business Setup Companies

The Gulf business formation market is dominated by setup companies and PRO services that earn fees by facilitating the formation process. While these companies provide valuable services, their content is inherently oriented toward encouraging formation,they have a commercial interest in making the process seem accessible and affordable. Our approach is different in several important ways.

First, we present the full cost picture, including hidden and overlooked costs that setup companies rarely mention upfront. Bank minimum balance requirements, annual audit fees, corporate tax compliance costs, health insurance mandates, and ongoing PRO charges are all documented transparently in our guides. Second, we present disadvantages alongside advantages. When a free zone has limitations (such as difficulty opening bank accounts, restricted activity lists, or limited visa allocations), we note these clearly. Third, we never suggest that business formation is simpler or cheaper than it actually is. The Gulf's regulatory frameworks are complex, and pretending otherwise does entrepreneurs a disservice. Our goal is to prepare you for the reality, not to generate leads for a formation service.

Data Updates

Content on The Dubai Setup is reviewed and updated periodically. The date of the last review is indicated on each page. Our current content is based on regulations and market conditions as of 2026-06-24. We aim to update all pages within 30 days of any material regulatory change in the covered countries.

Other Projects

The Dubai Setup is part of a family of Gulf-focused informational websites:

  • Tax Free Salaries,salary data, employment calculators, and take-home pay guides for the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
  • Arabia Expat,relocation guides, employee work visas, and expat life in the Gulf.
  • UAE Price Index,property prices, office space costs, and real estate data across the Gulf.

Contact

For corrections, suggestions, or media enquiries, please reach out through our contact channels. We particularly welcome reports of outdated information, incorrect fee schedules, or regulatory changes that we have not yet reflected in our content. Accuracy is our highest priority.

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