When I decided to launch my trading company in Dubai, I was certain about my business idea; the trade itself: importing/exporting/distributing – knowing where to buy the items I needed to sell – knowing where I would find customers who would purchase them from me – plus knowing that there was great potential for creating more opportunities.
But what I wasn’t certain about at all was how to legally establish the business.
Should I choose the mainland or the free zone? Which kind of trade licence do I require for the business? How many visa applications do I need to prepare? What the heck is a pro, and do I really need one? I had so many questions regarding what would be necessary for me to successfully set up my business in Dubai; however, the few questions that I successfully found answers to while conducting my research on the internet opened up a whole new can of worms.
How I Finally Recognized My Need for Help
For two weeks, I attempted to work through the process of setting up my business by myself. I accessed one government website, was redirected to another site, downloaded outdated documentation and received a wide range of different instructions by well-intentioned people I know who established their own businesses long ago under rules that don’t exist today.
The business climate of the U.A.E. is constantly changing. There are new regulations coming out on a regular basis and online portals are frequently changing. The process your friend went through in 2019 may no longer be relevant to the current process.
I had wasted a lot of time before I realized I had not even begun to establish my business.
I was not looking for someone to do the work for me but rather I need someone to explain what type of work needed to be done and in what order, before I could even begin to complete any of the work associated with establishing a business in the U.A.E.
The Initial Call with DocsandBiz: All Was Made Clear
The first call was totally different to the other calls I had made to the various service providers regarding my mainland trading licence.
They did not use jargon. I was not given vast amounts of information in the form of brochures explaining the services they offered. DocsandBiz simply answered my questions – directly and with clear concise answers – showing me exactly what a mainland trading licence involves, why it was appropriate for my import-export business and how long the whole process takes, realistic timescales, how much everything costs and what is required from me.
They explained to me:
- The categories of trading licence that are applicable to my business,
- The quantity of employee visas I am entitled to have on the first day,
- What documentation I need to have prepared and in what order,
- Which government agencies will be dealing with my case and why,
- What PRO services will represent me and act on my behalf during the process.
In under an hour on the phone with DocsandBiz I had more clarity than I did in 2 weeks researching on my own.
Practice of PRO Services
I did not think that DocsandBiz had that much to offer me in terms of PRO Services when I first started using them. I initially thought that PRO Services were simply going to be about helping me file my documents (i.e. file my trade license), but the services were much more than that and offered my business more value.
As I went through the process of setting up my business, and after I had set up my business, there were some major things that DocsandBiz assisted me with:Initial trade licence application with DED
- Filling and submitting my initial application for a trade license with the Department of Economic Development (ŗDDL)
- Creating and signing my Memorandum of Association (MOA) and getting it notarized by the Notary Public and ŗÉD1)
- Processing employment visa applications for my two first employees
- Getting Emirates ID Cards for my two first employees and organizing their medical tests
- Submitting a Labour Card application to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE)
- Registering my business place with Ejari
- Confirming the signature of my suppliers’ agreements
- Notifying and finalising the renewal of my trade license.
Each one of these tasks has different regulations and fee schedules and was processed through a different portal. My time was focused on generating sales and building relationships with my suppliers, while DocsandBiz kept me compliant.
The part no one mentions: Continuous compliance
Most articles on starting a business in the UAE are focused on getting the licence to start up — but what happens after the initial licence is issued is not always fully examined.
Trade licences must be renewed each year, visas have a specific period of validity, changes to staff must be reflected within the labour file, and any changes to the company’s activity must be approved by the respective governing body. If a deadline is missed — even by a few days — fines will start accruing.
Working with DocsandBiz as my ongoing PRO partner relieves me of having to manually track all of those requirements on my own. They will notify me of upcoming renewals, prepare docs for each renewal, and submit for approvals in time before deadlines are missed. I receive notifications of all of the above without having to check on the status of any renewal or approval.
As a small trading company where I perform the functions of the sales team, operations manager, and accounting department; having this level of support is not an option. It is a necessity.
What I’d Advise to Any Entrepreneur Who is Thinking of Dubai.
Dubai truly is one of the best places in the world to run a business. It has fantastic infrastructure, a truly international market, and the government really has made an effort to make it easier for businesses to set up and operate.
There is still however a system to follow i.e. there are guidelines, deadlines, and penalties for getting it wrong.
My honest advice to you would be as follows:
- Do not try and do your own PRO work unless you have the time and good Arabic language skills.
- Do not rely on old contact advice from someone who set up years ago.
- Do not choose your PRO provider based on price alone; choose based on communication and reliability.
- Do request a clear breakdown of what is included, what the Government’s fees are, and what the timeline looks like.
DocsandBiz delivered on all of those points. They made sure I launched my business, on time, had no issues with complying, and the process was clear to me.
Last Thoughts
I came into this experience with a lot of knowledge on my industry, but when it came to setting up business in the UAE, I had no clue what to do! DocsandBiz provided me with everything I needed to get started, but most importantly they were a partner who genuinely took the time to explain each step along the way.
If you are in the same position as I was, where you are confident in your idea/prospect but do not know where to start, reach out to DocsandBiz. It will cost you nothing, but can change everything.
Author info :
Muhammed Fajis k
