Activity
Thousands
You choose from the Department of Economic Development's defined activity list.
Mainland
Doing business
anywhere in the UAE.
A mainland company is licensed by the relevant emirate's Department of Economic Development. Unlike a free zone, there is no restriction on where or with whom you trade.
Location
Unrestricted
You can sell anywhere in the UAE and open branches.
Government
Open
You can bid for public tenders and serve government entities directly.
Visas
No ceiling
There is no upper limit on visas; allocation is linked to your office space.
When mainland is the answer
A free zone is enough for a great many businesses. Mainland becomes necessary when:
- You will sell directly to end customers inside the UAE — a retail shop, restaurant, café or gym.
- You will serve government entities or bid for public tenders.
- You want a physical network of branches across emirates.
- Your activity cannot be licensed in a free zone, or is restricted there.
- Your visa requirement exceeds what free zone packages allocate.
Ownership and local partners
It used to be that a limited liability company on the mainland required a local partner holding 51%. That rule has changed: today 100% foreign ownership is possible for most commercial and industrial activities.
A local partner requirement remains in strategic sectors such as oil and gas, defence and certain security fields. If you are forming a professional company, no local partner is needed; you appoint a local service agent (LSA), who represents you in official dealings and holds no share in the business.
Must know
Which activities allow 100% ownership varies by emirate and activity code, and the list is updated. Before applying we confirm the current position for your activity with the relevant department — we don't proceed on an assumption.
Moving from free zone to mainland
Some companies that incorporate in a free zone and grow later move to the mainland, or take a second mainland licence, to reach the domestic market. It is a manageable transition; we review the existing structure and work out which route — conversion, second licence or branch — suits you.
Mainland setup checklist
01
Choose the activity
From the Department of Economic Development's defined list: trading, industry, services, hospitality and more.
02
Choose the location
There is no location restriction on the mainland. For import-export, proximity to a port matters; for retail, footfall does.
03
Choose the legal structure
Limited liability company, sole establishment or professional company. Liability and shareholding follow from this.
04
Local partner or LSA, if required
A local partner in strategic sectors; only a local service agent for a professional company.
05
Settle the trade name
Name rules are strict and a full personal name is required if a name is used. The department registers the trade name.
06
Apply for the licence
The application is submitted with shareholding and ownership documents and, where required, the memorandum.
07
Resolve office space
Fitted, semi-fitted or shell and core. The tenancy contract must be registered (Ejari).
08
Open the visas
Visa allocation is linked to your office space. You can also sponsor your dependants.
Mainland or free zone?
Tell us where your customer is; the answer usually falls out of that.