UAE Mainland Company Setup & DED Licensing

A UAE Mainland company is licensed by the Department of Economic Development (DED) in one of the seven emirates. Until 2021, mainland companies in most sectors required a 51% UAE national sponsor — that requirement has been largely abolished for the bulk of commercial activities, giving foreign entrepreneurs 100% ownership for the first time in UAE history.

Mainland is the right choice when your business needs to operate directly within the UAE market — invoicing UAE clients, retail or hospitality operations, bidding on government contracts, or managing significant physical operations in the country. Salient handles DED licensing, MOA drafting, Ejari registration, and (where still required) local agent arrangements end to end.

What you get

Direct UAE market access — trade with any UAE customer, no distributor needed
100% foreign ownership for most commercial activities since the 2021 reform
Eligibility to bid on UAE government contracts
Unlimited residency visas, scaled to office size
DED licensing — activity registration, trade name reservation, license issuance
MOA drafting in compliance with UAE Commercial Companies Law
Ejari registration and office lease coordination
Corporate tax compliance — 0% on first AED 375K, 9% above

How we work

1
Activity and ownership review
We confirm your activity is eligible for 100% foreign ownership (most are). For specific regulated activities still requiring a local agent, we arrange a service agent (not a 51% partner).
2
Trade name and initial approval
We reserve your trade name with DED and obtain initial approval — typically 3–5 days.
3
MOA, lease and Ejari
We draft the Memorandum of Association, coordinate your office lease, and register Ejari with the relevant land department.
4
License issuance
We submit final documentation, pay DED fees, and obtain your commercial license. Typical timeline: 14–21 days total.
5
Visas, banking, compliance
Establishment Card, residency visas, corporate bank account, VAT registration, and ongoing compliance handled.

Talk to a senior advisor

Free 30-minute strategy call. No obligation. Fully confidential.

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Frequently asked questions

For most commercial activities, no — the 51% requirement was abolished in 2021. Some regulated activities (legal, certain professional services, defense, oil & gas) still require a local service agent, but the agent has no equity stake.

If your customers are UAE-based or you need to bid on government work, choose mainland. If your customers are international and you don't need physical UAE operations, free zone is usually more cost-efficient.

UAE Mainland companies are subject to 9% corporate tax on taxable income above AED 375,000. Income below that threshold is 0%. We help structure to optimize the tax position where legitimate.

Yes — UAE banks are very comfortable with mainland entities since they have a clear physical presence and DED license. We handle introductions to the right banker.

Typically 14–21 days from KYC completion to license issuance. Visas and banking add another 2–4 weeks.

Mainland setup typically ranges from $6,000 to $20,000+ depending on activity, office requirements, and visa count. We provide a fixed-fee quote on the strategy call.

Mainland is the right choice when UAE customers, retail, or government contracts are central. For most international-facing businesses, we recommend a Free Zone setup instead. Read our comparison guide for the full breakdown.