Interactive Tool

UAE jurisdiction
selector.

Five questions to identify the appropriate UAE jurisdiction for your structure — across mainland, Free Zone, DIFC, ADGM, VARA, CBUAE, CMA and RAKEZ. Indicative only; full structuring requires regulator, tax and operational analysis.

Step 1 of 5

What is the primary purpose of the entity?

Select the option that best describes the main activity. We will refine based on later answers.

A
Financial services
Asset management, broker-dealer, banking, payments, fund management, lending.
B
Virtual assets / Web3
Exchange, custody, broker-dealer for crypto, token issuance, DeFi infrastructure, NFT marketplace.
C
Family office / wealth holding
UHNW family-office, foundation, succession-planning structure, private wealth platform.
D
Operating business / commercial
Trading, services, consulting, e-commerce, manufacturing, real-estate, professional services.
E
Holding company / SPV
Group holding entity, IP-holding SPV, investment-vehicle, JV vehicle.
F
Tech startup / innovation
Early-stage technology business, SaaS, AI, fintech proof-of-concept, lean operating model.
Step 2 of 5

Where are your primary customers?

UAE-mainland-facing businesses generally need mainland presence; international-facing businesses have more freedom.

A
UAE mainland
B2B/B2C delivery into UAE-onshore market; UAE-domestic clients.
B
International
Customers outside the UAE; cross-border services, exports, international clients.
C
Institutional / professional
Banks, asset managers, sovereign wealth funds, listed corporates, family offices.
D
Both mainland and international
Mixed customer base; hybrid structure may be appropriate.
Step 3 of 5

What level of substance do you expect?

Real premises, employees and operational presence drive both regulator expectations and tax-residency strength.

A
Holding-only / passive
No employees; passive asset-holding, IP-holding, SPV. Substance via director presence.
B
Small operating team (1-10)
Founder + small team; lean operational presence.
C
Medium scale (10-50)
Functional teams; real premises and senior decision-making in UAE.
D
Large scale (50+)
Significant operational scale; multi-functional team and infrastructure.
Step 4 of 5

What is the ownership profile?

100% foreign ownership available in most modern UAE jurisdictions; some legacy mainland activities still require Emirati participation.

A
100% foreign-owned
Foreign shareholders only; no UAE-national partner.
B
Mixed (foreign + UAE)
Foreign and UAE-national shareholders / partners.
C
UAE-national-owned
100% UAE-national shareholders.
D
Listed / multi-jurisdiction group
Part of a publicly-listed group or multi-jurisdiction holding structure.
Step 5 of 5

What are your future plans?

Forward-looking considerations — IPO, investor entry, Pillar Two scope, PRC outbound — shape the optimal jurisdiction today.

A
Organic growth
Build the business; no near-term capital event or restructure planned.
B
IPO within 2-3 years
Public-listing pathway on DFM, ADX, Nasdaq Dubai, or international exchange.
C
Investor / VC entry
External capital raise; institutional investors entering the cap table.
D
Pillar Two scope (group ≥ EUR 750M)
Part of a multinational within OECD Pillar Two framework; substance-driven structure.
E
PRC / China outbound
Chinese principals using the UAE as their international platform; ODI considerations.
Recommended jurisdiction

Key considerations

    Need a full structuring review?

    This tool gives an indicative direction. The optimal structure depends on regulator interaction, tax-residency, substance and operational design — all of which need integrated review.

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