Company Registration in Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone - Business Starting & Setup

The Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ) is a strategic project of the Umm Al Quwain Government, seeking to encourage entrepreneurial initiatives and provide the necessary infrastructure for a successful business community. Just 45 minutes off Dubai International Airport, Umm Al Quwain is an example of a progressive outlook and prosperity in the UAE.

Establishing an onshore company implies the possibility of obtaining residence visas for shareholders/employees, as well as their families, which is an indisputable advantage. Moreover, economic substance for onshore companies is created by renting an office or a workstation at Flexi desk / Flexi office.

• Can use Latin characters.
• Must not be identical or similar to the name of an existing company.
• Must have an ending indicating the legal form (“FZE”).

Company registration in Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone includes the following steps:

1. Select a company name to be checked for availability (at least 2 names), the structure of the company (director, manager, secretary, member, and attorney) and type of licence (Industrial, General Trading, Commercial, Service);
2. Pay fees for services;
3. Provide the documents for directors / shareholders / attorneys (either originals or notarized copies);
4. Prepare and submit a set of documents for company registration, get the documents signed by the officers and shareholders of the company;
5. Receive the certificate of registration, articles and seal in the specified address.

The UAE does not have public company registries that would contain details of shareholders or directors. Information about free zone companies can only be obtained at the request of a local court.

The register of shareholders and directors of the company is not accessible to third parties.

Upon registration the company and the Free Zone authority sign an office lease agreement; the address of such office is considered the official registered office address of the company.

UAQ FTZ offers various office packages depending on the needs of clients in terms of type and number of licences, number of visas, the need for substance and placement in the Free Zone: from flexi desk and flexi office (a separate room or cell in the open space of first-class business centres) to warehouses and land plots.

Companies are required to have a common seal.

The redomiciliation of companies either to or from the UAE is permitted.

The director can be an individual. There are no requirements as to the residence of director.

The minimum number of directors is 1.

Details of directors are not accessible to public.

The manager can be an individual. There are no requirements as to the residence of manager.

The maximum number of managers is 1.

Details of the manager are not accessible to public.

UAQ FTZ companies must also have a secretary that can be either an individual or a legal entity. One person can simultaneously act as shareholder, director, secretary, manager and authorized representative of the company.

The minimum number of members/shareholders in the company is 1, maximum - 50. They can be individuals or legal entities, and there are no residency requirements.

Details of the shareholders are not accessible to public.

Despite that many jurisdictions consider creating a public register of beneficial owners, the UAE does not have one yet. This means that there is no open access to the beneficial ownership information. It is stored by a service provider, namely a company registration agent, trustees, lawyers, accountants and other professionals, subject to strict confidentiality. Information about the beneficial owner can only be disclosed to regulatory authorities (for example, during inspections for its availability) or by court order.

Minimum share capital - AED 300 000.

May differ for certain business activities.

The share capital cannot be denominated in any currency other than AED. A company is allowed to issue only one class of shares, of AED 1 000 or a multiple amount each.