DED · mainland
Dubai Department of Economic Development
Why this zone
This is not a free zone. It is the ordinary regime, and the only one that lets you invoice the UAE domestic market directly without a distributor. Since 2021, 100 % foreign ownership is possible for most activities.
What to watch for
A registered commercial lease is mandatory: no flexi-desk, no address-only option. That is the real cost of the mainland, and it is structurally higher than a free zone.
Fee breakdown
The zone's schedule covers the licence, the establishment card and visa processing, billed separately. The itemised figures appear in your quote, after scoping.
Suited activities
- Selling into the UAE domestic market
- Public procurement
- Food service and retail
- Any activity requiring premises
Banking
Very good. A mainland company is the best regarded of all by UAE banks.
Twenty minutes to frame your project, and start it now.
Free, with no conditions. We tell you at the end what we would do in your place — including building nothing at all, or staying where you are. The answer is often no, and we would rather say so before billing anything.
- Which jurisdiction holds for your case — and which would not.
- What it truly costs in year one, and the year after.
- What can make it fail, and at which point it happens.
Free, no commitment · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 1am Central European time — that is until 7pm in New York. French and English.