Names
Setting up a company in the UAE mainland
A mainland company is licensed by the emirate's economic department and can trade anywhere in the UAE, including with government clients. The trade name is booked before the licence is issued, in English and in Arabic.
- Legal suffix
- LLC, Sole Establishment
- Domains
- .com and .ae
- Corporate tax
- 9% corporate tax on profit above AED 375,000
- Name check
- Invest in Dubai trade name booking
What it costs
| Formation | About AED 11,500 to 14,000 for a basic Dubai trade licence without visas, covering name booking, initial approval, licence fees and an Ejari-registered tenancy. |
|---|---|
| Every year | The licence renews every year at a cost close to the first-year licence fees, plus office rent. |
| Registered agent or local requirement | No registered agent. You need a physical office lease (Ejari), and most activities allow 100% foreign ownership. |
| Online portal | Yes. The Invest in Dubai portal handles the licence, renewals and certificates with UAE Pass. |
Certificates (good standing, incumbency and similar)
| Certificate of good standing or incumbency | About AED 500–1,000, usually issued in 1–3 working days |
|---|
Estimates checked October 2026. Government fees change and service providers charge on top, so confirm with the registry before you budget. Sources: Invest in Dubai.
Naming rules in the UAE mainland
The trade name must reflect your licensed activity, for example 'Atlas Technical Consultancy'. The generator flags these words with an orange or red tick:
- Needs approval Bank, Banking, Insurance, Insurer, Assurance, Reinsurance, Securities, Exchange, Fund, Funds. Regulated financial term. Needs approval from the financial regulator in most countries.
- Not allowed Allah, God, Holy, Mecca, Makkah, Vatican. Religious names and divine attributes are not allowed.
- Not allowed Sheikh, Royal, King, Prince, Ministry, Government, Federal, FBI. Names that suggest a royal, government or political body are refused.
- Needs approval Dubai, Emirates, Emirate, UAE, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, DXB, AUH, SHJ, DWC, GCC, Expo. UAE place names, emirates and airport codes are restricted.
- Not allowed International, Global (at the start of the name). A trade name cannot start with International, Global or Middle East.
- Needs approval Holding, Holdings, Group. Holding and Group are only allowed for holding or group companies.
- Needs approval Partners. Partners is only allowed for partnerships, joint ventures or subsidiaries.
- Needs approval Finance, Financial, Investment, Investments, Invest, Capital, Media, Advertising, Payment, Payments, Tax, VAT, Assets, Charity, Islamic. Only allowed if your licence covers that activity.
- Not allowed LLC, Ltd, Limited, FZE, FZCO, Inc, Corp, PLC, GmbH. Leave the legal form out of the name. The registry adds it.
These checks are a quick screen based on published guidance, not legal advice. The registry has the final say.
Jurisdictions at a glance
| Jurisdiction | Legal suffix | Domain | Headline corporate tax | Typical setup cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE Mainland | LLC, Sole Establishment | .ae | 9% corporate tax on profit above AED 375,000 | About AED 11,500–14,000 |
| UAE Free Zone (DMCC, IFZA, RAKEZ…) | FZ-LLC, FZCO, FZE, DMCC | .ae | 0% on qualifying income, 9% on the rest | From about AED 6,000 |
| DIFC (Dubai) | Limited, Ltd | .ae | 0% on qualifying income, 9% on the rest | About AED 100,000 year one |
| ADGM (Abu Dhabi) | Ltd, Limited | .ae | 0% on qualifying income, 9% on the rest | About US$6,300 |
| Saudi Arabia | LLC | .sa | 20% on foreign-owned profit, 2.5% zakat on Saudi and GCC shares | About SAR 15,000 in fees |
| Qatar (QFC) | LLC | .qa | 10% on locally sourced profit | US$500 application |
| Bahrain | W.L.L., S.P.C. | .bh | No general corporate tax (oil and gas and large multinationals aside) | About BHD 250–450 in fees |
| United Kingdom | Ltd, Limited | .co.uk | 19% to 25% corporation tax | £100 |
| Ireland | Limited, DAC | .ie | 12.5% on trading income | €50 |
| Estonia (e-Residency) | OÜ | .ee | 0% on retained profit, 22% on distributed profit | €265 + e-Residency |
| Netherlands | B.V. | .nl | 19% up to €200,000, then 25.8% | €500–1,500 notary |
| Germany | GmbH, UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | .de | About 30% combined corporate and trade tax | About €600 + capital |
| Cyprus | Ltd, Limited | .com.cy | 15% corporate tax (from 2026) | Low registrar fees |
| USA: Delaware | Inc., LLC, Corp. | .us | 21% federal, no Delaware income tax if you don't operate there | $109–110 |
| USA: Wyoming | LLC | .us | 21% federal, no state income tax | $100 |
| Singapore | Pte. Ltd. | .com.sg | 17% headline, with partial exemptions for new companies | S$315 |
| Hong Kong | Limited | .com.hk | 8.25% on the first HK$2 million, then 16.5% | About HK$3,900 |
| British Virgin Islands | Ltd, Limited, Inc. | .vg | 0% | $550 + agent |
| Cayman Islands | Ltd | .ky | 0% | About $5,000 with a provider |
How to choose a company name that gets approved
- Check the register first: names identical or very close to an existing company are refused.
- Avoid regulated words such as Bank, Insurance, Capital or Trust unless you hold the licence.
- In the Gulf, avoid religious, royal or government terms and place names such as Dubai or Emirates.
- In the UK, sensitive words such as British, Royal, Charity or Institute need prior approval.
- Secure the .com and the country domain on the same day you reserve the name.
The rule checks are a quick screen based on published guidance, not legal advice. The registry has the final say.
Information only. CorpNameCheck does not give tax, legal or company-registration advice. Costs, rules and tax rates are simplified estimates that change over time. Many activities need a licence or regulatory approval, and only the relevant registry or regulator can confirm what applies to you. Check name availability and trademarks with the official bodies before you register or buy a domain. Full disclaimer