How to Set Up a Management Consultancy in the UAE

Establishing a management consultancy enterprise in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) offers excellent prospects owing to its prospering economy and vibrant business environment. The UAE, known for its strategic geographical location, friendly business environment, and advanced infrastructure, offers an ideal platform for ambitious entrepreneurs to launch and expand their consultancy services.

However, successfully establishing a business in the UAE demands meticulous preparation, compliance with regulatory obligations, and smart decision-making. Setting up a management consultancy business in the UAE, particularly with a license from SPC FZ, offers numerous advantages and opportunities. By obtaining a license with SPC FZ, you gain access to up to four business activities under a single license.

Here, you can find detailed information about the four business activities that you can select under your license when you choose to set up your management consultancy business in the UAE.

7020.00 Management consultancy activities

This category covers management consultancy activities, which comprise a range of services with the objective of equipping organizations and clients with expert advice and operational support across various parameters in the space of management. When it comes to strategic planning, consultants are there to help clients set attainable goals and devise effective methods to reach them.
Additionally, these experts provide valuable perspectives on financial decision-making focusing on cost-effective strategies, budget planning, and optimising revenues. Other key factors in management consulting include creating marketing policies and objectives that can bolster their competitive edge and efficiently engage their intended demographics. They also offer support in the realm of human resource policies and best practices to recruit, retain, and cultivate personnel.
In general, the activities of management consulting are of the utmost importance in assisting public services and enterprises to overcome complex management challenges, increase efficiency, and achieve sustainable growth.

7020.13: Project Management Services

The project management service is an activity offered to businesses that require support and guidance for projects from inception until the date they are completed. This is an essential process that helps businesses manage their resources and achieve their goals with a structured plan. This activity helps with strategic planning, operational execution, financial decision-making, and marketing goals. These are primarily tailored to meet the needs of projects with hands-on assistance across various domains to achieve business objectives.
Usually, companies that specialize in management consulting offer this kind of service. In most cases, they work closely with businesses to improve planning, efficiency, and control across all facets of their operations by working to ensure projects are completed within set timelines.

7020.11: Strategy advisory services

Strategy advisory services, another component of management consultancy services, are essential in supporting businesses and organizations to effectively manage their operations through difficult obstacles. A management or business consulting firm that is specialized in this type of service provides advice, guidance, and operational assistance in key decision areas such as strategic and organizational planning, decisions in financial management, marketing strategies, human resource policies, and production scheduling. This expertise extends to offering insights and frameworks to enhance planning, organization, efficiency, and control across various facets of operations.
For example, an organization may require business strategy consulting to target a new market or audience. Consultants specialized in this activity provide advice on business decisions using deep insights to deliver and achieve desired results.
In an unbiased fashion, these management consultants guide organizations to optimize their decision-making processes that drive sustainable growth. More importantly, it enables them to make more informed decisions and reach higher levels of success.

7020.01: Marketing, public relations, and communication consultancy

This activity covers marketing, public relations, and communication consultancy to help clients with a wide range of management issues by giving them advice, direction, and operational support. These activities encompass the services offered by management consulting firms, including organizational planning, managing financial decisions, and policies that overlook human resource and marketing objectives, among others.

The activities pertaining to public relations and communication include the creation and execution of effective communication strategies and managing media relations, which also play a pivotal role in crisis management. These activities are essential for clients who aim to enhance the company’s public image. For example, when a client has decided to launch a new product or service, a consultant supports the development of a marketing strategy to target the right audience, with the right intent, choose the correct communication channels, and develop the proper messages that can be used for promotions.

Consultants may also assist governmental agencies and other enterprises with planning, organization, efficiency and control, management information, and other areas.

7020.04: Advice and help to businesses and public services in planning, organization, efficiency and control, management information, etc.

The activities covered in this category include services extended to provide valuable advice, guidance, and operational assistance to businesses and public services in critical areas of planning, organization, efficiency, and control. Here, the activities of a management consultant specialize in offering tailored solutions to enhance management practices, streamline operations, and optimize performance. Whether it’s strategic planning, organizational structuring, or improving operational efficiency, the expertise covers a wide spectrum of management issues.
These consultants work with businesses and public services to develop robust business strategy planning that aligns with business objectives and foster long-term growth. The guidance encompasses the design and implementation of efficient organizational structures, resource allocation, and control planning. Additionally, consultants can offer support in leveraging management information systems to enhance decision-making processes and improve overall effectiveness for result-oriented success.

The following activities are excluded in all the business activities mentioned above:

• Developing software applications for accounting systems
• Offering legal counsel and advocacy
• Performing tax consulting, auditing, accounting, or recordkeeping
• Providing advisory services in structural design, engineering, or other technical fields
• Implementing promotional initiatives
• Conducted market research or surveys of public opinion
• Offering recruitment or executive placement consulting services
• Providing counseling services associated with education

Third-party Approval: No third-party approval is required for this business activities
Filing of Economic Substance Return: Business activities 7020.00, 7020.13, 7020.11, 7020.01, and 7020.04 are exempt from this requirement.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance: Business activities 7020.00, 7020.13, 7020.11, 7020.01, and 7020.04 are exempt from this requirement.

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