Author: Ayushi Doegar
Published: April 3, 2021
The UAE has established itself as a strong regional business hub, creating healthy market competition and providing a wide choice for consumers in the UAE and the broader region. The country experiences increasing consumer spending year-on-year and a growing number of visitors, contributing to an excellent quality of life for both local and expatriate residents.
According to research data:
The UAE's ports and airports serve as some of the most active gateways into the region for business, commerce, and tourism. These companies cite UAE's strong business ecosystems, regional connectivity, and access to the best global talent as key reasons for establishing their regional headquarters in the country.
The UAE is strategically positioned as one of the best-known countries in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, offering exceptional geographic advantages:
The UAE has established world-class aviation infrastructure for international business travel:
Major Airlines and Routes:
| Airline | Hub | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Emirates | Dubai | Direct flights to every major world city |
| Etihad | Abu Dhabi | Direct flights to every major world city |
| Air Arabia | Sharjah Airport | Regional coverage from Casablanca to Kuala Lumpur |
This comprehensive connectivity ensures that businesses can easily travel to and from the UAE for incorporation and ongoing operations.
The UAE offers one of the most favorable tax environments in the MENA region, making it highly attractive for entrepreneurs and businesses:
The favorable tax environment is complemented by:
The Gulf states are generally ahead of the rest of the MENA region in terms of favorable tax conditions, with the UAE leading the way.
The UAE offers a quality of life that is distinctly different from many other parts of the MENA region, particularly in terms of safety and overall security.
| City | Safety Ranking |
|---|---|
| Sharjah | 6th world's safest city |
| Abu Dhabi | City with the lowest crime rate in the world |
| Dubai | Securely in the global top 10 (ahead of Zurich, Reykjavik, and Singapore) |
While strict laws exist per local customs, the majority are designed to:
Compared to many other MENA countries, the UAE is one of the most liberal in its attitudes and outlook. Progress and modernization thrive in the country in many different ways.
Setting up a business in the UAE is designed to be simple and straightforward, making it one of the easiest places globally to establish a business.
Currency and Capital Management:
The development of Free Zones throughout the Emirates provides:
The UAE provides foreign investors with a stable and reliable investment climate through:
Attracting a skilled and effective workforce is a primary concern for ambitious businesses, and the UAE has positioned itself as a magnet for regional talent.
The UAE employs a collaborative mechanism between:
This collaboration enables the UAE's talent pool to meet private sector requirements effectively.
Proactive Approach:
Growth Target:
The UAE has cultivated a well-deserved reputation as a prestigious choice for large multinationals through a combination of:
Over 90 percent of the top regional CEOs of global companies are based out of the UAE, making it imperative for businesses to be close to where decision-makers are located.
The UAE is a city built on an ambitious vision of the future, making it a natural home for large companies looking to expand their footprint in the region. The combination of strategic advantages, business-friendly policies, and world-class infrastructure positions the UAE as the perfect location for establishing a regional headquarters.