Doing Business In Dubai Free Trade Zones

Let us quickly have a look at the advantages of setting up a business in any of the Dubai’s free trade zones. Total or 100% foreign ownership of a company is allowed, a company can repatriate 100% profits and capital, no personal income tax, no corporate tax for 50 years, 100% exemption on import and export tax. All companies have the permission to operate 24 hours a day, the infrastructure and amenities are world class.

Dubai has plenty of free trade zone business setup space to accommodate hundreds of companies, some of the major free trade zones are Dubai airport free zone, Internet city, Media city, Silicon oasis, Jumeirah lake towers, Jebel Ali free zone, Knowledge village, Dubai international financial centre, Gold & Diamond Park and Dubai maritime city. 

The advantages and ease of doing business in Dubai free zones makes it a lucrative destination for investors. Another advantage Dubai has is its location; it is centrally located from Europe, Asia and Africa, which makes it attractive for foreign multinational companies.

Business license renewal in Dubai

The department of economic development (DED) in Dubai is responsible for renewing business licenses in Dubai. An application for the renewal of a business license can be submitted online, with authorized legal firms or authorized service providers. In case one opts for the online channel, an account of the company needs to be opened with the DED. It is mandatory for the owners of the company to submit their personal documents for opening an online account with the DED.

Keep in mind, at the time of applying for business license renewal the tenancy contract of the company should be in force. It is always a good idea to renew the license before it gets expired in order to avoid penalties.

Brand Registration Procedure in UAE

It takes abundant amount of time, money and energy to create a brand name. All leading brands know the significance of maintaining the image of their brand. On a similar note brand identity protection is another essential aspect that businesses the world over pay attention too. Trademark registration in Dubai is a must in order to protect the identity or uniqueness of a brand.

Once a trademark is registered with the ministry of economy in UAE, it is valid in all the seven emirates of UAE. The initial trademark protection law was formed in 1992 as Federal Law no. (37), this was amended in the Law No. (19) of 2000 and later in 2002 in Law No. (8) of the same year. The trademark law of UAE is drafted in detail which includes the definition, signs and symbols that can’t be registered, various procedures associated with a trademark like cancellation, mortgage, transfer of ownership, penalty for the breach of the law, provisions for allowing others to use the trademark are all included in the law.

The applicant must submit all the documents as required by the law of the land along with the application. The ministry within 30 days of the receipt of the application informs the applicant whether the registration is approved or not. In case of approval, the ministry publishes its decision in the official bulletin and two Arabic newspapers. The purpose of which is to inform all about the decision and if someone has an objection to the registration, that may be filed with the ministry within 30 days of the announcement.

On receipt of the objection, the ministry passes it to the applicant within 15 days of receiving the objection for clarification and amendments if any. On successful registration of the trademark, the applicant is handed over the registration certificate.