Limited liability company (FZ-LLC / "Company")UAE · Meydan Free Zone (Dubai)
What it takes to form, own and run a private limited company in UAE · Meydan Free Zone (Dubai), and how its profit is taxed. Each figure links to the page it was read from.
This company type
At a glance
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The liability of the Shareholders of a Company is limited to the amount paid to the Company in respect of their Shares.
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Any one or more Persons may apply for the incorporation of a Company and a Licence to conduct any Activity within the Authority
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A Company shall at all times have one or more Directors appointed to manage the business and affairs of the Company
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No. Meydan Free Zone does not require any paid-up share capital to start your company.
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The starting cost is AED 12,500 for a business license, including company registration.
Form it
Who registers it
- Registry
- Formed without visiting
- Yes
- Formed online
- Yes
What it takes to form
- A notary
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- A resident director
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- Paying up the capital
- No paid-up share capital is required to start the company (Meydan Free Zone FAQ). Shares, once issued, must be paid in full when issued (Reg 24.2).
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No. Meydan Free Zone does not require any paid-up share capital to start your company.
Own it
Who may own and run it
- Directors
- At least 1
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A Company shall at all times have one or more Directors appointed to manage the business and affairs of the Company
- Shareholders
- At least 1 · at most 100 · a company may be one
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Any one or more Persons may apply for the incorporation of a Company and a Licence to conduct any Activity within the Authority
- Members
- At least 1 · at most 100 · one person may form it alone
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Any one or more Persons may apply for the incorporation of a Company and a Licence to conduct any Activity within the Authority
- A local company secretary
- Not required
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A Company shall at all times have one or more Directors appointed to manage the business and affairs of the Company and one or more General Managers appointed to manage the day-to-day business of the Company.
- A local registered agent
- Not required
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A Company or Branch shall at all times have a registered address within the Authority to which all communications and notices may be addressed.
Each year, at the registry
- Annual registry fee
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- Accounts on the public record
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- Audit for a small company
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- Audit
- Reg 42.1: a Company must prepare financial statements and submit audited financial statements to the Authority within 30 days of such request. No small-company exemption is stated. For corporate tax, a Qualifying Free Zone Person must maintain audited financial statements regardless of revenue (FTA Free Zone Persons guide s3.2.7).
Important dates
When each obligation falls due, as the authority states it.
- Notify the Authority of the appointment, resignation or removal of a Director or General M
- 10 days after change of officers
With Meydan Free Zone
Reg 28.2 says ten Business Days; Reg 17.1 lists the same event within fifteen Business Days unless otherwise specified. Ten taken, as the specific provision.
- Notify the Authority of a share transfer after the register of Shareholders is updated
- 10 days after change of shareholders
With Meydan Free Zone
Reg 25.6: within ten Business Days of the transfer being registered (the register must itself be updated within two Business Days of the instrument, Reg 25.5).
- Notify the Authority of an amendment to the Memorandum, including share capital, company n
- 15 days after change of articles
With Meydan Free Zone
Reg 17.1 (fifteen Business Days unless otherwise specified).
- Notify the Authority of a change of registered office
- 15 days after change of registered office
With Meydan Free Zone
Reg 17.1.1 lists a change of registered office as a Memorandum amendment, notified within fifteen Business Days.
- Create the Register of UBO
- 60 days after incorporation
With Kept by the licensee (hard or soft copy); Meydan Free Zone FAQ
Meydan FAQ text cites the 2020/2021 resolutions; the Authority lists Cabinet Resolution 109 of 2023 as the current procedure.
- Update the Register of Beneficial Owners
- 15 days after change of beneficial owners
With Kept by the licensee; Meydan Free Zone FAQ
Fifteen days of becoming aware of the change (calendar days as written).
What is public
- Beneficial owners
- To the authorities only
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The Ministry and Registrar may not disclose the data of Real Beneficiary Register or Partners or Shareholders Register
Tax
Tax on profit
How this company type is taxed, which can differ from its place’s headline rate.
Varies · 9%+3 regimes
A free zone company is a Free Zone Person for UAE Corporate Tax; a Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on Qualifying Income and 9% on Taxable Income that is not Qualifying Income (FTA Free Zone Persons guide, s3.3).
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0% on its Qualifying Income, and
Special regimes that may apply
- Qualifying Free Zone Person free zone · 0%
A qualifying free zone person Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses, art. 18 - Participation Exemption holding · 100% exempt
Taxable persons holding a Participating Interest — a 5% or greater ownership interest in the shares or capital of a juridical person, held or intended to be held for at least twelve uninterrupted months Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses, art. 23 - Foreign Permanent Establishment Exemption other
Resident persons with foreign permanent establishments Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses, art. 24
Whether a company qualifies depends on its activity and conditions set in each statute.
- CFC rules in United Arab Emirates
- Not in our records
Close it
Closing it
The other end, which most guides leave out.
- Route
- Shareholders' voluntary liquidation (Reg 47), creditors' voluntary liquidation (Reg 48) or court-mandated winding up (Reg 46), ending in a cancellation certificate from the Authority.
- Statutory fee
- Not in our records
Every business in UAE · Meydan Free Zone (Dubai)
VAT
- Standard rate
- 5%
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VAT 5% (AED)
- Other rates
- Not stated
- Registration threshold
- AED 375,000 · about €89,335
total value of taxable supplies and imports; previous 12 months, or expected within the next 30 days
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Businesses resident in the UAE: Registration for VAT is mandatory if: - The total value of taxable supplies and imports exceeds AED 375,000 over the past 12 months, or is expected to exceed that threshold within the next 30 days.
- Voluntary registration
- Yes
A resident business below the mandatory threshold may register voluntarily once its taxable supplies, imports or taxable expenses exceed AED 187,500 in the past 12 months or are expected to within 30 days.
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Businesses resident in the UAE that make taxable supplies may register voluntarily for VAT if: - The total value of taxable supplies, imports, or taxable expenses in the past 12 months, or expected in the next 30 days, exceeds AED 187,500 (the voluntary registration threshold).
- A foreign company
- Registers from its first taxable supply; no local representative required
A non-resident business must register for VAT if it makes taxable supplies in the UAE, even where the value of those supplies does not exceed the AED 375,000 threshold, unless another party in the UAE is responsible for settling the VAT on those supplies. Registration is made directly through an EmaraTax account; no representative is required.
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Non-resident businesses: VAT registration is mandatory if: - The business makes taxable supplies in the UAE, even if the value of supplies does not exceed the threshold, unless there is another party in the UAE responsible for settling the VAT on those supplies.
- Returns filed
- Depends on the business
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Once you have registered for VAT in the UAE, you are required to file your VAT return and make related VAT payments within 28 days from the end of your tax period.
- Tax authority
- Registration page read 2026-10-22
Portals and registers
- Business registerMinistry of Finance – Agreements Avoiding Double Taxation
- Tax authorityFederal Tax Authority (FTA)
- Tax treatiesCustoms and Port Security (ICP)
Payment and banking services
2 services name United Arab Emirates on their own list: Paysera, Stripe. Each provider, and what a listing means.
Reference
Its name and code
- Kind
- Private limited companyDerived our grouping, the same words in every country
- Name in law
- Limited liability company (FZ-LLC / "Company")
- Identifier
- AE-MEYDAN-LLCA form ISO 20275 does not list.