Company formation and residency in the UAE

Your company, assembled for you

From trade licence to residence visa, one advisor gathers every document and hands you a finished business pack.

  1. Licence Activity, trade name and approvals, filed for you.
  2. Residency Visas and ID cards for you and your family.
  3. Ready to trade Stamp, bank account and a pack you can open on day one.

Manara Advisory

We are a small advisory in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Each client has one advisor who knows the file by heart, answers the phone, and walks into the government office so you don’t have to.

An advisor in conversation with two clients across a walnut table at sunset

Layla Haddad, founder

companies formed since 2012
1,400+
median time to trade licence
11 days
nationalities served
46
offices, one advisor per client
3

Where your company can live

Seven emirates, dozens of jurisdictions. We narrow it to the two or three that suit your activity, your visas and your budget.

Mainland Free zone Stylised map, not to scale

Abu Dhabi

  • Abu Dhabi mainland, Mainland
  • ADGM, Free zone Financial centre with English common law

Dubai

  • Dubai mainland, Mainland
  • DIFC, Free zone Finance, family offices, holding companies
  • DMCC, Free zone Trading and commodities

Sharjah

  • Sharjah mainland, Mainland

Ajman

  • Ajman Free Zone, Free zone

Umm Al Quwain

  • Umm Al Quwain FTZ, Free zone

Ras Al Khaimah

  • RAKEZ, Free zone Light industry and cost-sensitive trading

Fujairah

  • Fujairah Creative City, Free zone Media and creative licences

Clients, a year on

A coffee roaster in a sunlit roastery

Saltbush CoffeeSpecialty roastery, Al Quoz

A roastery trading eleven days after the first call

Hana moved from Melbourne with a roaster on a ship and a lease she couldn’t sign without a licence. We formed the company on the mainland, cleared the import permit and had her family’s visas stamped before the machine arrived.

to trade licence
11 days
family visas
4
Read the story
Two founders working on a balcony office at golden hour

Ferrous LabsSoftware, Abu Dhabi

Two founders, one ADGM holding and three banks to choose from

A London software company needed a regional holding company and a bank account that would accept a US investor. We set up in ADGM, prepared the bank file and sat in every meeting.

bank offers
3
to first invoice
6 weeks
Read the story

Your advisors

You meet your advisor in the first conversation, and they stay with your file for good.

  • Portrait of Layla Haddad

    Layla Haddad

    Founder, company formation

  • Portrait of Arjun Mehta

    Arjun Mehta

    Corporate banking

  • Portrait of Claire Whitmore

    Claire Whitmore

    Residency and family visas

I never once stood in a queue. Layla handed me a folder with my licence, our visas and a bank card, and asked if I wanted coffee.
Hana OkaforFounder, Saltbush Coffee

Three offices, one file

Your advisor works from the office nearest you, and the whole team can see your file.

  • Dubai

    Sun–Thu 9:00–18:00

    Level 9, Gate Avenue, DIFC

    +971 4 000 0471
  • Abu Dhabi

    Sun–Thu 9:00–18:00

    Al Maryah Island, ADGM Square

    +971 2 000 0471
  • Riyadh

    Sun–Thu 9:00–18:00

    Level 14, Tower 3.07, KAFD

    +966 11 000 0471

Sit down with an advisor

Forty-five minutes, in person or on a call. No preparation needed; bring the questions you have.

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