Doing Business
E-commerce, consulting, trading and holding structures in the UAE.
Running a real business from a UAE base: e-commerce setups, consulting and services, trading and holding structures, payments and logistics, and the base-here-live-anywhere model that location-independent founders use. The structure should follow how you actually trade; these guides show how to match them.
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Regional directors and substance-as-a-service: what are they?
Regional directors and substance-as-a-service providers supply resident personnel, office presence and operational activity to UAE companies that need demonstrable local substance. Here is how they work and when you need them.
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What does 'Dubai-it' mean? The city's new verb, explained
Dubai became a verb. 'Dubai-it', launched by Sheikh Mohammed on 17 June 2026, means to achieve something extraordinary, with excellence, in record time. Here's what it means and where it comes from.
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The Eight Principles of Dubai: what they mean if you're setting up here
Dubai publishes a plain blueprint for how it's run, the Eight Principles. Here's what each one says, and what several of them mean in practice if you're setting up or relocating to the UAE.
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How to close or liquidate a UAE company properly
Closing a UAE company is a formal process, not just letting the licence lapse. Here's what's involved, why walking away causes problems, and how to do it cleanly, even from abroad.
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The UAE as a base for location-independent founders
Why location-independent founders, creators and remote consultants base their business in the UAE, a credible, stable, 0%-personal-tax home for the company while they live and work anywhere.
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UAE vs Bali vs Thailand: where should an online business be based?
Bali and Thailand are great places to live and work, but they're not the same as a base for the business. How the UAE compares for company, banking, residency and tax for location-independent founders.
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Setting up an e-commerce business in Dubai
How to set up an online or e-commerce business in the UAE, choosing an e-commerce licence and structure, the freezone vs mainland question, and what to line up for payments and logistics.