Aziz Harroch, CEO, H5 Motivation
I founded H5 Motivation, a personal development company that has more than three million followers on social media. I met the founders of Always Improving in 2019, while they were organising an event to network with people who speak French.
I first launched my business in Belgium, but due to many obstacles, I couldn’t take it forward. I was more occupied sorting out administrative issues than concentrating on my real business. I decided to work with Always Improving as they have proven expertise in the field of business creation. I now have the peace of mind about all the administrative aspects, while I can focus on my core business.
The Covid-19 pandemic had a terrible impact on the growth of my business. I organised several conferences, but all of them were cancelled.
Thanks to advice from Always Improving, I decided to invest in a training platform that my clients could access remotely. This has completely changed the face of my business and I can now coach people from all over the world.
Always Improving has made my entrepreneurial journey in the UAE easy to navigate by offering tremendous moral support. It is not easy to start a business in a new country, leaving your family and friends behind. However, Always Improving ensured that I was not left on my own by inviting me regularly to their events so that I could take part in various activities. They are also up to date on all areas of administrative procedures, updating me on new rules and regulations. It’s reassuring to know that you can count on professionals in case of any difficulty.
Margarida Mascarenhas, General Manager, R&I Ventures LDA
R&I Ventures LDA is registered at IFZA. After doing a lot of research to find the right business consultant in the UAE, we selected Aurion because of its award-winning and long-standing track record in the market.
Aurion precisely delivers what it promises. The team guided us rightly in choosing the free trade zone package and opening a bank account for our company. Also, the consultants are very knowledgeable about the company laws in the country.
Magdalena Fręch, Polish tennis player and Founder, M.F. Sports
Axiom Mark stands for quality with excellence. Right from the initial meeting until the end of the business set-up, I had a smooth transition with effective customer service at every point. I had a hassle-free experience with government processes as Axiom Mark took the whole and sole ownership of my entire case. I should also mention their post set-up services, which include all the basic services required after launching the business. I highly recommend new entrepreneurs to approach Axiom Mark for business licences in the UAE.
Danny Jones, Founder, Danny Jones Coaching
I chose IFZA because they are a very efficient and professional company set-up solution. From visas to company bank accounts, the support that I have received is simply fantastic.
Florian Akinbiyi, Founder, Akinbiyi Group
I work as an international presenter and communication coach. I host events and conferences in virtual formats and collaborate with brands to get their message across to their audience. As a communication coach, I empower companies, teams and individuals by improving their presentation and public speaking skills.
I decided to set up my business in 2017 with Creative Zone as multiple entrepreneurs in my network spoke highly about the service and support that the organisation provides. Right from the start, every member of the team at Creative Zone was helpful and efficient and made it a smooth process.
As a business, I am constantly researching and innovating in sales, marketing, social media, collaborations, or project delivery. I’m always on the lookout to expand, grow and refine my offering.
Girish Chander, CEO, ArcelorMittal Projects
ArcelorMittal Projects, a part of the ArcelorMittal Group, the world’s leading steel and mining company, specialises in providing complete, customised and sustainable steel solutions and services via three specialised and project-related business lines: foundation solutions, solar projects, and energy projects, in addition to water transmission pipeline and infrastructure.
We started with a small office in 2019, leasing around 50,000 sqm and added another 27,000 sqm land at the beginning of 2020. In the later part of 2020 we added another 70,000 sqm area by acquiring the assets of a Pipe & Coating Mill with a total Capex of around Dh80 million. The state-of-the-art Pipe & Coating Mill enables us to produce and process high-quality HSAW/ SSAW pipes for the Middle East and neighbouring countries. This helps us to serve our customers in an even more efficient and flexible way and to provide the most cost-effective solutions.
ArcelorMittal Projects was attracted to Hamriyah Free Zone for the combination of suitable land, the accessibility of ports nearby and the variety of commercial and industrial licence options.
HFZA has a very positive and realistic approach to its investors. All the HFZA officials are very friendly. We’ve enjoyed great customer service. It has a professional management team and all other government offices are very supportive to us during our operations.
Prachi Dixit, Co-founder, Maya and Mosha App
Maya and Mosha is a gamified learning app that connects Indian children all over the world to their roots, language and culture in a fun way. Sharjah Media City (Shams) has done a lot to support start-ups. It has organised events and training sessions and provided business facilities. As a start-up, you need that help and guidance along the way especially when times are tough.
Registering my company at Shams has been one of the best decisions that we have taken. The business set-up cost is very competitive for bootstrapped start-ups. Shams has a smooth online process along with responsive staff and a very supportive management. Besides, Sharjah is a hub for culture-related events and initiatives and it made such a wonderful fit for our product. We have seen significant growth over the last year. We were shortlisted among 50 start-ups in the MENA region by Google and the US government-led Women Tech Makers Programme. We were the finalist at the TiE Women, Start-up Competition, Dubai Chapter, and showcased at the Innovation Hub, India Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai. We were also shortlisted for pre-incubation at IIM Bangalore Women Start-up Programme.
Gopal Lalwani, Founder, First Global Force
When we first approached the Meydan Free Zone office in 2021, they answered our concerns and clarified the possibilities for our organisation to enter the consulting and corporate service sector in the financial industry. Working with Meydan Free Zone in the process of our company formation was an absolute pleasure. We have grown into a large company with over 200 employees, and the process of visas and additional services has been transparent. The digital portal is a real eye-opener; the staff always acts in the client’s best interests and seeks creative solutions when needed.
As the business in this region has taken a positive outlook, I believe that a free zone company would be attractive to investors who would like to trade in the UAE and would recommend structuring their company through Meydan Free Zone.
Innovation is the key to becoming more efficient and more productive to exploit niche markets and grow your business in competitive markets. Therefore, the experience in having the support of Meydan Free Zone and knowing they will stand by the companies under their umbrella is undoubtedly comforting and valuable.
Bavani Pillai, Partner, Padi Village Restaurant
Our vision is to bring authentic flavours from the Straits to a melting pot of cultures like Dubai, and Smart Zone was the ideal business set-up partner to help us get started. Its five-star Google reviews and top-class service made me confident to start my restaurant with them. Thanks to Smart Zone, the government paperwork for starting my business in Dubai was a breeze. They helped me obtain my trade name, licence, and visas for myself and my staff. I applaud their transparency, professionalism and expert counsel.
As a restaurateur, innovation is about adapting to the changing tastes and needs of customers. We’ve built a community of patrons who appreciate the nostalgic aspect of our food and we have invested in digital media platforms to grow our brand sustainably.
Asanka Sonnadara, Founder and Executive Director, Peclin Dynamics
Upon visiting Dubai, I wanted to find out how the company formation works and the benefits of choosing a free zone. I contacted a few consultancies to get advice on how best to move forward with the process in the fastest way possible. They advised that the best possible way for me to establish my company was through IFZA, ensuring a cost-friendly solution in a short time frame to complete the process. I am astonishingly satisfied with the services I received from the IFZA team.
Nicolas Jensen, Founder & CEO, Absolute Management
I started my company, Absolute Management to work as an entrepreneur all over the world, with Dubai as a great geographical base. I have two business lines. I provide consultancy, training and advisory in sales and marketing, sales management and sales leadership.
The other line is education and training within the aviation and extreme sport segment.
Due to the complexity and administrative work included in setting up my company, I was really sceptical if I would be able to find someone who could understand all that was required and advise me on the best solution for my case. I heard about Decisive Zone through an acquaintance. I put my trust in them, and I was not wrong – the entire process was fast and easy.
Decisive Zone was hands on from the very beginning with a structured approach and assistance at every step of the way.
My account manager at Decisive Zone was extremely helpful. I felt safe and that I was in good hands due to her professionalism.
There was constant communication and frequent feedback. I was always informed about the steps involved and the time frame. I got what I paid for and I was relieved that I was able to set up my business with ease.
I have started thinking of expanding my business and I am already in discussion with a few people to take my vision forward. Further investment in people and marketing is the next in line for my business growth.
Areej Mohamad Morjan, General Manager, Royal Vision
When I searched for a suitable option to establish my project and gather the information I wanted, IFZA was the best option. The information, steps and procedures laid out
were clear, direct and presented to me in a nice and professional manner. All the detailed steps that were sent to us were implemented within the same expected period. In addition to that, we did not feel that we were taken advantage of or requested to pay an additional payment at each procedure, or when changes occurred.
Syed Shoaib Haider, CEO, Petroluxe
We are a network of businesses, and Exp General Trading is one of our largest e-commerce providers. Our greatest accomplishment in petrochemicals is Petroluxe. We achieved sustained growth in the distribution and supply of petrochemicals. Black Swan has a strong and knowledgeable team of business set-up consultants who helped us in establishing the most trustworthy and transparent company model in the UAE.
John Luke Cooper, Founder, In Motion
I founded In Motion at UAQ and as an entrepreneur, I am really happy to start a 100 per cent freehold ownership business in the UAE with the help of Capital International Group. Trusted and experienced team members of Capital International Group helped me establish my business quickly. Thanks to their great customer support, it was a hassle-free business set-up experience.
