YES! We did it

Squadlead Management Consultant has offices in London and Doha. Due to high demand for our immigration services in the UAE, we planned to open our immigration consultancy company in Dubai and thought that it would be really very difficult to form a company during the current situation.

After discussing with my partners who are in different countries, we decided to go ahead with IFZA. Every process was done online within five working days. It was just an amazing experience. We received expert support, quick business incorporation processes, and a cost-effective business licence package that allowed us to set up business from Dubai quickly. Moving forward, we foresee success in the near future.

Surendra Lalwani, Promoter General Manager, SKLC GLOBAL FZCO

As a company focusing on management consultancy and tax advisory, it is especially important to find a free zone that allows me to set up my company quickly and securely. I was extremely happy to choose IFZA because the process of incorporating my business was fast, pain-free and without any hidden costs. The entire team at IFZA was able to give me professional and expert advice throughout each step of the process.

Aurore Nio, Co-founder, Ninjoo (Part of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics’ Multi-client Warehouse in Dubai CommerCity’s Logistics Cluster)

We were positively surprised with the attention Ninjoo received as a start-up and the genuine intention of everyone at Dubai CommerCity to help us establish and develop. Dubai CommerCity’s partnership with Hellmann Worldwide Logistics turned out to be very instrumental for us to overcome supply chain challenges associated with import, warehousing and fulfillment from a free zone entity into mainland UAE. We are looking forward to Dubai CommerCity being on our side as we go ahead with local and international expansion plans.

Enis Karslioglu, Chairman and CEO at Bigg+ Global Loyalty, Rewards and E-commerce Group

We are very excited and happy that we are a part of the Dubai CommerCity family. As BiggLoyalty is the first company to move in to this state-of-the-art location, this is also a very historic milestone for us as well. We hope that as Biggbrands’ global e-commerce service provider, we will build the future of crossborder e-commerce hand in hand in this region. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Dubai CommerCity team for all the hard work and sincere cooperation they have put into this project.

Ahmed Qadri, Director, Pixelhaus Media

After having plenty of time to think during the lockdown, I decided to start my own business. However, I wasn’t looking forward to all the legwork and stress that goes along with setting up a business, especially since it was my first time going through the entire process. Fortunately, from the moment I spoke to Shams, I was at ease knowing that my trade licence registration was handled. I was amazed to see that I was able to get everything completed in a matter of days. The entire process was fairly straightforward, the staff who coordinated with me were very meticulous and had answers to all of my questions. I am very pleased with the service I received and I recommend Shams to anyone who is looking to open a new company in the UAE.

Hitesh Dewasi, Director & cinematographer, Hitesh Dewasi Studios

As an artist and entrepreneur, my relationship with Sharjah Media City — Shams has surpassed all my expectations. It took only three days to start my business, and they helped me understand the process of registration in a very straightforward way. The support team is always very insightful on any questions I had. But most of all, the opportunities Shams created for me, like publishing my photography work at Sharjah Xposure Festival, is a testament to them believing in their customers. I highly recommend Shams to everyone, especially foreign nationals, to start their UAE business here.

Tan Sri A.K. Nathan, Chairman and Managing Director, Eversendai

Eversendai Group has been involved in structural steel construction since the last 35 years with major projects across the Middle East, South East Asia and India. Our facility at Hamriyah Free Zone started operations in 2005 and provides all kinds of structural solutions such as design and detailing, supply, fabrication and painting etc. With the excellent support and investor friendly policies of HFZA, Eversendai Engineering FZE overcomes all operational challenges to become one of the finest fabrication facilities in the Middles East to handle all kinds of complex structures. Having this facility at the strategically located free zone with a very good connectivity by land/sea/air, we are able to serve the entire UAE and other countries in the Middle East.

Benoit Demarne, Vice President Operations Isolation Valves EMEA, Emerson Automation Solutions

Emerson, founded in 1890 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global technology and engineering company. Emerson’s Emirates Techno Casting (ETC) located in Sharjah is one of the largest and most technologically advanced steel-casting foundries in the world. Pentair, one of Emerson’s acquired businesses, has established its headquarters in the Hamriyah Free Zone.

Emerson recognises HFZA as a strategic location for its business, as it is situated in proximity to serve and cater to customers’ needs. Having been in collaboration with HFZA since 2002, Emerson has grown as a business with their support and services. We recognize HFZA’s strong commitment to the improvement of the quality of its infrastructure and services.

Abdullah Abdullatif Alarfaj, CEO, Caline Factories

Since 2016, Caline Chocolate factory specialises in manufacturing the finest hand-made Belgian chocolates that operates bean-to-bar process through three factories around the world.

Today Caline is successfully operating its final manufacturing process facility at Hamriyah Free Zone, which is contributing to our ambitious vision of becoming a leading company in chocolate manufacturing globally. Hamriyah Free Zone is a prime and strategic location which allows us to reach our customers and achieve successful collaboration with various stakeholders in the GCC region and the world. HFZA provides us with excellent integrated logistics support and professional business services.

Gunaseelan Tanggaraju, General Manager, Audex Fujairah

Audex, established in 2007, is a subsidiary of PEC Singapore and is the largest provider of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning services in oil and gas, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Audex has established its own dedicated engineering services specifically to focus on delivering appropriate, cost-effective, engineering design and project management.

We had the full support from the Fujairah government and the management of the Fujairah Free Zone Authority who provided all the facilities to start the company and the assets required for our activity in this field.

Satyendra Kumar Ahuja, Director, Quality Castings

Quality Castings Limited, an ISO 9001-2008 certified foundry, was established in 1994 and it came into operation within six months due to an unprecedented cooperation from the Fujairah Free Zone team. Fujairah Free Zone Authority offers conducive atmosphere for industrial growth and excellent infrastructure facilities like power, water, transportation, imports and exports without bureaucratic delays.

Right from the day one, the support we received from the free zone is exemplary. Thanks to their excellent relations with the local authorities, we did not find any hurdles in our operations and we had a smooth sailing for the last 26 years.

Dan Barnabas Laczo, Founder UAE-Solutions.Com

We have been working with UAQ Free Trade Zone for over five years now. They are more reliable, faster and agile than many other free zones. Timelines are kept and we hardly ever have any negative surprises. Our clientele is mostly European, with very high expectations and therefore we cannot compromise on quality and efficiency. That’s why we mostly work with UAQ Free Trade Zone. We highly appreciate their great work.

Pavel Sergienko, Founder, Iver Chem FZE

I established my company, which deals in pharmaceutical raw materials trading, one month ago at Umm Al Quwain Free Zone.

After researching about various free zones in the UAE, I realised that UAQ FTZ provides all types of services that I need for my business, such as taxation benefits, port access, low prices for the incorporation process and fast and professional support. It also has a good website with all steps and requirements for establishing a company.

From the beginning they gave me the clear picture of the whole process, in terms of time and money. They also helped me in preparing the incorporation documents.

Even after the company incorporation, they advised me about the process of opening a bank account. UAQ FTZ staff were kind and ready to answer all my questions.

Owiss Refaat, Chief Operating Officer, SFM Corporate Services (Dubai Branch)

SFM has extensive experience in global company formation and Ras Al Khaimah has become an in-demand jurisdiction for company formation over the last 15 years. Naturally, we wanted to offer this jurisdiction to our clients and partner with a RAK corporate registry that could provide the registry services and the same business vision as us, which led us to partnering with RAK ICC.

This is one of the most reputable, and renowned registry internationally, and our partnership allows us to offer our clients a fully compliant, world-class company registry in a beneficial, growing, and stable jurisdiction. The RAKICC online portal allows us to register companies easily and to manage our portfolio remotely. They have also provided us a dedicated contact who is always on hand to assist us.

Muhammad Tariq, Chief Executive Officer, InZone Corporate Services Provider Dubai

RAK offshore companies and foundations are at the heart of our business structuring advice. RAK ICC provides offshore company solutions and related services that meet the highest international standards. We offer a full range of corporate services including incorporation of offshore companies, foundations and related estate planning solutions through RAK ICC.

We strongly recommend RAK ICC as a jurisdiction due to its futuristic infrastructure, comprehensive regulations and internationally recognised compliance standards. Any businesses incorporated with the RAK ICC also take advantage of the favourable tax regime and a large network of double taxation treaties and bilateral agreements signed by the UAE.

Suraj Mohan, Executive Director, Var Ange Project Support Services Limited

We incorporated our company, which is primarily into the energy sector, in 2018 and aim to expand to the rest of the UAE and South Asian countries in the next five years. We have chosen the Masdar City Free Zone in Abu Dhabi as it has a robust ecosystem and infrastructural support to foster a wide range of business activities and industry sectors. Aurion played a vital role right from the initial discussion on company incorporation to the final stage and beyond. From document attestation to getting free zone authority approvals, Aurion executed the process seamlessly. Aurion guided us to the right free zone based on our business activity and designed the right company structure for us. We are happy with the free zone’s operations as well as the pace of our operation.

Charmine Noronha, CEO, Magnifique Cosmetics

I launched my company, which offers skincare, fragrances, bath, and other cosmetic products, in Dubai in 2017. For the past three years, I have been a loyal client of Business Link. Hatem El Safty, CEO of the company, and his team have always been professional, helpful and obliging. I would recommend Business Link to anyone looking to establish their businesses.

Mohamed Abdi Mohamed, Owner and Director, GOIN Shipping & Cargo

I am glad to be associated with Make My Firm Business Set Up Services for the last three years and I am happy that I have chosen a very professional firm for my business set-up. They have deep knowledge of business set-up rules and regulations, offering me the right guidance. I have set up four companies with Make My Firm and it has always been an amazing experience. They are very accurate with processes and timelines. They made everything easy for me to set up my business in Dubai. I recommend everyone to seek advice from Make My Firm as they are a one-stop-solution for everything a business owner will need to set up a new business in the UAE.

Zeta Yarwood, Executive, Personal and Professional Development Coach, Zeta YarwoodCoaching FZCO

While we’ve been active for years, we innovated our business model and needed a new licence to accommodate all our activities. These include our personal and business coaching services, and creating personal and professional development online content for businesses and their employees. The entire Trade License Zone (TLZ) team went above and beyond in helping me set up my license at IFZA. They listened to our requirements and stopped at nothing to help us. We faced several challenges and TLZ tirelessly found all the solutions we needed. They also helped us set up the bank account afterwards. Establishing a business in the UAE can be challenging. Having a business set-up company you trust is key. For us, TLZ is that company and I highly recommend them.

Lauren Tickner, Founder, Online Impact

As an online business that helps people launch online courses and run online coaching companies, moving my business to the UAE made so much sense both for tax and for new opportunities. In the UAE, everyone knows everyone so Online Impact has been able to get new clients very quickly. You can sort of become a celebrity in your industry in just a couple of months. I really couldn’t have done this without Virtuzone. Not only did they help me with everything from choosing the right location for my business and understanding how to structure my company, they also have trusted connections for just about anything you could possibly need here in the UAE.

Vimi Joshi, Founder, Vimi Joshi Beauty

I launched my company, Vimi Joshi Beauty, at Ajman Free Zone last month and the key activities of my business are related to the beauty industry, which includes celebrity photoshoots, conducting makeup masterclasses and organising beauty panel talks as a key industry leader. The Flying Colour Team was instrumental in launching my company successfully. They were professional and supportive, ensuring that the process went smoothly. They kept me updated through every step of the process and stayed in touch with me even after the business set-up process was completed to ensure I was satisfied with their services. I would highly recommend Flying Colour to everyone for their exceptional service.

Carlo Abbiati, CEO & Founder, Immobilia Real Estate

After 15 years of experience as an investor in the UAE real estate market, I decided to have an official broker licence in mainland Dubai last year. The key activities of the company are investment consultation, real estate brokerage, and leasing property brokerage agents.

It was an excellent experience to work with Capital International Group (CIG). It is always advisable for entrepreneurs to opt for a detailed consultation from an expert business consultant like CIG. This will make the process hassle-free in the long run. From answering all my questions in the first interaction to providing me guidance with regards to my business activity and then assigning a dedicated account manager for my licence, the process was professional, smooth, well-structured, and quick.

Lisa Scott-Lee, Dubai Performing Arts Academy

We launched our company in Dubai mainland with Creative Zone in 2014. Dubai Performing Arts Academy, fondly known as DPA, provides all aspects of performing arts training including the first BTEC in Performing Arts in the UAE.

We first started the business as a free zone enterprise and then later transitioned to mainland. Creative Zone made the whole process easy and stress free for us. The team is professional and compassionate; they understand a person’s sentiments and vision when launching a business. My account manager was always available to take my calls and solved all problems very efficiently. I would highly recommend Creative Zone to other entrepreneurs.

Andy Yiacoumi, CMS Credit Management Services

I have known Mariben Christine Eustaquio, Managing Director, Ezone, since 2013. We launched in 2013 in the Creative City Free Zone in Fujairah. As the business evolved, we changed our licence to move to Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED). We offer credit management related services, such as credit rating, debt mediation and consulting. Mariben and her team at Ezone are supportive, offering a professional and personalised service. We receive advice on the processes, from employee visas to company licencing from government departments. They supported us with cost-effective solutions and reasonable market rates, and arranged for our e-signature card. They are changing the industry culture with their transparent and honest approach to business.