International Advisory
UAE Business Setup &
Compliance Services
compliance, and strategic advisory tailored for high-stakes expansion.
Expanding to the UAE? We Handle It on Both Ends
A growing number of our UK clients are looking to the UAE — whether to open a regional office, register a free zone company to serve international clients more efficiently, hold property or investments in Dubai, or simply explore the tax and operational advantages of doing business in the Gulf.
Rather than referring you to a UAE provider we don’t know and losing visibility over how your structure fits together, Silver Stone Partners works directly with our own Dubai-based practice, Silver Stone Partners LLC— one relationship, coordinated across both jurisdictions, so your UK and UAE compliance are always working from the same picture.
UAE Company Formation for UK Businesses and Individuals
The UAE offers UK businesses two very different routes to market — Mainland and Free Zone — and choosing correctly from the outset matters more than most people realise.
- Mainland companies give unrestricted access to the UAE market — the right choice if you intend to sell directly to UAE-based customers, bid for government contracts, or need a physical presence anywhere in the country.
- Free Zone companies — across major zones including DMCC, JAFZA, IFZA, DIFC, ADGM, and others — offer 100% foreign ownership, fast setup, and a 0% corporate tax rate on qualifying income for businesses that meet the relevant conditions. This is typically the right fit for UK businesses using the UAE as a regional hub, an international trading base, or a holding structure, rather than selling directly into the UAE domestic market.
What our UAE formation service covers for UK clients:
- Assessing whether Mainland, Free Zone, or a dual structure best fits your UK business's objectives
- Full company registration, licensing, and Companies House-equivalent filings with the relevant UAE authority
- Guidance on structuring for Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) status where the 0% corporate tax rate is the objective
- Visa quota setup, should you or UK staff need UAE residency
- Coordinated UK–UAE structuring advice, so your new UAE entity is set up in a way that makes sense alongside your existing UK company — not as a disconnected, separately managed structure
Full UAE Compliance — From Bookkeeping to Tax
Once your UAE company is formed, it carries its own ongoing compliance obligations — separate from, but closely connected to, your UK filings. Through our Dubai practice, we provide the complete compliance stack:
Bookkeeping & Accounting
Monthly bookkeeping, reconciliations, and management accounts prepared to the same standard you'd expect from your UK accounting team — because it's coordinated by the same relationship.
VAT Services
UAE VAT registration, quarterly return filing, and compliance review — relevant for most UAE-trading entities above the AED 375,000 mandatory threshold.
UAE Corporate Tax
Corporate tax registration (mandatory for all UAE businesses, including those paying 0% tax), IFRS-compliant year-end accounts, corporate tax return filing, and — where applicable — Small Business Relief or Qualifying Free Zone Person elections.
Audit & Assurance
Statutory audit, required for the majority of UAE free zone license renewals and mainland companies, plus audits requested by banks or investors as part of financing or transaction due diligence.
AML Compliance
For UK businesses expanding into UAE real estate brokerage or other regulated sectors, full AML compliance support under the UAE AML framework, including goAML registration and risk assessment.
Why UK Businesses Work with Silver Stone Partners for Their UAE Structure
One relationship, not two disconnected advisors
Your UK accountant and your UAE accountant are the same coordinated team, working from the same understanding of your business
UK–UAE cross-border expertise
Including transfer pricing considerations between related UK and UAE entities, and UK tax implications (such as Controlled Foreign Company rules) of holding a UAE structure
A genuine, established Dubai practice
Not a referral relationship or a UAE agent we've simply partnered with, but our own operating practice on the ground
Full compliance, not just formation
Many UK-facing formation agents stop once your UAE company is registered; we continue managing bookkeeping, VAT, and tax compliance for as long as you need us to
Common Reasons UK Businesses Set Up in the UAE
Regional expansion
Using a UAE entity as a Middle East / GCC base for sales, operations, or client-facing presence
Tax-efficient international structuring
Particularly relevant for businesses with meaningful non-UK revenue, where UAE Free Zone tax treatment can be advantageous when structured correctly
Holding structures
UAE entities used to hold shares, IP, or investments as part of a wider international group
Property and investment activity
UK individuals and companies investing in UAE real estate, requiring UAE-side compliance alongside their UK reporting obligations
Access to a growing, business-friendly market
With no personal income tax and a straightforward regulatory environment for most business activities
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Many UAE Free Zone company structures can be set up and operated remotely, particularly for holding companies or businesses with international clients. Mainland companies with a physical trading presence will typically need some UAE-based operational footprint, but ownership itself doesn’t require UAE residency.
It can — particularly around UK Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) rules and how UK corporation tax treats profits generated by an overseas subsidiary. This is exactly the kind of question we address before incorporation, not after, given our visibility across both your UK and UAE structure.
The UAE introduced federal corporate tax in 2023. Mainland companies pay 9% on profits above AED 375,000. Free Zone companies can achieve a 0% rate on qualifying income if they meet Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions — but this requires active compliance, not automatic entitlement. We advise clients accurately on this rather than relying on outdated “tax-free” assumptions.
Ongoing — bookkeeping, VAT returns, and corporate tax filings are handled by our Dubai practice for as long as you need, coordinated with your UK accounts so nothing falls between the two jurisdictions.
We’re happy to take over ongoing compliance for an existing UAE entity, and can review your current structure to confirm it’s still the right fit for your business and tax position.
Thinking About Expanding Into The UAE?
Discuss your strategic objectives with our cross-border specialists. We’ll outline the most efficient path forward for your specific industry.