Business Setup Advisory

Registering in the UAE involves decisions with long-term consequences: legal structure, business activity categories, shareholding, registered office requirements and the banking implications of each. For AI companies these are complicated further by the specific activity categories available in different jurisdictions. We handle registration end to end - identifying the correct structure and activity categories, preparing documentation, managing submission and follow-up, and ensuring the registration supports the intended business from day one rather than requiring amendment after setup.

Seven free zones are commonly used by AI and technology companies - DMCC, DIFC Innovation Hub, Dubai Internet City, Innovation City, Masdar City, ADGM and SRTIP - each with different activity permissions, cost structures, visa allowances, office requirements, banking relationships and strategic positioning. The right one depends on the nature of the business, intended clients, banking requirements, workforce size, planned certifications and the government programmes the organization wants to access. We map these dimensions against each zone's current offering and manage the application through to completion.

The Dubai AI Campus is a dedicated cluster housing over 400 specialized companies, with an AI Academy that has trained over 1,500 participants and a growing community of practitioners, policymakers and investors. Membership positions an organization at the centre of the UAE's AI ecosystem, with access to the events, relationships and visibility opportunities that flow through it. We assess eligibility, prepare application materials, advise on presenting the organization's AI focus in line with the Campus's objectives, and manage onboarding.

Dubai Founders HQ at One Central is Dubai's dedicated startup campus, housing over 1,100 members, 500 startups and partners including Antler and Plug and Play. It offers programming, mentorship, community and access to investor and government relationships that can accelerate a startup's trajectory here. We assess readiness, prepare applications against the evaluation criteria, and advise on positioning that communicates the organization's AI focus and growth ambition.

Hub71 in Abu Dhabi is one of the Gulf's most active AI startup programmes, offering funding, co-investment and ecosystem access. Alongside it the ecosystem includes Ignyte, Flat6Labs, 500 Global, Antler and sector-specific programmes connected to free zones and universities. We help founders identify which programmes suit their stage and sector, prepare applications against each programme's evaluation criteria, and position the AI proposition so it resonates with the programme's investment thesis.

The activities permitted under a UAE trade licence are defined at registration and constrain what the company can legally do. For AI companies offering advisory, training, software and data services, ensuring the licence reflects the intended business requires knowledge of the activity codes available in each jurisdiction. Beyond licensing, AI companies face obligations across data protection, cybersecurity, financial regulation where applicable, and the sector-specific requirements of their clients' industries. We map those obligations and manage bringing licensing and compliance into alignment.

AI companies face intellectual property risks distinct from other technology sectors: who owns AI-generated content, how AI-trained models can be protected, the trademark exposure created by AI brand names that conflict with existing registrations, and the contractual provisions required to assign ownership of AI outputs to the correct party. We assess trademark availability across relevant jurisdictions, advise on IP protection for AI products and training datasets, review AI service agreement IP provisions, and manage UAE trademark registrations.

Organizations already operating in the UAE may find their legal structure misaligned with the AI activities they now pursue, the certifications they want, or the programmes they want to access. Restructuring an established company is more complex than setting one up, because it must happen without disrupting operations, client relationships, banking arrangements and visa statuses. We identify the pathway that achieves the required structural outcome with minimum disruption and manage the regulatory and administrative process.