Gareth Jones
Founder, Start Business Services FZ-CO
I help UK, Irish and Australian business owners establish and operate properly in the UAE — I speak to the bank about the company before we open it, so we know what they’d need to open the account.
Talk to Gareth directly
Who I work with
Since 2009 I’ve helped business owners, entrepreneurs and international groups set up in the UAE. Since founding Start Business Services in 2021, the focus has been on bringing company formation, banking, visas and the ongoing compliance under one roof.
We work with UK, Irish, Australian and other international owners opening up in Dubai and the UAE — from residence visas to bank accounts.
We speak to the bank before we open the company
Opening the company isn’t the hard part — getting the bank to open an account for it is. So before we submit the application to the free zone, we look at how the company will be formed, what it does, and how it’s owned — including whether the activity is likely to make the bank expect a physical office. Then we speak to the bank directly about the company, so they can tell us if they see any issues and what they’d need in place to open the account. By the time we submit the application to open the company, the bank has already seen the profile — so we’re not guessing what the bank will say.
Background
I read Economics at SOAS University of London — a BSc in International Economics (1997–2001), then an MSc in International Business Administration with International Economics (2001–2003, Distinction). My professional background before this firm was legal, not sales. That shapes how we run things — the licence is the easy part — the real work is the banking, which is why we speak to the bank before we open the business.
What I handle in-house
- Company setup — mainland, free zone, or the UAE’s two international financial centres (DIFC and ADGM) — matched to what the business actually needs.
- Residence visa, Emirates ID and tax residency certificate.
- Personal and business bank accounts — direct with the bank’s compliance team, start to finish.
- UAE accounting — bookkeeping, VAT returns, corporate tax, management accounts and payroll, in-house.
- UK side — Statutory Residence Test, post-non-dom planning and exit timing, alongside our UK tax advisers.
- Annual audit (where required) and liquidation — coordinated with external firms we work with regularly.
What I write about
I write about the practical decisions that determine whether a UAE move works in reality: UK tax residence, where a company is actually run from (management and control), banking expectations, corporate structures, and the compliance requirements that appear after the licence has been issued.
Connect
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/garethwj
Email: gareth@dubaistartbusiness.com
Phone & WhatsApp: +971 54 403 5606 — message on WhatsApp. I’m on WhatsApp and take calls.
Working with us
Best for people who are past the “is the UAE a good idea” stage and into “how do I do this properly.” Usually established business owners — though a genuine new business is welcome too, as long as it’s real. Not every business works in the UAE, and we’re upfront about that. Either way, you deal with the same advisor from the first call onwards.
“Gareth, Emma, Huda and the team at Start Business were and continue to be instrumental in the founding and advancing of our business in the UAE. Their no-nonsense, straight-talking and transparent approach is refreshing.”
— Nama Zarroug · Google review
Talk to Gareth directly
Tell me what the business does and what you’re trying to achieve in the UAE, and I’ll tell you whether it’s a fit — and how the setup and banking would actually work. I read these myself, and reply within a working day.
Get in touch