Taking over a UAE branch that wasn't getting done
A large international UK recruitment firm opening in the UAE. Its UAE setup had stalled with another company, so we took it over and finished it as a mainland branch of the UK company.
Speak to us about your situationThe situation
The firm had decided to expand into the UAE and started the process with another setup company. It had stalled — delays, unclear answers, and no real sense of when it would be finished — while they were trying to open a proper operation and move people over.
Why they came to us
The owner had lost trust in the first provider, because the delays were constant and the information she was given didn't match up. They were introduced by a friend, an existing client who also works in recruitment. After a few calls and meetings, the owner asked directly whether we would take over the process and make sure it completed.
What we recommended
We took it over where it had stalled and completed it as a mainland branch of the UK company, so the UAE operation sat under the existing business. We sorted the banking and the office space, and handled the visas across the board — for the owner, her husband, their children, and the staff she was bringing into the operation. We also dealt with the manager's contract, and worked hand in hand with our UAE tax adviser so the UAE side lined up with the UK.
A branch no longer needs a UAE national service agent. In the UAE Government's own words, "the obligation for branches of foreign companies to appoint a UAE national service agent has been eliminated". That line is from the UAE Government's page on full foreign ownership of companies.
A mainland branch is also registered with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism once its licence is issued. The Ministry gives a branch one month from the licence date to apply, and it asks for the parent company's own registration papers, certified. That is set out on the Ministry's page for registering a branch of a foreign company.
Half-finished UAE setups are messier to pick up than a clean start, and at Start Business Services we take them on anyway, because the alternative is usually writing off what the owner has already paid towards the Dubai setup and starting again.
The outcome
The branch was opened, the bank account and office put in place, and the family and staff visas completed. We handle the ongoing compliance.
Where to read next
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