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The UAE eTrader licence works well at the right scale, but it has firm limits. The most common planning mistake is treating the move to a mainland company as a simple upgrade. This post covers the main trigger points and corrects a widespread misconception about how the process works.

Owning UAE property in your own name means it passes through your estate when you die. UAE probate proceedings can freeze it for months, and the inheritance rules that apply may not match your intentions. A UAE Foundation holds the title instead, keeping the property out of your estate entirely. This post explains the mechanics and walks through a worked example of how the succession outcome differs with and without the structure.

Getting a UAE trade licence is the easy part. Getting a corporate bank account is where a lot of companies quietly stall - and in most cases, the problem started long before the banking application was submitted. The decisions you make at setup, on structure, activities, office type and ownership, determine how a bank sees your company before you've sent a single document.

The UAE Golden Visa has been running since 2019. You would think the rules were well understood by now. They're not. Outdated information, half-understood rule changes and outright myths are still circulating online, and they're causing real people to either miss out on eligibility they have or apply for routes that won't work for their situation. This post clears up the most persistent ones.

If you're setting up a company in the UAE, you've probably come across the terms mainland, free zone and offshore already. Most explanations are either too vague to be useful or too technical to be readable. This post cuts through that, covering what each structure actually means, who they're for, and how they often work together.

A UAE foundation is one of the most misunderstood structures in the market. Often associated with philanthropy, it is actually one of the most effective legal tools available for protecting assets, managing succession and separating personal wealth from business risk. This post breaks down the core use cases and what makes a foundation different from the other structures most people reach for first.

Getting your UAE company bank account open sounds straightforward. Until you're three weeks in, chasing a relationship manager who hasn't called back and your trade licence is sitting idle. Banking is where a lot of UAE business setups quietly stall. Not because founders did anything wrong, but because nobody told them what banks actually want to see.

The United Arab Emirates has successfully transitioned from a regional trading post to a global nexus of innovation and capital. With recent legislative overhauls allowing 100% foreign ownership across most sectors and the introduction of a structured corporate tax regime, the UAE offers a mature, stable environment for global business. The decisions you make during the setup phase, regarding jurisdiction, activity and structure, will dictate your banking eligibility, tax lia

If you are looking to set up a business in the UAE, the landscape has likely shifted since you last checked. The days of mandatory local sponsors for every onshore business are largely behind us and the introduction of Corporate Tax has added a layer of strategic necessity to your choice of jurisdiction. In 2026, the decision between Mainland and Free Zone is no longer just about cost; it is about market access, legal frameworks and your three-year growth plan. At Raft, we st

For decades, Dubai has been synonymous with rapid growth and architectural ambition. But as we move through 2026, the emirate has evolved into something far more substantial: a mature, globally integrated business hub that offers stability in an increasingly volatile world. Whether you are a startup founder, a multinational corporation or a high-net-worth individual, Dubai’s strategic framework is now designed not just to attract capital but to help you retain and grow it. Fr