Business setup advisory — structured, licensed, banked.

Yes. Velmont Crest is an authorised channel partner of Meydan Free Zone and RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone) — two of the most popular free zones in the UAE. As a registered partner we can set up your company directly in either zone with direct partner-grade channel handling, smoother application handling and faster processing than going in cold. And because the same firm then handles your bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax, your company moves from licence issuance to full compliance with no hand-off gap.

Yes. This is exactly where our official partnership with Meydan and RAKEZ pays off. We form the company in your chosen zone, prepare and submit the application, and arrange visas and the corporate bank account. We register for VAT and corporate tax inside the FTA deadlines. Then we run the monthly bookkeeping and filings on an ongoing retainer. One provider, from day-one setup through every compliance cycle — instead of a formation agent who disappears once the licence is issued and leaves you to find an accountant separately.

Yes. Velmont Crest works as business management consultants in Dubai, supporting SMEs and overseas founders across company formation, structuring and ongoing administration. That spans choosing between mainland and free-zone licences, selecting the right activity codes, and coordinating PRO and visa processing. It also covers opening corporate bank accounts, plus the accounting, VAT and corporate tax registrations a new entity needs from day one. We also advise on restructuring and company liquidation when a UAE entity is wound down. So the full lifecycle of setup, run and exit is handled in one place.

It depends on the activity, customer geography and tax position. Mainland licences (issued by Dubai DED or another emirate's economic department) give direct access to the UAE domestic market. You can sell to UAE businesses and consumers without restriction, open branches anywhere in the country, and bid for government contracts. Free zones are usually better for service businesses with overseas customers, and for trading businesses operating through designated zones (DMCC, JAFZA, RAKEZ). They also suit any business where Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) status delivers a 0% corporate-tax position on qualifying income. We compare the realistic five-year cost (licence, lease, audit, visas, AML, tax) and the strategic fit before recommending a path.

Free-zone setups typically complete in 1 to 3 weeks once documentation is in order. IFZA, Meydan and SHAMS are at the fast end (sometimes within a week). DMCC, DIFC and ADGM are at the longer end. Mainland setups take 2 to 6 weeks depending on activity, MOA approvals, lease and Ejari attestation, and any external approvals (e.g. healthcare, education, financial services). Corporate bank account opening is a separate process that typically adds 4 to 8 weeks. It can take longer for international shareholders or activities the bank views as high-risk.

Yes, for most commercial and professional activities. Since the 2021 amendment to the UAE Commercial Companies Law, the requirement for a UAE national local partner (the 51% Emirati shareholder rule) was removed for most activities. Foreign founders can now own 100% of mainland Dubai LLCs without a sponsor. A small list of strategic activities still requires UAE national participation — for example national security, banking, financial services beyond DIFC/ADGM scope, oil and gas, and certain telecoms. We confirm the activity is on the 100%-foreign-ownership list before recommending mainland.

Common choices for tech SMEs include: DMCC (broad activity range, strong banking reputation, mid-tier cost), IFZA (lowest cost, simple setup, good for early-stage), and DIC (Dubai Internet City — sector-specific, strong tech tenant base). Others are SHAMS (Sharjah-based, very low cost, good for budget-constrained founders), ADGM (Abu Dhabi, common law jurisdiction, preferred for VC-backed tech), and DIFC (financial services and fintech focus, common law, higher cost but strong investor signalling). The right one depends on the specific tech activity (B2B vs B2C, regulated vs unregulated), target customers, visa quota needs, anticipated funding profile and budget.

Yes. We prepare the bank-onboarding documentation pack and coach you through the bank's onboarding interviews. The pack covers business profile, three-year financial projections, source-of-funds evidence for the share capital and the shareholders, customer and supplier letters of intent where available, and a KYC pack on each shareholder and manager. We make introductions to UAE banks based on activity fit. Different banks have different appetite for different sectors and shareholder nationalities. Final approval and timeline are at each bank's discretion and not something any advisor can guarantee.

Velmont Crest advisory fees are quoted to your setup. They cover jurisdiction selection, structuring advice, document preparation, application submission and the tax and accounting setup that follows. Government and free-zone fees (licence fee, registration fee, immigration, Ejari, visa charges) are paid directly by the founder to the relevant authority. We provide the all-in budget upfront, so there are no surprises. As a guide, total government and free-zone costs run roughly AED 12,000 to AED 25,000 for a low-cost free-zone setup with one visa. For mid-tier free zones, expect AED 25,000 to AED 55,000. For mainland Dubai, expect AED 35,000 to AED 80,000 depending on activity, lease and visa count.

Mandatory VAT registration is triggered when taxable supplies cross AED 375,000 in any 12-month window. At incorporation that often hasn't happened yet, so registration is voluntary — available from AED 187,500 of taxable supplies or expenses. Voluntary registration is usually worth it in three cases. First, where the business will invoice UAE B2B customers (who expect a tax invoice with TRN). Second, where the start-up phase generates recoverable input VAT on setup costs. Third, where the business imports services subject to reverse charge. We assess the case-by-case position as part of setup.