Abu Dhabi
Business setup in Abu Dhabi
The capital, and where the country's institutional money is administered. Abu Dhabi has spent a decade competing hard for business Dubai used to win by default, and on three fronts it is win…
The character of the place
Why choose Abu Dhabi?
The capital, and where the country's institutional money is administered. Abu Dhabi has spent a decade competing hard for business Dubai used to win by default, and on three fronts it is winning: holding structures through ADGM's SPV regime, industrial land through KEZAD, and anything that depends on government procurement.
Every authority
Where you can license in Abu Dhabi.
All 6 licensing authorities in the emirate, with issuance times. Each opens a page on what it is good at and what to watch.
Questions
Broadly comparable for free zone licences, with Abu Dhabi materially cheaper for industrial land through KEZAD. ADGM is generally less expensive than DIFC for equivalent financial services permissions.
Abu Dhabi Global Market — a financial free zone applying English common law directly, with its own courts and the FSRA as financial regulator. Its SPV regime is the cleanest holding-company vehicle in the region.
Generally no. Government procurement is largely restricted to mainland companies licensed by ADDED, and in-country value scoring further rewards local hiring and local spend.
One question
What do you actually need in Abu Dhabi?
Mid-band rates are reasonable, but a registered address alone is still better served by a free zone package that bundles the licence and visa allocation.
Compare the 40 authoritiesOr just ask usThis is where a conventional lease starts making sense against a free zone package, particularly with the rent-free periods currently on offer. Compare the all-in cost including fit-out, not the headline rate.
How visa quota worksOr just ask usThen confirm the building before the district. Service charge, chiller and parking allocation vary enormously between towers at the same rate, and the difference shows up in August.
Ejari and DEWA, step by stepOr just ask us