Legal strategyin the Emirates.
We advise entrepreneurs, companies and family offices investing in, structuring or expanding their operations into the United Arab Emirates. We integrate legal, tax and corporate analysis to design sound, efficient structures ready to grow internationally.
The United Arab Emirates is today one of the most relevant jurisdictions for investment, international expansion and wealth management.
Making the most of that environment requires far more than incorporating a company: it demands legal, tax and corporate decisions that support the growth of the business and withstand regulatory change.
The T&C Consulting Group Middle East Desk supports that process from an integrated perspective. Every mandate begins with a Legal Assessment, where we analyse the economic activity, the structure of the group, the tax residence of its beneficiaries, international flows and the client's strategic objectives.
From that analysis we design, implement and maintain corporate structures ready to operate soundly in the Emirates and in the jurisdictions they interact with.
Why a Middle East Desk?
The Emirates demands decisions that integrate corporate law, international taxation, regulatory compliance and strategic vision.
Transcontinental bridge
We connect commercial interests across Europe, Latin America and the Gulf with a unified legal criterion.
Wealth protection
We design holdings and foundations on regional legal certainty, assessing case by case whether double taxation treaties apply based on certified tax residence.
Market agility
We reduce time-to-market through our physical presence in Dubai and our institutional network.
Institutional interface
We support the relationship with authorities, regulators and local entities during incorporation, licensing and day-to-day operations.
The best structures are born of the best decisions.
Every project is different. So should every recommendation be. Before designing a structure we understand the business, its shareholders, the markets it operates in and the objectives it pursues. Only then do we formulate a legal, tax and corporate strategy aligned with that reality.
Our work is not only about implementing structures. It is about helping our clients make decisions that will still be right in five, ten or twenty years.
A process designed for long-term decisions.
Legal Assessment
We analyse the business model, the economic activity, the tax residence of the beneficiaries, the shareholding structure, regulatory risks and strategic objectives before making any recommendation.
Legal architecture
We design the most suitable structure for each project, defining how operating companies, holdings, foundations and other vehicles available in the Emirates interact.
End-to-end implementation
We coordinate incorporation, immigration processes, bank account opening, corporate documentation, hiring and regulatory registrations through a single multidisciplinary team.
Evolution and corporate governance
We support the structure on an ongoing basis through Corporate Tax, VAT, UBO, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and periodic reviews as the business evolves.
Eight practice areas. One team.
Once the Legal Assessment defines the strategy, we cover every area with the same legal criteria and without splitting the file across providers.
Corporate Structuring
Design and implementation of corporate structures for business groups, investors and international companies.
International Tax
International tax planning, tax residence analysis and coordination of cross-border structures.
Company Formation
Incorporation of entities in Mainland and Free Zones as part of an integrated corporate strategy.
Wealth & Estate Planning
Holdings and foundations for wealth protection and international succession planning.
Immigration & Global Mobility
Golden Visa, residencies, work permits and international mobility for executives, investors and their families.
Banking
File preparation and coordination of account opening processes with local and international banks.
Employment & Payroll
Employer of Record (EOR), local hiring, payroll and labour compliance.
Corporate Compliance
Corporate Tax, VAT, UBO, Economic Substance Regulations (ESR), AML and corporate governance.
The right structure depends on the strategy.
There is no universally better jurisdiction. Every recommendation answers the business model, the economic activity, the tax residence of the shareholders, the target markets and the expected evolution of the organisation.
Direct operating presence.
For organisations with a direct operating presence in the Emirati market, licensed by the Department of Economic Development, with full access to the territory and to public contracting.
Specialised structures.
More than 45 free zones across the country. We select the most suitable one by sector: DIFC and ADGM in finance and wealth, DMCC in trading, JAFZA in logistics, Meydan in services and holding.
Wealth and the long term.
For wealth planning, consolidation of investments and long-term structures, articulated with the group and with the tax residence of the beneficiaries.
From the Legal Assessment to ongoing compliance.
Six stages, a single point of contact across Dubai, London and Bogotá, and a file that supports every decision.
Legal Assessment
Analysis of the business model, economic activity, tax residence of the beneficiaries, shareholding structure and regulatory risks.
Structure design
Definition of the legal architecture: operating companies, holdings, foundations and other vehicles available in the Emirates.
Legal and corporate implementation
Incorporation, licensing, corporate documentation and regulatory registrations with a single multidisciplinary team.
Banking and global mobility
Banking file preparation, account opening, immigration processes, residencies and Golden Visa.
Start of operations
Hiring, payroll, accounting and launch of the operation under the defined structure.
Ongoing compliance
Corporate Tax, VAT, UBO, ESR, corporate governance and periodic reviews as the business evolves.
Legal Assessment
Analysis of the business model, economic activity, tax residence of the beneficiaries, shareholding structure and regulatory risks.
Structure design
Definition of the legal architecture: operating companies, holdings, foundations and other vehicles available in the Emirates.
Legal and corporate implementation
Incorporation, licensing, corporate documentation and regulatory registrations with a single multidisciplinary team.
Banking and global mobility
Banking file preparation, account opening, immigration processes, residencies and Golden Visa.
Start of operations
Hiring, payroll, accounting and launch of the operation under the defined structure.
Ongoing compliance
Corporate Tax, VAT, UBO, ESR, corporate governance and periodic reviews as the business evolves.
We regularly advise clients seeking to:
- 01
Establishing a regional platform from the Emirates.
- 02
Restructuring an international business group.
- 03
Consolidating investments through a holding company.
- 04
Protecting family wealth with international structures.
- 05
Expanding into the Gulf from a stable jurisdiction.
- 06
Raising international investment.
- 07
Reviewing existing structures.
- 08
Strengthening tax and regulatory compliance.
What clients ask before moving capital.
Which structure is most suitable to operate from the United Arab Emirates?
There is no single answer. The right structure depends on the economic activity, target markets, shareholding, tax residence of the beneficiaries, international flows and the intended banking. That is why every mandate begins with a Legal Assessment that reviews those elements before recommending an operating company, a holding, a foundation or a combination of vehicles.
What are the differences between a Mainland company and a Free Zone company?
Mainland fits when the goal is selling in the UAE domestic market or contracting with public entities, under a licence issued by the Department of Economic Development. A Free Zone fits holdings, services, trading or regulated activities (DIFC, ADGM, DMCC, JAFZA, IFZA, Meydan). The choice depends on the activity, the target bank, the economic substance required and the applicable Corporate Tax regime.
How does Corporate Tax work in the United Arab Emirates?
Companies incorporated in the UAE must register with the Federal Tax Authority and file annually. Some free zones allow a preferential regime subject to qualifying income and substance requirements. The analysis cannot be isolated: tax residence, permanent establishment and the effect in the parent company's or shareholders' country must be reviewed together.
When is it advisable to use a holding or a foundation?
When the objective goes beyond day-to-day operations: consolidating investments, ordering ownership of a group, protecting family wealth or planning succession. Foundations available in the Emirates (for example in ADGM or DIFC) allow ownership, control and benefit to be separated, but their use must be validated against the beneficiaries' tax residence and the rules of their home country.
How is the tax residence of an entity incorporated in the Emirates determined?
An incorporation certificate is not enough. The analysis looks at where management decisions are effectively taken, the entity's real substance (office, staff, expenses), the existence of a permanent establishment in other jurisdictions, and the rules of the shareholders' country of residence, including controlled foreign company rules.
How do you obtain a Golden Visa in the United Arab Emirates?
The Golden Visa is a long-term residence structured through different routes: real estate investment, business investment, specialised talent or professional categories. Each route has its own documentary and valuation requirements, and it should be aligned with the corporate structure to avoid tax and substance friction.
The best structures begin with a good conversation.
Every legal decision made at the start of a project has implications that go far beyond incorporating an entity. Understanding the full context is the first step towards building a sound, efficient structure ready to grow.
The T&C Consulting Group Middle East Desk supports entrepreneurs, companies and family offices from the initial analysis to the ongoing evolution of their structures, integrating the experience of our teams in Dubai, London and Bogotá.