Business Set Up In Dubai

Business Set Up In Dubai

We often get asked about how to set up or open a business in Dubai at our events or on the forum- here we take a closer look at how you can set up a business in Dubai- whether you are looking at a public, LLC or a Freezone option.

Business Set Up Overview

In the UAE, economic activity is regulated by individual emirates as well as the Federal Government. In Dubai, the authorities have deliberately sought to create an environment which is well ordered without being unduly restrictive. As a result, Dubai offers businessmen operating conditions that are among the most liberal and attractive in the region.

There are many options open to international companies seeking to establish a business relationship with Dubai. Apart from forming a trading relationship, many companies find that there are distinct advantages in having an on-the-spot presence in order to research market prospects, make contacts, liaise with customers, and see through the details of any transactions and orders secured.Having such a presence can provide considerable business advantages in the Middle East. 

Businessmen in the region prefer to deal with someone they know and trust and personal relationships are much more important in doing business in the Arab world than they are in western Europe or America. Also, the buying patterns of some countries served by Dubai tend to be unpredictable, creating a need for first class market intelligence and information. Dubai offers foreign companies a wide choice of business options, including:

• Direct trade - selling directly to established dealers and distributors
• Commercial agency arrangements - appointee must be a UAE national or company; agreement to be registered with Ministry of Economy and Commerce
• Branch or representative office - 100% foreign ownership permitted; local agent (sponsor) must be appointed; Economic Development Department licence required
• Limited liability company - foreign ownership restricted to 49%; Economic Development Department licence required
• Special free zone investment incentives.

Licensing
The basic requirement for all business activity in Dubai is one of the following three categories of licences:

Commercial licences covering all kinds of trading activity;
Professional licences covering professions, services, craftsmen and artisans;
Industrial licences for establishing industrial or manufacturing activity.

These licences are issued by the Dubai Economic Development Department (with the exception of licences for hotels and other tourism-related businesses which are issued by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.) Also, licences for some categories of business require approval from certain ministries and other authorities: for example, banks and financial institutions from the Central Bank of the UAE; insurance companies and related agencies from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce; manufacturing from the Ministry of Finance and Industry; and pharmaceutical and medical products from the Ministry of Health. More detailed procedures apply to businesses engaged in oil or gas production and related industries.In general, all commercial and industrial businesses in Dubai should be registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

Ownership Requirements
Fifty-one per cent participation by UAE nationals is the general requirement for all UAE established companies except:

• Where the law requires 100% local ownership
• In the Jebel Ali and Airport Free Zones
• In activities open to 100% AGCC ownership
• Where wholly owned AGCC companies enter into partnership with UAE nationals
• In respect of foreign companies registering branches or a representative office in Dubai
• In professional or artisan companies where 100% foreign ownership is permitted.

Legal structures of Business
Federal Law No. 8 of 1984, as amended by Federal Law No. 13 of 1988 - the Commercial Companies Law - and its by-laws govern the operations of foreign business. In broad terms the provisions of these regulations are as follows:The Federal Law stipulates a total local equity of not less than 51% in any commercial company and defines seven categories of business organisation which can be established in the UAE. It sets out the requirements in terms of shareholders, directors, minimum capital levels and incorporation procedures. It further lays down provisions governing conversion, merger and dissolution of companies. The seven categories of business organisation defined by the Law are:

• General partnership company
• Partnership-en-commendam
• Joint venture company
• Public shareholding company
• Private shareholding company
• Limited liability company
• Share partnership company

Partnerships
General partnership companies are limited to UAE nationals only. The Dubai government does not presently encourage the establishment of partnership-en-commendam and share partnership companies.

Joint Venture Companies
A joint venture is a contractual agreement between a foreign party and a local party licensed to engage in the desired activity. The local equity participation in the joint venture must be at least 51%, but the profit and loss distribution can be prescribed. There is no need to license the joint venture or publish the agreement. The foreign partner deals with third parties under the name of the local partner who (unless the agreement is publicised) bears all liability. In practice, joint ventures are seen as offering a suitable structure for companies working together on specific projects.

Public and Private Shareholding Companies
The Law stipulates that companies engaging in banking, insurance, or financial activities should be run as public shareholding companies. Foreign banks, insurance and financial companies, however, can establish a presence in Dubai by opening a branch or representative office.

Shareholding companies are suitable primarily for large projects or operations, since the minimum capital required is Dh. 10 million (US$ 2.725 million) for a public company, and Dh. 2 million (US$ 0.545 million) for a private shareholding company. The chairman and majority of directors must be UAE nationals and there is less flexibility of profit distribution than is permissible in the case of limited liability companies. 

Limited Liability Companies
A limited liability company can be formed by a minimum of two and a maximum of 50 persons whose liability is limited to their shares in the company's capital. Such companies are recognised as offering a suitable structure for organisations interested in developing a long term relationship in the local market.

In Dubai, the minimum capital is currently Dh. 300,000 (US$ 82,000), contributed in cash or in kind. While foreign equity in the company may not exceed 49%, profit and loss distribution can be prescribed. Responsibility for the management of a limited liability company can be vested in the foreor national partners or a third party. The following steps are required in establishing a limited liability company in Dubai.

• Select a commercial name for the company and have it approved by the Licensing Department of the Economic Development Department
• Draw up the company's Memorandum of Association and have it notarised by a Notary Public in the Dubai Court
• Seek approval from the Economic Development Department and apply for entry in the Commercial Register
• Once approval is granted, the company will be entered in the Commercial Register and have its Memorandum of Association published in the Ministry of Economy and Commerce's Bulletin. The licence will then be issued by the Economic Development Department
• The company should then be registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Branches and Representative Offices of Foreign Companies
The Commercial Companies Law covers the formation and regulation of branches and representative offices of foreign companies in the UAE and stipulates that they may be 100% foreign owned, provided a local agent is appointed.Only UAE nationals or companies 100% owned by UAE nationals may be appointed as local agents (which should not be confused with the term commercial agent). Local agents - also often referred to as sponsors - are not involved in the operations of the company but assist in obtaining visas, labour cards, etc and are paid a lump sum and/or a percentage of profits or turnover. To establish a branch or representative office in Dubai, a foreign company should proceed as follows:

• Apply for a licence from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, submitting an agency agreement with a UAE national or 100% UAE owned company. Before issuing the licence, the Ministry will:
• forward the application to the Economic Development Department to obtain the approval of the Dubai government;
• forward the application specifying the activity that the office or branch will be authorised to undertake in the UAE, to the Federal Foreign Companies Committee for approval;
• Once this has been done, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce will issue the required Ministerial licence specifying the activity to be practised by the foreign company;
• The branch or office should be entered in the Economic Development Department's Commercial Register, and the required licence will be issued;
• The branch or office should also be entered in the Foreign Companies Register of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce;
• Finally, the branch or office should be registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Professional Firms
In setting up a professional firm, 100% foreign ownership, sole proprietorships or civil companies are permitted. Such firms may engage in professional or artisan activities but the number of staff members that may be employed is limited. A UAE national must be appointed as local service agent, but he has no direct involvement in the business and is paid a lump sum and/or percentage of profits or turnover. The role of the local service agent is to assist in obtaining licences, visas, labour cards, etc.

The Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai Airport Free Zone have been set up with the specific purpose of facilitating investment. Accordingly, the procedures for investing in the zones are relatively simple.While the free zones are designed to complement and contribute to Dubai's growth and development, their legal status is quite distinct. 

Companies operating there are treated as being offshore, or outside the UAE for legal purposes.The option of setting up in the free zones is therefore most suitable for companies intending to use Dubai as a regional manufacturing or distribution base and where most or all of their turnover is going to be outside the UAE.

Free Zone Incentives

• 100% foreign ownership
• Exemption from all import duties
• 100% repatriation of capital and profits
• Freedom from corporate taxation, as applied throughout Dubai, with the added bonus of a renewable 15 year guarantee in the free zone
• Abundant inexpensive energy
• Simple and efficient recruitment procedures ensuring the availability of a competitive skilled and experienced workforce
• A high level of administrative support from the free zone authorities.

Licenses
Companies approved for operation in Jebel Ali Free Zone or Dubai Airport Free Zone, are granted one of the following types of licences: Trading; Industrial; Service; or National Industrial. These licences are renewable annually for as long as the company holds a valid lease from either of the Free Zones.Trading licences will be granted to companies holding a valid licence issued by the Dubai Economic Development Department or an equivalent authority in the UAE, and to companies incorporated outside the UAE. In each case, the permitted activities on the Free Zone licence must conform to those on the existing licence. Trading licences are also issued to Free Zone Establishments (FZE)

Industrial licences are issued to companies incorporated outside the UAE and to Free Zone Establishments
Service licences are only granted to companies holding a valid UAE licence

National Industrial licences are issued to industrial companies registered within or outside the UAE, provided they meet the conditions of having at least 51% AGCC equity and their local production accounting for at least 40% value added. Such companies must obtain provisional approval from the UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry. A National Industrial licence grants its holder the same rights as those of national and other AGCC companies, and products exported to AGCC states will be exempted from custom duties.

If a company wishes to practise more than one of the above mentioned activities, it must obtain a separate licence for each category of activity.Companies holding a Free Zone licence are permitted to operate in the Jebel Ali or Dubai Airport Free Zones and outside the UAE. Operation within the UAE can be undertaken either by a commercial agent, representative, distributor, or the mother company licensed by the relevant UAE authority. Any company holding a Free Zone licence can itself purchase goods or services within the UAE.

Setting up a branch of a foreign company
Any company wishing to set up a project in the Free Zones must first complete a simple questionnaire. From the information provided, the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority or Department of Civil Aviation can make a first assessment of whether the company's needs can be met.After consideration of this questionnaire, the company will be provided with:

• a licence application including an appendix with details of the documents required concerning the company's legal status
• a proforma of information required for planning, and
• a consumer request for electricity supply.

On receipt of these documents, the Free Zone authorities will consider the proposal. If provisional approval is given, the company will be asked to prepare and submit the documents called for in the appendix to the licence application.After the checking of these documents, a meeting will be called to discuss and finalise the project details. If everything is satisfactory, the Free Zone authorities will issue conditional approval for the project. Thereafter, a lease agreement and, if required, a personnel secondment agreement will be prepared by the Free Zone authorities for signature by the company.

At the time of signing, the applicant will be required to provide the insurance policies called for in the agreements and should pay the agreed rental and licence fees prior to collection of the licence.If the company wishes the Free Zone authorities to sponsor employees on its behalf, applications for entry permits may be submitted once the licence has been issued. The bank guarantee called for in the personnel secondment agreement will be required at this stage together with visa charges.If the company's project involves the erection of a structure, detailed plans must be submitted after the lease has been signed. When the plans have been agreed, a building permit will be issued. 

Administrative work, such as importing equipment or engaging labour for installation of equipment, may proceed in parallel with construction work. But application for entry permits for operatives to be sponsored by the Free Zone authorities will not normally be accepted until a completion certificate for the construction has been issued.

Setting up a free zone Establishment
A Free Zone Establishment - or FZE - is an establishment formed and registered within the Free Zones and regulated solely by the Free Zone authorities.Such establishments must have a capital of at least Dh.1 million and liability will be limited to the amount of paid-up capital. A FZE need only have a single shareholder and is an independent legal entity.Any company, organisation or individual wishing to form a Free Zone Establishment must submit a completed application to the Free Zone authorities. A decision on whether permission has been granted will be given within 30 days of receipt of the application and any other information and documentation required.If permission is granted, the authorities will record all relevant details in the FZE Register and issue a Certificate of Formation. This will specify the date of registration after which the FZE will be free to conduct any such business as is permitted in its licence.

Key Free Zones in Dubai
Dubai Airport Free Zone
Dubai Auto Zone
Dubai Biotechnology & Research Park
Dubai Flower Centre
Dubai Gold and Diamond Park
Dubai Healthcare City
Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai Internet City
Dubai Knowledge Village
Dubai Logistics City
Dubai Maritime City
Dubai Media City
Dubai Multi Commodity Centre
Dubai Outsource Zone
Dubai Silicon Oasis
Dubai Studio City
Dubai Sports City 
Enpark 
International Humanitarian City
International Media Production Zone
Jebel Ali Free Zone
Techno Park
JLT Free Zone

Mobile Apps That Earn You Real Money & Rewards

How much do you pay for apps on your iOS or Android device? Do you know that you can earn real cash and rewards from using certain apps? Granted that you will have to work for it by carrying out tasks like grocery shopping or checking out a new line of clothing, watching trailers, taking photos, and meeting new people. Sound interesting?

Then, you really should check out these 10 apps that will earn you real cash and rewards (gift cards and redeemables). We’ve split the tasks from the rewards to help you figure out which app to try out first., but something tells us that you’d probably be checking all of them out. Some even help you to get in shape and to do your part for charity.

1. Field Agent
What to do: You turn into a field agent for some field work, carrying out small missions in your neighborhood. You’ll get instructions of what to do and where to go, places like your local shopping mall, grocery store, or any landmark. The jobs must be completed within 2 hours, and is on a first come, first served.

What you get: Each job is worth between $2 and $12 (paid via PayPal).

Platform: iOS

2. CheckPoints
What to do: You can earn points for checking in to a grocery store, cafe or shopping mall, scanning the items that you buy during these errands or even when you recommend a friend to join CheckPoints.

What you get: The earned points can then be redeemed for rewards like Amazon.com and Walmart gift cards, games, cool gadgets and more.

Platform: iOS | Android

3. EasyShift
What to do: Complete simple assignments (Shifts) such as taking photos, giving an opinion, or recording the price of a product. After you complete several tasks, you will be promoted and will then be able to unlock higher-paying assignments and other valuable perks.

What you get: Payments will be made via PayPal and can be processed within 48 hours.

Platform: iOS

4. App Trailers
What to do: Preview trailers about apps and earn points while you’re at it. Help the app makers improve their app trailers by sharing honest opinions about what they need to add to complete the trailer.

What you get: You get paid half a cent for each video you watch. For trying out a demo (of an app), you can get paid between 9 cents to a dollar. Joining via a friend’s referral code may give you a head start of 50 points.

Platform: iOS | Android

5. Iconzoomer
What to do: Take photos of what is asked in your assignment: your lunch, your drink, or the shoes you are wearing, and earn money for each snap. Share a comment about the snapshot (if you got a feedback you want the manufacturer the know, this is your chance), and that’s it.

What you get: Earn money for each completed assignment via PayPal or get free merchandize. There is also the option to donate to charity via Unicef.

Platform: iOS | Android

6. GymPact
What to do: Exercise at the gym and earn money. Seriously! Once you’ve made a week-long pact on GymPact, you get paid for every day you go, and you have to pay for every day you skip. Those who get to the gym to exercise get to claim their monies from those who didn’t!

What you get: You’re getting $0.50 to $0.75 per workout which must lasts a minimum of 30 minutes. And you get to follow your exercise regime, and keep fit and healthy.

Platform: iOS

7. Gigwalk
What to do: Be a Gigwalker and run special assignments for clients at a preset price. You could be asked to take photos of a place, hand out fliers, check out a new bistro or a new product, or even become a mystery shopper. You essentially become your clients’ eyes and ears simply by being at the right place and the right time.

What you get: Get paid from $10 to $15 an hour.

Platform: iOS

8. Shopkick
What to do: If you are a heavy shopper and love trends and bargains, earn ‘kicks’ just by being yourself with Shopkick. Find participating shopping places that allow you to earn kicks with every walk-in and/or purchase and you will be able to redeem rewards with the ‘kicks’.

What you get: You get a first look at items at the store (while earning extra ‘kicks’) even before an actual walk-in. Use your ‘kicks’ to unlock gift cards and products you can redeem.

Platform: iOS | Android

9. ESPN Streak For The Cash
What to do: Think you know your sports team? Then name your predictions for each game and make sure you get the longest winning streak of the month. To make it tougher, you have to make the call for 10 different sports and maintain your streak.

What you get: The longest winning streak for a team or a player will win a monthly grand prize of $50,000.

Platform: iOS | Android

10. Phewtick
What to do: Get Phewtick on your phone, meet up with someone, scan a QR Code and voila, get paid just for meeting people.

What you get: Earn points that you can cash out, or donate to Unicef or the Red Cross. And meeting new people for work or leisure.

Platform: iOS | Android

More Apps!
Here are 7 more apps where you can earn money just by answering surveys, watching videos, downloading free apps among others.

Cash King: You earn money for downloading and trying out free apps (including new games), watching videos or completing surveys. Get paid via PayPal or receive Amazon.com gift cards in return.

Platform: Android

Get Paid to Play!: Watch some video ads, download and play some new games, and register on websites to get paid. You can withdraw your payment from PayPal.

Platform: Android

NPolls: Share your opinions by answering polls. Topics may cover politics, sports, social trends, lifestyle, brands and more. You are paid usually around 20 cents per survey.

Platform: iOS | Android

Mobile Rewards: Sign up for a free service, watch a Youtube video, or mention a product on your Facebook Wall. Earn credits that can be redeemed in cash via PayPal. Use a referral link and you can earn 100 credits for every friend who signs up, plus 10% of their earnings.

Platform: iOS

JunoWallet: Play games, watch videos, complete surveys and invite tons of your friends to join JunoWallet. A variety of rewards via Invites (3 levels) which can come as giftcards for games, pizza, coffee, movie tickets and more.

Platform: iOS | Android

Earn Money: Download free or paid apps, register to free or paid websites, or watch ads to earn points that can be accumulated and turned into cash. Payment is done via PayPal.

Platform: Android

Thumbspeak: Answer questions in polls and surveys and get paid for your opinion. Get paid via PayPal or cash in on gift cards.

Platform: iOS
http://www.bubblews.com/news/2864493-ten10-mobile-apps-that-earn-you-real-money-amp-rewards

Missing Malaysia Airline MH370 latest: Search ship picks up 'ping'... Signal in southern Indian Ocean

A Chinese patrol ship hunting for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner detected a pulse signal in the south Indian Ocean on Saturday, the state news agency Xinhua reported, in a possible indicator of the underwater beacon from a plane's "black box".

A black box detector deployed by the vessel Haixun 01 picked up the "ping" signal at around 25 degrees south latitude and 101 degrees east longitude, according to Xinhua.

It has not been established whether the ping is related to Flight MH370, which went missing four weeks ago with 239 people aboard shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing.

Xinhua further said a Chinese air force plane spotted a number of white floating objects in the search area.

Australian search authorities also said they had yet to verify whether the pulse signal was related to MH370.

Malaysia said earlier on Saturday it had begun a formal investigation into the jet's March 8 disappearance that would comprise experts from around the world, while the huge hunt for the Boeing 777 airliner intensified in the Indian Ocean.

Normally, a formal air safety investigation is not launched until wreckage is found. But there have been concerns that Malaysia's informal investigations to date have lacked the legal standing of an official inquiry convened under UN rules.

Authorities have not ruled out mechanical problems as a cause but say the evidence, including the loss of communications, suggests Flight MH370 was deliberately diverted thousands of kilometres (miles) from its scheduled route.

Defence and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a news conference that Australia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom and France had agreed to send representatives to take part in the investigation.

The extensive search and rescue operation has so far included assets from around 26 countries.

Under International Civil Aviation Organisation rules, the country where the aircraft is registered leads the investigation when the incident takes place in international waters.

10 military planes, three civilian jets and 11 ships

Four weeks after the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines jetliner, searchers on Saturday launched the most intensive hunt yet in the southern Indian Ocean, trying to find the plane's black box recorders before their batteries run out.

Up to 10 military planes, three civilian jets and 11 ships will scour a 217,000-sq-km (88,000-sq-mile) patch of desolate ocean some 1,700 km (1,060 miles) northwest of Perth near where investigators believe the plane went down on March 8 with the loss of all 239 people on board.

"If we haven't found anything in six weeks we will continue because there are a lot of things in the aircraft that will float," Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the head of the Australian agency coordinating the operation, told reporters.

"Eventually I think something will be found that will help us narrow the search area."

Authorities have not ruled out mechanical problems as a cause but say the evidence, including the loss of communications, suggests Flight MH370 was deliberately diverted thousands of kilometres from its scheduled route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Dozens of flights by a multinational taskforce have so far failed to turn up any trace of the plane, and investigators concede the task has been made more difficult by the lack of data.

Read: US military has spent $3.3m on search: Pentagon

The Boeing 777 was briefly picked up on military radar on the other side of Malaysia and analysis of subsequent hourly electronic "handshakes" exchanged with a satellite led investigators to conclude the plane crashed far off the west Australian coast hours later.

Sonar Search

Sonar equipment on two ships joining the search may help find the plane's black box voice and data recorders that are key to unlocking what happened on the flight. The black box is equipped with a locator beacon that transmits "pings" when underwater, but its batteries may only last 30 days.

Australian authorities said the so-called Towed Pinger Locator will be pulled behind navy ship HMAS Ocean Shield, searching a converging course on a 240-km (150-mile) track with British hydrographic survey ship HMS Echo.

Experts have warned the Towed Pinger Locator may be of little use unless investigators can get a much better idea of exactly where the plane went into the water, because its limited range and the slow speed at which it must be pulled behind the ship mean it cannot cover large areas of ocean quickly.

"I won't even call it an area. What we are doing is we are tracking down the best estimate of the course that the aircraft was on," US Navy Captain Mark Matthews told Reuters. "It takes a couple of days on each leg so it’s a slow-going search."

Read: Malaysia may sue 'false' MH370 media reports

Britain is also sending HMS Tireless, a Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine with sonar capabilities, and a Malaysian frigate was due to arrive in the search area on Saturday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Australian counterpart, Tony Abbott, this week toured RAAF Base Pearce, near Perth, from where aircrews seven countries have been operating.

"The world expects us to do our level best, and I'm very confident we will indeed show what we can do together as a group of nations; that we want to find answers, that we want to provide comfort to the families and we will not rest until answers are indeed found," Najib said.
Malaysian authorities have faced heavy criticism, particularly from China, for mismanaging the search and holding back information. Most of the 227 passengers were Chinese. 

OPENING A BUSINESS IN DUBAI

OPENING A BUSINESS
​Once the preliminary details of your future business are ironed out and your funding and initial investment capital is in order, you can begin the formal process of obtaining a trade licence through the Department of Economic Development. Regardless of what business structure you’ve decided on, if you’re an expatriate you are likely need to appoint a local service agent, also known as a sponsor.

Since non-GCC nationals are not permitted to be majority share holders outside of free zones in the UAE, a system of shared ownership has been developed in which UAE nationals formally own 51% of the company and the foreign proprietor owns the remaining 49%; details of profit and loss distribution are then agreed upon in a separate contract. Local sponsors can be individuals or locally-owned businesses. For the most part, a local sponsor will not have any responsibility towards the business but is obliged to assist with all government related procedures such as obtaining permits, trade licences, visas and labour cards. His/her signature will be required on most official forms.

Depending on the legal structure of the business, the Department of Economic Development has certain capital requirements for obtaining a trade licence. Those requirements are detailed in the DED’s official explanation of legal business structures on its website.

Also keep in mind that certain businesses require separate approvals from varying government ministries before the trade application can be completed. When applying for a trade name, be sure to enquire about any external approvals that will be needed for the proposed business activity. Do note that 'Virtual offices' are not allowed by DED which has advised potential investors that any commercial enterprise in Dubai must have a physical address and an actual office.

It is important to do as much preliminary research as possible before applying for your trade licence. This means attending trade shows and exhibitions, networking through Dubai’s various business councils and even meeting with a consultancy firm that specialises in the business set up process.
GETTING INITIAL APPROVALS
​Law No. 13 of 2011 states that the Department of Economic Development (DED) will be the body responsible for the regulation of economic activity for all businesses outside the freezones. DED's responsibilities include licensing, classification of economic activity permitted within Dubai, issuing trade permits for marketing activities and setting business work hours. The law also establishes a one-window system with a single portal managed by DED for issuing licenses to businesses and dealing with investors.

In March 2012, DED announced a new instant license that will be launched for investors. The new instant license will allow investors to start their business immediately and complete the rest of the licensing requirements such as approvals from other government authorities within 120 days.

The first official step in obtaining a trade licence is to reserve a trade name and obtain an initial approval from the Department of Economic Development. To reflect its persistent efforts to enhance the UAE’s top rankings in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report and promote the country as a globally-competitive business hub, the Department of Economic Development has expanded its eServices window by offering these services through law firms in Dubai.

 Unlike the rest of the official set up process, this step is the same for all business structures. The application for trade name approval can be completed online and a list of trade name restrictions and regulations can be found along with the online application. The costs for obtaining a trade name varies depending on the content and language of the name. The process is relatively straight forward – after filling out the online application or submitting the application in person to the DED, you will be given a date on which you can pick up the approval. All fees must be paid before the trade name approval certificate can be released.



Applicants can usually submit their initial approval applications at the same time as submitting their trade name approval application. The documents needed for this step vary depending on the business structure of the company. At this point you will also need to submit any necessary special approvals from Ministries corresponding to your business.


If you are planning to open your new business within a free zone, keep in mind that the process for registering a trade name is usually taken care of by the free zone authority and each authority has different application processes.

Opening a branch of an existing company requires an added set of documents that verify the legitimacy of the branch and its future managers. A list of necessary documents for licensing a branch or any form of business can be found on the DED website. All new agencies can now register electronically with the Ministry of Economy using the 'New Agency Registration eService' that was launched in March 2011.

New business registration procedures in Dubai -  Dubai Economic Department (DED)
Register and apply for new company in Dubai online - DED
Search for trade name in Dubai – DED
Special Licences and Approvals – DED
Dubai to issue investors instant trade licenses - Gulf News

Canada province's new migration scheme: No job offer required, no point-based system

A new provincial immigration programme in Canada has recently entered the immigration market. Nova Scotia offers aspirant immigrants a fair chance to obtain the Canadian residency.

The new programme, named the Regional Labour Market Demand Stream, is part of the Provincial Nominee Program of Nova Scotia, an eastern peninsular province surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.

With its broad selection criteria, it offers an attractive alternative to the more restrictive immigration progammes for applicants interesting in obtaining the Canadian residency.

For one, no job offer is required at the time of the application. Instead, the applicant will be asked to present an Employment Settlement Plan. In this plan, the applicant must elaborate on its intended occupation in Nova Scotia, the reasons for choosing Nova Scotia, the location they wish to settle and the reason why they want to settle there.

Although a job letter is not required, the applicant must be eligible in one of the labour categories that are in demand. The province has published an occupation list including 43 occupations, mostly relating to the fields of engineering, health services (including nursing), skilled trades, and food services (a complete list can be viewed here:)

The fact that no job offer is required may prove beneficial to some applicants, stated David Cohen, Canadian Attorney and author ofCitizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) news.

“In recent years, many if not most new Canadian immigration programs require that individuals first obtain a job offer in Canada in order to be eligible to apply. The fact that this new stream does not require a job offer is likely to generate large amounts of interest.”

The fact that no point-based system is applied, as is the case in many other programmes, forms another advantage according to Deepak Kohli, President of Transcend Consultants, a Canadian Immigration Consultant.

In order to be eligible for the programme, conducting an IELTS tests or providing an Educational Credential Assessment are not required. Minimum language proficiency must be proven through English studies, and the applicant must have at least a high school level of education and a degree, diploma, or certificate from a post-secondary institution.

Furthermore, the applicant must be between the age of 21 and 55, be legally residing in the current country of residence and have sufficient funds for settlement in Nova Scotia.

“This is a new experimental program with broadly defined selection criteria. In a way, this goes back to the core Canadian Immigration selection system that most applicants used to face in the past, however, without a defined selection grid/ points system,” commented Kohli.

The programme was opened for applications on March 6 this year. First, applicants must apply to for the programme on the provincial level. The processing time of this application is expected to be up to one month or more depending on the volume of applications received and the time required to assess the application documents.

When the application is approved, the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration will then issue a Provincial Nomination Certificate, which must be approved by the Federal government. The Federal government assesses an applicant’s admissibility with respect to medical and security/criminality concerns and is finally responsible for granting Canadian permanent resident status.

Missing Malaysia Airlines latest: Final cockpit words... 'Good night Malaysian three seven zero'

The last words from the cockpit of the missing Malaysian airliner were a standard "Good night Malaysian three seven zero", Malaysian authorities said, changing their account of the  critical last communication from a more casual "All right, good night."

The correction almost four weeks after Flight MH370 vanished was made as Malaysian authorities face heavy criticism, particularly from China, for mismanaging the search and holding back information.

Painstaking analysis of radar data and limited satellite information has focused the search on a vast, inhospitable swathe of the southern Indian Ocean west of the Australian city of Perth, but has so far failed to spot any sign of it.

"Good night Malaysian three seven zero" would be a more formal, standard sign-off from the cockpit of the Boeing  777, which was just leaving Malaysia-controlled air space on its route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Malaysia says the plane was likely diverted deliberately, probably by a skilled aviator, leading to speculation of involvement by one or more of the pilots. Investigators, however, have determined no apparent motive or other red flags among the 227 passengers or the 12 crew.

"We would like to confirm that the last conversation in the transcript between the air traffic controller and the cockpit is at 0119 (Malaysian Time) and is "Good night Malaysian three seven zero," the Department of Civil Aviation said in a statement late on Monday.

Minutes later its communications were cut off and it turned back across Malaysia and headed toward the Indian Ocean.

Malaysia's ambassador to China told Chinese families in Beijing as early as March 12, four days after the flight went missing, that the last words had been "All right, good night".

The statement said authorities were still conducting "forensic investigation" to determine whether the last words from the cockpit were by the pilot or the co-pilot. Previously, Malaysia Airlines has said that the words were believed to have come from the co-pilot.

March 31, 2014

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak will visit Australia to witness the race-against-time bid to locate a crash site for flight MH370, his government said on Monday as a ship equipped to pinpoint its "black box" prepared to steam to the search area.

Ships and planes from seven nations scanned a vast zone far off western Australia for yet another day, but the hunt for debris that would prove the Malaysia Airlines jet crashed in the Indian Ocean more than three weeks ago turned up nothing.

"The prime minister, who is going to Perth on Wednesday, will be briefed fully on how things have been conducted, and probably will be discussing what are the chances ahead," Malaysian Transport and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

Experts warn debris must be found within days to nail down a crash site in order for any use of the US-supplied black box detector -- known as a towed pinger locator (TPL) -- to be feasible.

The US Navy, which has supplied the detection device, said in a statement on Monday: "Without confirmation of debris it will be virtually impossible to effectively employ the TPL since the range on the black-box pinger is only about a mile."

But Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said earlier in the day no time limit would be imposed on the search for clues as to what happened.

'We owe it to the world'

"We owe it to the families, we owe it to everyone that travels by air, we owe it to the anxious governments of the countries who had people on that aircraft. We owe it to the wider world which has been transfixed by this mystery for three weeks now," Abbott said in Perth.

The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people vanished without a trace on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, leaving stunned relatives, the aviation industry, and ordinary travellers around the world hanging on the mystery.

Families of Chinese passengers have angrily attacked Malaysia, alleging incompetence and deceit in what even Malaysian officials call the "unprecedented" loss of a jumbo jet.

More than a dozen Chinese relatives -- part of a group of nearly 30 who arrived on the weekend to press for answers -- kept up the pressure after a prayer session Monday at a Kuala Lumpur Buddhist temple.

"We will never forgive those who hurt our families and don't tell the truth and delay the rescue mission," a spokesman for the group, Jiang Hui, told reporters, reiterating suspicions toward Malaysia voiced by many relatives of the 153 Chinese aboard.

The Australian vessel Ocean Shield, fitted with the pinger locator and an underwater drone designed to home in on the black box's signal, was to conduct sea trials off Perth on Monday before heading to the search area.

A black box signal usually lasts only about 30 days. Fears are mounting that time will run out -- Ocean Shield will not reach the search zone, now the size of Norway, until Thursday, Hishammuddin said, roughly 26 days after the plane went missing.

If floating MH370 debris is found, authorities plan to analyse recent weather patterns and ocean currents to determine where the plane went down.

Malaysia believes MH370 was deliberately diverted by someone on board and that satellite data indicates it crashed in the remote Indian Ocean.

Monday's search saw ten planes take to the skies, with ten ships already at sea. Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Korea and the US are taking part.

Malaysia remains officially in charge, but Australia has assumed increasing responsibility, appointing retired air chief marshal Angus Houston to head a new coordination centre in Perth.

Many Chinese relatives, still holding out slim hopes, have taken issue with Najib's March 24 announcement that the plane was lost at sea, despite the lack of firm evidence.

Malaysian response 'clumsy'

Hishammuddin said "high-level" Malaysian officials and experts involved in an investigation into MH370 would brief families simultaneously in Kuala Lumpur and Beijing "soon" in a bid to explain Malaysia's stance.

Malaysia insists it is being transparent, but is yet to release any details of its investigation into what happened, which has included probing the backgrounds of everyone on the flight, including its crew.

In testy exchanges with foreign journalists Monday, Hishammuddin said: "We are not hiding anything, we are just following the procedure that has been set."

Malaysia also has come under fire from China's state media, while Beijing has pressed for more transparency in the investigation. Authorities there allowed angry relatives to stage a rare protest last week at Malaysia's embassy.

But a commentary in the government-controlled China Daily struck a more measured tone Monday, urging relatives to accept their losses.

"Although the Malaysian government's handling of the crisis has been quite clumsy, we need to understand this is perhaps the most bizarre incident in Asian civil aviation history," it said.

EARLIER REPORT

Families being prepared to accept... NO survivors

Commentary in China's state-run media is urging people to react "rationally" to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, after days of protests by passengers' relatives who say Malaysia has mishandled the incident.

Many Chinese family members of passengers have expressed extreme skepticism over accounts by the Malaysian government. They maintain Malaysian officials are not telling all they know about the plane's disappearance March 8 and have expressed frustration that they concluded it went down in the Indian Ocean without any physical evidence.

The commentary in the China Daily says "we should not let anger prevail over facts and rationality."

"No matter how distressed we are ... it is certain that flight MH370 crashed in the Indian Ocean and no one on board survived," the comments say.

All evidence points to 'lost'

All evidence points to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 being lost in the remote Indian Ocean, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Monday, backing his Malaysian counterpart's view that the plane crashed.

The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished on March 8 carrying 239 passengers and crew, but more than three weeks later no wreckage has been found.

Many relatives of those on board have been incensed at the announcement on March 24 by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that -- based on detailed analysis of satellite data -- the plane could be presumed lost at sea.

But Abbott said he agreed with Najib's conclusions.

"The accumulation of evidence is that the aircraft has been lost and it has been lost somewhere in the south of the Indian Ocean," he told reporters at the Perth military base coordinating the search.

"That's the absolutely overwhelming wave of evidence and I think that Prime Minister Najib Razak was perfectly entitled to come to that conclusion, and I think once that conclusion had been arrived at, it was his duty to make that conclusion public."

Australia is coordinating the international hunt for the missing Boeing 777, which involves about 100 personnel searching from onboard surveillance aircraft and 1,000 sailors in ships in or near the search zone.

"This is an extraordinarly difficult exercise. We are searching a vast area of ocean and we are working on quite limited information," Abbott said.

"Nevertheless, the best brains in the world are applying themselves to this task, all of the technological mastery that we have is being applied and brought to bear here. If this mystery is solvable, we will solve it. But I don't want to underestimate just how difficult it is."

Search will go on

The Australian leader refused to put a time limit on the search, saying: "We can keep searching for quite some time to come. The intensity of our search and the magnitude of our search is increasing, not decreasing."

"We owe it to the families, we owe it to everyone that travels by air, we owe it to the governments of the countries who had citizens on that aircraft, we owe it to the wider world which has been transfixed by this mystery for three weeks now," he said.

"We owe it to everyone to do everything we reasonably can."

More flotsam

Dozens of items have been spotted since Australian authorities moved the search 1,100 km (685 miles) north after new analysis of radar and satellite data, but none has been linked to Flight MH370.

The new search area, while closer to Perth and subject to calmer weather, is also closer to an area of the Indian Ocean where currents drag all manner of flotsam and rubbish.

"I would say the search area is located just outside of what we call the garbage patches," Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at the University of New South Wales said.

"However, there is much more debris there than in the Southern Ocean. Debris from Western Australia that ends up in the garbage patches will have to move through the search area."

However the greatest problem remains the vast search area, roughly the size of Poland or New Mexico.

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March 30, 2014

Ten ships and as many aircraft will search a swathe of the Indian Ocean west of Perth on Sunday, trying again to find some trace of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 after more than three weeks of fruitless and frustrating hunting.

Numerous objects have been spotted in the two days since Australian authorities moved the search 1,100 km (685 miles) after new analysis of radar and satellite data concluded the Boeing 777 travelled faster and for a shorter distance after vanishing from civilian radar screens on March 8.

However, none has been confirmed as coming from Flight MH370 and time is running out to find any debris, work out a likely crash zone and recover the aircraft's "black box" voice and data recorders before batteries pinging their location die.

An Australian navy ship fitted with a sophisticated US black box locater and an unmanned underwater drone is due to leave later on Sunday.

But the ADV Ocean Shield will take days to reach the search zone, an area the size of New Mexico some 1,850 km (1,150 miles) to the west of Perth.

Malaysia says the plane, which disappeared less than an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, was likely diverted deliberately. Investigators have determined no apparent motive or other red flags among the 227 passengers or the 12 crew.

Weather threatens search

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said aircraft from China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the United States would be searching on Sunday.

"Weather in the search area is forecast to worsen today with light showers and low cloud, though search operations are expected to continue," AMSA said in a statement

Both a Chinese ship and an Australian navy vessel picked up objects yesterday but nothing has been linked to Flight MH370.

The Chinese navy vessel Jinggangshan, which carries two helicopters, reached the new search area early on Saturday where it was expected to focus on searching for plane surfaces, oil slicks and life jackets in a sea area of some 6,900 sq km, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The search, being coordinated by Australia, has involved unprecedented cooperation between more than two dozen countries and 60 aircraft and ships but has also been bedevilled by regional rivalries and an apparent reluctance to share potentially crucial information due to security concerns.

Family protests

The Malaysian government has come under strong criticism from China, home to more than 150 of the passengers, where relatives of the missing have accused the government of "delays and deception".

More than 20 Chinese relatives staged a brief protest on Saturday outside the Lido hotel in Beijing where families have been staying for the past three weeks, demanding evidence of the plane's fate.

The peaceful protest came just days after dozens of angry relatives clashed with police after trying to storm the Malaysian embassy.
Many of Saturday's protesters carried slogans demanding the "truth" about their lost loved ones.

"They don't have any direct evidence," said Steve Wang, who had a relative on the flight. "(Their conclusion) is only based on mathematical (analysis) and they used an uncertain mathematical model. Then they come to the conclusion that our relatives are all gone."

Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said his country was committed to seeing the investigation through to its final conclusion.

"What they want from us is a commitment to continue the search, and that I have given, not only on behalf of the Malaysian government but the so many nations involved," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur after speaking with families on Saturday.

For more than a week, the international effort had been scouring seas 2,500 km (1,550 miles) southwest of Perth, where satellite images had shown possible debris from Flight MH370. That search zone has now been abandoned.

In the first week of the search, Vietnamese, Chinese and Malaysian ships and planes concentrated their efforts in the South China Sea.
The shift north of the search was based on painstaking analysis of Malaysian military radar data and satellite readings from British company Inmarsat.

Chinese ships trawl new area

Chinese ships trawled a new area in the Indian Ocean for a missing Malaysian passenger jet on Saturday, as the search for Flight MH370 entered its fourth week amid a series of false dawns over sightings of debris.

Australian authorities coordinating the operation moved the search 1,100 km (685 miles) north on Friday after new analysis of radar and satellite data concluded the Malaysia Airlines  plane travelled faster and for a shorter distance after vanishing from civilian radar screens on March 8.

Chinese aircraft spotted three suspicious objects in a new search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet off Australia's west coast, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

The items are white, red and orange respectively, Xinhua said.

The southern Indian Oceano is now the main focus of the search, where unidentified pieces of debris have been spotted by New Zealand and Australian Air Force Orions.

Who has seen what so far

Fresh objects spotted by planes searching for a missing Malaysian passenger jet in a new area of the southern Indian Ocean have again raised hopes of unravelling the three-week old mystery.

Australian authorities coordinating the operation dramatically moved the air and sea search 1,100 km (685 miles) north on Friday after new analysis of radar and satellite data concluded Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 travelled faster and for a shorter distance after vanishing from civilian radar screens on March 8.

Australia said late on Friday that five international aircraft had spotted "multiple objects of various colours" in the new search area some 1,850 km (1,150 miles) west of Perth.

Flight Lieutenant Jamin Baker was on a New Zealand Airforce Orion which spotted several items and dropped a marker buoy in "an area of interest".

"Obviously we don't know if these (objects) are associated with the aircraft yet but it certainly looks like we are seeing a lot more debris and just general flotsam in the water, so we could be on to something here," Baker said.

One Chinese navy ship was in the area and would be trying to recover objects on Saturday, while other ships were steaming to the area, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.

Malaysia says the Boeing 777, which vanished less than an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, was likely diverted deliberately but investigators have turned up no apparent motive or other red flags among the 227 passengers or the 12 crew.

U.S. officials close to the investigation said the FBI found nothing illuminating in data it had received from computer equipment used by MH370's pilots, including a home-made flight simulator.

The search has involved more than two dozen countries and 60 aircraft and ships but has been bedevilled by regional rivalries and an apparent reluctance to share potentially crucial information due to security concerns.

Malaysian officials said the new search area was the result of a painstaking analysis of Malaysian military radar data and satellite readings from British company Inmarsat carried out by U.S., Chinese, British and Malaysian investigators.

Engine performance analysis by the plane's manufacturer Boeing helped investigators determine how long the plane could have flown before it ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean, they said.

"Information which had already been examined by the investigation was re-examined in light of new evidence drawn from the Inmarsat data analysis," Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a news conference on Friday.