GBCORP · BUY-SELL BUSINESS · UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Buy, Sell or Start a Business in the UAE
GBCORP buys, sells and sets up businesses across the UAE, from trading and service companies in Dubai to hospitality, logistics and industrial firms in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates, in transactions up to USD 20 million. We work in Arabic or English, with our local partner network of lawyers, auditors and licensing consultants.
Why the UAE
The UAE is the Gulf’s business capital: no personal income tax, full foreign ownership in most activities, world-class ports and airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and residents from more than 200 nationalities. Companies here serve the Gulf, South Asia, Africa and Europe from one base.
That makes UAE businesses attractive to buyers from across the region and beyond, and gives owners a deep market when they decide to sell. For many founders, though, the right first step is not buying at all but registering a new company, which the UAE makes unusually fast.
Starting out? Our guide on how to establish a profitable business in Dubai covers the basics.
Selling your UAE company
For founders and owners who want serious buyers, a defensible price and a clean handover.
Valuation you can defend
Normalised earnings and a market-tested price that holds through the buyer’s due diligence.
Gulf and international buyers
Buyers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the wider Gulf, India, Europe and Africa, screened before they see your name.
Licence and visa handover
Trade licence changes, partner amendments and staff visas are planned before signing.
Confidential process
An anonymous profile first; full figures only under a signed NDA.
Buying a business in the UAE
For entrepreneurs, investors and companies looking for an operating business in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or the northern emirates.
Deal sourcing
Trading, service, hospitality and logistics companies across the emirates, including off-market opportunities.
Due diligence
Licence, ownership, tax, VAT, visa and contract checks, coordinated with UAE lawyers and auditors.
Mainland or free zone
We check whether the company’s licence lets it trade where you need it to, on the mainland or from a free zone.
Residence
Owners of a UAE company can generally sponsor their own residence visa, and qualifying investors may apply for the Golden Visa.
Starting instead of buying
Ready-made companies exist in the UAE but are less common than elsewhere, and their licences rarely match a new owner’s plans. Registering a new company is usually faster and cleaner. These are the usual routes.
Freelance permit
For consultants, creatives and specialists working under their own name, with a permit from a free zone or emirate authority and residence.
Mainland LLC
A company licensed by the emirate’s economic department that can trade across the UAE; most activities now allow full foreign ownership.
Free zone company
A company in one of the UAE’s free zones, with full foreign ownership and, for qualifying income, a 0% corporate tax rate.
Tajer Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi’s fast-track licence for individual entrepreneurs, issued online for a range of small business activities.
Sole establishment
A mainland business owned by one person, for professional and other activities open to sole ownership.
Branch of a foreign company
A UAE branch of your existing company, licensed on the mainland or in a free zone.
Our business registration service takes you from choosing the activity and jurisdiction to the issued licence.
How a UAE deal runs with GBCORP
Six stages, one point of contact. Most sales complete in four to nine months.
01 · Valuation and preparation
We review the accounts and licences, normalise earnings and prepare the sale documents.
02 · Confidential approach
An anonymous teaser, then an information memorandum to screened buyers under NDA.
03 · Offers and letter of intent
We compare offers on price, structure and certainty, then agree heads of terms.
04 · Due diligence
The buyer’s advisers review licences, ownership, tax, VAT, visas and contracts.
05 · Signing and notarisation
The share transfer is signed and notarised, and the memorandum of association is amended.
06 · Licence update and handover
The economic department or free zone authority updates the licence, visas move where needed, and staff and customers are introduced.
UAE rules that shape the deal
The points that decide structure, timing and cost in a UAE transaction.
- Mainland ownership. Since 2021, most mainland activities allow 100% foreign ownership; a short list of strategic activities still needs a UAE national partner or special approval.
- LLC share transfers. Selling shares in a mainland LLC means a notarised transfer, an amended memorandum of association and an updated trade licence with the emirate’s economic department.
- Free zone transfers. Free zone companies change hands under each zone’s own rules and approval; the DIFC and ADGM have their own common-law courts and registries.
- Corporate tax and VAT. Federal corporate tax of 9% applies above a threshold, qualifying free zone income can be taxed at 0%, and VAT is 5%; a business sold as a going concern can fall outside VAT when the conditions are met.
- Visas and staff. Staff visas sit with the company: in a share sale they stay in place, while an asset sale moves staff to the buyer’s company and its visas.
- Regulated activities. Food, healthcare, education, financial services and other regulated activities need their regulator’s approval for a change of owner.
Local partners, one point of contact
GBCORP runs each UAE deal and company set-up end to end with our local partner network: lawyers, auditors and licensing consultants. We work with owners and buyers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
We speak your language. Our advisors work in Arabic and English. We handle transactions up to USD 20 million; fees are agreed per mandate and quoted on request.
Questions about buying, selling and starting in the UAE
The questions we hear first, answered plainly.
Can I buy a ready-made company in the UAE?
Sometimes. Ready-made companies are offered in some free zones, but they are less common in the UAE than in many other countries, and an existing licence’s activities and history rarely fit a new owner. In most cases it is faster and cleaner to register a new company, such as a freelance permit, a mainland LLC, a free zone company or a Tajer Abu Dhabi licence. GBCORP handles both routes.
How long does it take to sell a business in the UAE?
Most company sales take four to nine months from valuation to the licence update. Finding the right buyer and due diligence take most of that time; the transfer itself is quick once the documents are notarised.
Can a foreigner own 100% of a business in the UAE?
Yes, for most activities. Free zone companies have always allowed full foreign ownership, and since 2021 most mainland activities do too. A short list of strategic activities still needs a UAE national partner or special approval.
Do I get a UAE residence visa when I buy or start a business?
Owners and partners of a UAE company can generally sponsor their own residence visa through it, and investors and entrepreneurs who meet the criteria may qualify for the long-term Golden Visa.
What size of business does GBCORP handle in the UAE, and what does it cost?
We advise on transactions up to USD 20 million, from owner-run companies to established trading and hospitality groups. Fees are agreed per mandate and quoted on request after a confidential first conversation.
Guides to buying or selling a business in the United Arab Emirates
Start with our United Arab Emirates guide, then the essentials every buyer and seller should read.
Nearby markets and deal flow
Cross-border buyers often compare neighbouring markets. Each one has its own local advisory page.
Talk to our team
Considering buying or selling a business in the United Arab Emirates? Reach out for a confidential first conversation.
