The UAE Golden Visa is a 5- or 10-year renewable residence permit for investors, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, specialised talents, and outstanding students. It requires no local sponsor, remains valid even if the holder changes employers
The UAE charges 5 % Value Added Tax (VAT) on most goods and services. VAT registration with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) is mandatory once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 in any rolling 12-month period. Voluntary registration is available
Saudi Arabia applies a dual tax system: foreign-owned entities pay 20 % corporate income tax (CIT) on net profits, while Saudi and GCC nationals pay 2.5 % Zakat on the entity’s Zakat base. SEZ entities benefit from a reduced 5 % CIT rate for up t
UAE free zone entities pay 0 % corporate tax on qualifying income if they achieve Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) status under Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025. QFZP status requires meeting six strict conditions — substance, qualifying act
The UAE levies a 9 % federal corporate tax on net taxable income above AED 375,000. The first AED 375,000 is taxed at 0 %. Every UAE entity — mainland, free zone, and offshore — must register with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), even if it owes
The six GCC countries apply five different corporate tax models, ranging from 0 % in Bahrain to 20 % in Saudi Arabia for foreign-owned entities. The UAE’s 9 % federal corporate tax — introduced in June 2023 — sits in the middle, with a 0 % rate a
Foreign founders entering the GCC lose time and money on six recurring mistakes: choosing the wrong jurisdiction, underestimating bank-account timelines, ignoring tax-registration obligations, selecting mismatched activity codes, skipping documen
GCC business setup costs range from approximately USD 1,330 (AED 4,888) in a UAE budget free zone to over USD 66,000 (SAR 250,000) for a Saudi mainland LLC in the first year. Bahrain offers the cheapest mainland entry at approximately USD 2,650 (
Every GCC country issues business licences in four core categories — commercial, professional, industrial, and tourism — with country-specific additions for e-commerce, freelance, holding, and regulated activities. The licence type determines wha
Five of the six GCC countries permit 100 % foreign ownership in most non-strategic sectors. Kuwait is the exception, capping standard structures at 49 % foreign equity without case-by-case government approval. The reforms that enabled full foreig
