Do you still need a local sponsor in the UAE?

No. Since the 2021 reform, most UAE mainland businesses no longer require a local sponsor or a 51% UAE national partner. The Local Service Agent requirement has also been removed in most activities.

100 % foreign ownership in the UAE: how the 2021 reform changed everything

The UAE’s Commercial Companies Law reform of 2021, extended by Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2025, allows foreign founders to hold 100% of most mainland businesses without a local sponsor.