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Limited Liability Company (LLC) in the UAE

An LLC is a company in which each partner’s liability is limited to their share of the capital. It can be owned by UAE nationals or by any person or company of any nationality, with up to 50 partners, and can trade anywhere in the UAE.

Updated October 2026 · Figures checked 21 October 2026

Maximum number of partners
501
Maximum number of partners
Foreign ownership for most activities
100%2
Foreign ownership for most activities

Limited Liability Company (LLC) in the UAE

Ownership

Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020, in force from early 2021, removed the rule that a mainland company needed a 51% Emirati shareholder; Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 on Commercial Companies consolidated the change. The Cabinet still lists activities of strategic impact with their own conditions, and some activities, including defence, telecommunications, banking, insurance and commercial agencies, cannot be fully foreign-owned.2

Setting one up

  • A memorandum of association, attested, signed by the partners.
  • A trade name, an initial approval and, for foreign partners, residency approval first.
  • A lease for the business location and the licence from the emirate’s economic department.

Source: UAE Government Portal: Steps to start a business on the mainland3

Sources

  1. Dubai.ae: Business set-up options
  2. UAE Government Portal: Full foreign ownership of commercial companies
  3. UAE Government Portal: Steps to start a business on the mainland

Figures checked 21 October 2026. Prepared by Invest-Emirates.ae for general information. It is not investment, tax or legal advice; please confirm details with a qualified adviser before acting.

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