The LLC is a popular form of company registration in Abu Dhabi. It requires a minimum of two and a maximum of 50 members, and minimum capitalization of Dh150,000 (approximately US$41,000). Similar to formation of a Dubai LLC, Abu Dhabi can be more advantageous for small and medium enterprises, which may have been disadvantaged by the relatively high minimum capital requirements.

Many incentives are granted for Abu Dhabi company formation industrial projects including i) suitable plots of land at low rates ii) Public utilities, such as water and electricity provided at nominal and promotional rates iii) industrial plants put out for rent at various industrial zones.

Through an Abu Dhabi branch company, one can wholly own the entity and not be subject to an annual audit. For more information visit our Abu Dhabi Branch Company page.

Following Abu Dhabi company formation, our clients obtain UAE residence and employment visas. For more information, visit our Migration and Relocation services page.

Healy Consultants can open global corporate bank accounts to support Abu Dhabi company formation. Healy Consultants works with internationally recognised banks such as HSBC, Standard Chartered and Citibank to provide corporate bank account services.

As an example of the complexity of Abu Dhabi company incorporation, an Abu Dhabi LLC requires a minimum 51% shareholding by UAE citizens and a minimum of two shareholders. If the 49% shareholder in the Abu Dhabi LLC is a foreign corporate entity, the corporate documents of the foreign company (e g Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, Board Resolution resolving to participate in an Abu Dhabi LLC and Power of Attorney in favour of the Abu Dhabi LLC manager) must be notarized and legalised in the country of incorporation of the parent company. In addition, these documents must then be legalised at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi and then translated into Arabic. These requirements contribute to the complexity and costs of Abu Dhabi company formation.

To further highlight the high costs of incorporating an Abu Dhabi entity, in addition to the government fees incorporate an LLC, investors must pay to the government 5% of the annual lease rent of the office premises (and at the time of annual renewal an additional 5% of the annual lease rent for the manager’s residence also becomes payable).

To highlight the above, according to the World Bank's Doing Business 2012 Survey, the UAE is ranked negatively as the world's 33rd easiest place to do business. The survey measures factors including business start up procedures, time, cost and minimum capital required to start a business. However, the survey measures ease of business in the UAE, not specifically in Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, the UAE is negatively ranked as the world's 28th freest economy in the Heritage Organisation's 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, a measure of freedom enjoyed in  business, trade, monetary, financial, investment and labour markets. Abu Dhabi also ranks poorly at 24th place in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013

An Abu Dhabi LLC cannot conduct insurance, banking or the investment of money for third parties.