Comparison of Dubai LLC and Abu Dhabi LLC companies in 2026
| Summary at a Glance | Dubai trading company | Abu Dhabi company |
|---|---|---|
| Our Client must travel during the engagement? | Yes | Yes |
| Total engagement period? | 3 months | 4 months |
| Corporation tax rate on net profits (click link)? | 0% | 0% |
| Average monthly skilled labor salary (click link)? | US$3,500 | US$3,500 |
| Average monthly office rental per sq m? | US$61 | US$45 |
| Average monthly warehouse rental per sq m? | US$30 | US$20 |
| Literacy % of population? | 90% | 90% |
| English language proficiency % of population? | 78% | 50% |
| Tenancy agreement required before incorporation? | Yes | Yes |
| Resident UAE shareholder required for trading companies? | 51% | 51% |
| Consulting companies can be 100% foreign owned | Yes | Yes |
| Can sign sales contracts with local clients | Yes | Yes |
| Allowed to invoice clients within the UAE? | Yes | Yes |
| Must rent office premises | Yes | Yes |
| Average annual rental cost for a 100 sqm. office | US$79,700 | US$54,400 |
| Expatriate perception of the city | Exciting | Family Oriented |
| Allowed to import raw materials? | Yes | Yes |
| Allowed to export goods? | Yes | Yes |
| Can the entity hire expatriate staff? | Yes | Yes |
| Incorporation requirements | ||
| How long to secure company registration number? | 2 months | 6 weeks |
| Minimum number of shareholders? | 2 | 1 |
| Individual and corporate shareholders allowed? | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum number of directors? | 1 | 2 |
| Resident director required? | No | No |
| Minimum paid up share capital? | US$1 | US$1 |
| Fast turnkey solution available (click link)? | Yes | Yes |
| Corporate director(s) allowed? | Yes | Yes |
| Public register of shareholders and directors? | Yes | Yes |
| Tax and accounting considerations | ||
| Corporate tax payable | 0% | 0% |
| Withholding tax on dividends paid overseas | 0% | 0% |
| Annual financial statements required? | Yes | Yes |
| Statutory independent annual audit required? | Yes | Yes |
| Export taxes on goods and local GST or VAT? | 0% | 0% |
| Tax exempt free zones available | 31 | 4 |
| Access global double tax treaties? | 66 | 66 |
| GCC member (click link)? | Yes | Yes |
| Corporate bank account considerations | ||
| Healy Consultants’ preferred bank? | SCB Dubai | SCB Dubai |
| How long to open corporate bank account? | 5 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Do I travel to open the bank account? | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-currency corporate bank account? | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-currency corporate visa debit cards? | Yes | Yes |
| Corporate ATM card available? | Yes | Yes |
| Bank rating by World Economic Forum? | 23 | 23 |
| Ease of getting credit by WEF? | 3 | 3 |
| Employment considerations | ||
| Average skilled labour monthly salary? | US$3,500 | US$3,500 |
| Average unskilled labour monthly salary? | US$800 | US$800 |
| Average pension/insurance benefits % of salary? | 12.5% | 12.5% |
| Mandatory labor unions? | No | No |
| Minimum notice to dismiss employees? | 30 days | 30 days |
| Quotas on foreign workers? | Yes | Yes |
| How long to get work permit approved? | 4 weeks | 3 weeks |
| Office space required to secure each new employment visa | 8sq.m. | 12sq.m. |
| Population % with degrees | 10% | 13% |
| Logistical considerations | ||
| Proximity of sea port in kilometers? | 43kms or 45 min. drive | 34kms or 30 min. drive |
| Proximity of airport in kilometers? | 12km or 25 min. drive | 35kms or 30 min. drive |
| Internet connectivity rating | Strong | Fair |
| Population (in million) | 2.1 | 1.4 |
| Computer literacy % of population | 71% | 80% |
| UAE purchasing power (GDP per capita) | $64,500 | $64,500 |
| UAE market size (in USD billions) | 401.6 | 401.6 |
| Average annual inflation rate in 2014-15? | 4.30% | 5.0% |
| Average unemployment rate in 2014-15? | 0.30% | 4.1% |
| Ease of doing business index (click link) | 31 | 31 |
| Country credit rating (S&P) | AA | AA |
| Percentage of expatriates living there | 88.5% | 75% |
| Number of international schools | 62 | 24 |
| Number of night clubs and bars | 271 | 35 |
| Number of golf courses | 11 | 7 |
| Number of global annual events | 19 | 24 |
| Government debt | US$142bn | US$104bn |
| Government sovereign fund | US$70bn | US$875bn |
| Mercer cost of living | 67 | 68 |
To compare different company formation options and understand how they differ in practice, see our comparison of popular UAE business setup jurisdictions.
