| Our ranking in order of preference | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Summary at a glance | | | | | |
| Total year 1 engagement set up costs? | US$28,187 | US$30,914 | US$34,595 | US$19,450 | US$17,860 |
| Total year 2 costs (incl. audit and tax)? | US$9,850 | US$6,600 | US$14,620 | US$7,500 | US$11,100 |
| Our Client must travel during the engagement? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Total engagement period? | 3 months | 3 months | 3 months | 4 months | 3 months |
| Corporation tax rate on net profits (click link)? | 0% | 10% | 20% | 23% | 17% |
| Average monthly skilled labor salary (click link)? | US$3,500 | US$2,590 | US$1,000 | US$2,300 | US$600 |
| Average monthly office rental per sq m? | US$40 | US$40 | US$27 | US$25 | US$34 |
| Average monthly warehouse rental per sq m? | US$25 | US$28 | US$20 | US$9 | US$25 |
| Must be a 51% shareholder for trading business | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Must be a 51% shareholder for services business | No | No | No | No | No |
| English language proficiency % of population? | 70% | 50% | 45% | 85% | 40% |
| Incorporation requirements | | | | | |
| How long to secure company registration number? | 2 months | 4 weeks | 5 weeks | 8 weeks | 3 weeks |
| Minimum number of shareholders? | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Individual and corporate shareholders allowed? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum number of directors? | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Resident director required? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Minimum paid up share capital? | US$1 | US$55,000 | US$70,650 | US$1 | US$3,400 |
| Fast turnkey solution available (click link)? | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Fastest time Healy Consultants set up company? | 2 months | . | 1 month | 1 month | 1 month |
| Special permit or license required? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Corporate director(s) allowed? | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Public register of shareholders & directors? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tax and accounting considerations | | | | | |
| Corporate tax payable? | 0% | 10% | 20% | 23% | 17% |
| Withholding tax on dividends paid overseas | 0% | 0% | 0% | 20% | 10% |
| Annual financial statements required? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Statutory independent annual audit required? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Export taxes on goods and local GST or VAT? | 5% | 0% | 16% | 17% | 11% |
| Best holding company to extract dividends? | Marshall Islands | Singapore | Labuan | Singapore | UAE-RAK |
| Tax incentives for manufacturing start-ups? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Access to how many double tax treaties? | 66 | 50 | 32 | 54 | 34 |
| Number of tax exempt free zones available? | 37 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| GCC member (click link)? | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Corporate bank account considerations | | | | | |
| Healy Consultants’ preferred bank? | Emirates NDB | SCB | SCB | Union Bank | HSBC |
| How long to open corporate bank account? | 5 weeks | 3 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Do I travel to open the bank account? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Can open a US$ or £ or € bank account? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Good internet banking available? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Funds transfer currency controls | No | No | No | No | No |
| Bank rating by World Economic Forum? | 23 | 9 | 57 | 18 | 27 |
| Ease of getting credit by WEF? score (1-7) | 3 | 1 | 25 | 51 | 76 |
| Employment considerations | | | | | |
| Average skilled labour monthly salary? | US$3,100 | US$2,590 | US$1,500 | US$2,300 | US$800 |
| Average unskilled labour monthly salary? | US$800 | US$750 | US$500 | US$700 | US$300 |
| Average pension/insurance benefits % of salary? | 12.50% | 10% | 13.25% | - | 6-9% |
| Minimum national salary? | US$400 | US$550 | US$450 | US$500 | US$250 |
| Mandatory labor unions? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Minimum notice to dismiss employees? | 1 month | 2 months | 1 month | 1 month | 3 months |
| Minimum redundancy indemnity? | 1 month | 2 months | 1 month | 1 month | 3 months |
| Quota ratio of foreign workers to local staff? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| How long to get work permit approved? | 4 weeks | 3-6 weeks | 5-7 weeks | 4-8 weeks | 6-9 weeks |
| Manufacturing considerations | | | | | |
| Cost per unit of electricity? US$ | 0.04 | 1.9 | 0.23 | 0.17 | 0.02 |
| Rank for getting electricity (click link) | 4 | 40 | 44 | 109 | 54 |
| Warehousing space rental (per sq. m.)? | US$25 | US$28 | US$20 | US$9 | US$25 |
| Ranking for transport infrastructure (click link) (1-7 best) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3 |
| Ranking for customs procedures out of 10 (click link)? | 6 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.1 |
| Average import duty % on raw materials? | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Government incentives for startups? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Computer literacy % of population? | 90% | 90% | 90% | 95% | 90% |
| Internet connectivity rating? | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong |
| Global business efficiency index (click link)? | 23 | 21 | 54 | 30 | - |
| Preferred manufacturing city? | Dubai | Doha | Amman | Tel Aviv | Beirut |
| Proximity of sea port in kilometers? | 11 | 1 | 341.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 |
| Proximity of airport in kilometers? | 31 | 5 | 19 | 20 | 7.7 |
| Proximity of rail in kilometers? | 0 | 5 | 19 | 20 | 7.7 |
| Literacy % of population | 90% | 96.30% | 93.40% | 97.80% | 93.50% |
| Local purchasing power (GDP per capita) | US$43,876 | US$97,518 | US$5,422 | US$37,032 | US$10,058 |
| Local market size (in millions of people) | 9.57 | 2.1 | 6.5 | 8.1 | 4.5 |
| Average annual inflation rate in 2014? | 3% | 3.10% | 5.50% | 1.50% | 3.20% |
| Average unemployment rate in 2014? | 2.60% | 0.6 | 12.60% | 6.70% | 6.60% |
| Ease of doing business index (click link) | 22 | 50 | 117 | 40 | 104 |
| Country rating (click link) | AA | AA | BB- | A+ | B- |
