What incorporation actually means
"Setting up a company" is the marketing term. Incorporation is the legal substance — the documents and structure that create a separate legal person, define who owns what, and govern how decisions are made. Done well, incorporation protects you from disputes years before they happen. Done poorly, it creates problems that are expensive to fix.
Optimum's incorporation service is led by lawyers and senior consultants who do this every day. We work with founders, investors and family offices to build companies that are correct on day one and easy to scale or restructure later.
Where we incorporate
We handle incorporation across all UAE jurisdictions:
- Mainland LLCs — onshore companies licensed by Dubai DET or other Emirate economic departments
- Free Zone companies — FZ-LLC, FZE, branch and representative offices across 15+ partner free zones
- Offshore vehicles — JAFZA Offshore, RAK ICC, Ajman Offshore for international structures
- ADGM & DIFC entities — English-common-law jurisdictions for finance and complex structures
- Branch offices — of foreign parent companies in Mainland or Free Zone
What we structure
Articles & MOABilingual Memorandum and Articles of Association tailored to your activity and shareholders.
Shareholder agreementsFounder vesting, drag/tag rights, transfer restrictions, dispute resolution.
Share structureMultiple share classes, preference shares, ESOP/share-option pools.
Corporate governanceBoard composition, reserved matters, voting thresholds, quorum.
Founder & investor termsFunding rounds, anti-dilution, liquidation preferences, board seats.
Corporate registersMembers’ register, directors’ register, share certificates, statutory record book.
What’s included
- Initial structuring call — ownership, share classes, governance
- Drafting of bilingual MOA / Articles of Association
- Shareholder agreement (SHA) drafting and review
- Share-class structuring, ESOP and option-pool design
- Statutory registers, share certificates and board resolutions
- Filing with the relevant licensing authority and registrar
- Optional ongoing company-secretarial service (annual filings, board minutes)
Who this is for
- Multi-founder startups raising external capital
- Family-owned businesses formalising governance and succession
- Joint ventures between strategic or financial partners
- Holding-company structures with multiple operating subsidiaries
- Founders who want their incorporation done right — not retrofitted later
