A Mainland company is licensed by the Department of Economy & Tourism (DET, formerly DED) of the relevant Emirate. Unlike a Free Zone company — which operates within a designated jurisdiction — a Mainland LLC can trade anywhere in the UAE, lease office space across any Emirate, and bid for government and quasi-government contracts.
Since the 2021 Commercial Companies Law amendment, foreign investors can own 100% of a Mainland company across more than 1,000 commercial and industrial activities — no UAE national sponsor required for the vast majority of business categories.
The right choice depends on what you sell, who you sell to, and how you plan to grow. Mainland is the answer when any of the following are true:
Our flat-fee Mainland setup covers every step from initial consultation to your physical license certificate. Each engagement is owned by a senior advisor — you speak with the same person from day one.
For most professional and commercial activities, your Mainland trade license can be issued within 2–3 working days of submitting documents. Visas typically follow within 7–10 days. The all-in cost — license, MOA, office, one investor visa — typically lands between AED 18,000 and AED 35,000 in year one. Use our cost calculator for an itemised estimate based on your activity and visa count.
Mainland is the right structure if you plan to:
We map your activity to the right license category and shareholder structure on the first call.
We prepare the trade-name reservation, initial approval and MOA — bilingual, ready for signature.
DET issues your trade license, typically within 48 hours of final document submission.
Investor visa, Emirates ID and corporate bank account follow in the next 7–10 working days.
One call with a senior advisor. We'll quote you on the spot and start the process the same day if you're ready.