This journey assumes
- The Swedish company is an aktiebolag resident in Sweden and will own 100% of any UAE entity.
- The office will carry on unregulated commercial activities (sales support, marketing, services, possibly distribution); no banking, insurance or other licensed financial activity.
- Some Swedish staff will move to the UAE and other staff will be hired locally.
- The office may later serve other GCC markets from the UAE.
- Rules are stated as at 19 October 2026; the Swedish-side tax and social insurance points were only partly researched.
If any assumption is wrong for your business, the conclusions change. Ask WONE Global to re-run the analysis with your facts.
Both sides of the border, issue by issue
Each row is one part of the work. The left and right columns show what each country's rules require, so you can see where one side's decision constrains the other.
Free zone, mainland or branch
Most Swedish companies choose between a free-zone company, a mainland LLC and a branch of the Swedish company. The choice turns on whether the office will sell to UAE customers or only coordinate the region, and on Swedish tax rules for low-taxed foreign subsidiaries, which this research could only partly confirm.
- The Swedish parent pays corporation tax at 20.6% on its surplus, so the gap to the UAE rate of 9% (or 0% for a Qualifying Free Zone Person) is large.12
- As an EU member state Sweden must apply controlled foreign company rules at least to the standard of the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive: a UAE entity controlled more than 50% by the Swedish parent is in scope where the tax it pays is lower than the difference between Swedish tax and that tax. Sweden's own CFC test and any exemption list were not confirmed here.34
- Foreign investors can own 100% of a mainland company, licensed by the emirate's economic department, except for activities of strategic impact such as banking, insurance, telecoms and defence, which need federal approval.567
- A free-zone company is licensed by its free zone authority and cannot trade directly with the mainland market without an onshore presence. DIFC and ADGM have their own common-law-based company laws, unlike other free zones.89
- A branch of the Swedish company is a UAE permanent establishment taxed on its attributable income. Sources differ on whether a mainland branch still needs a UAE national service agent: the government portal says no, a 2025 law-firm guide says yes, so confirm with the licensing authority.101112
UAE corporate tax, free-zone status and the Swedish side
A UAE subsidiary pays 9% corporate tax above AED 375,000, or 0% on qualifying income if it qualifies as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, and the UAE levies no withholding tax on payments to Sweden. This research found only a tax information exchange agreement between Sweden and the UAE, not a double taxation agreement, so residence and double taxation questions fall to each country's domestic rules.
- Sweden and the UAE signed a tax information exchange agreement in 2015. No comprehensive double taxation agreement was found in the official sources opened, so the Swedish tax adviser should confirm the position before profits are planned.13
- A UAE subsidiary taxed at 0% or 9% is likely to fall below the ATAD low-tax benchmark of about half the Swedish tax, which is why the Swedish CFC position must be checked before the vehicle is chosen.4114
- Groups with consolidated revenue of EUR 750 million or more are within the EU minimum tax rules, which look at the effective rate of the UAE entity.15
- Corporate tax is 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above; every taxable person must register and file within nine months of year end.216
- A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income only with adequate substance, audited IFRS accounts, transfer pricing compliance and non-qualifying revenue below the lower of 5% or AED 5 million; failing a condition means 9% on everything for five years.141718
- Withholding tax on dividends, interest, royalties and service fees paid to non-residents is 0%, so the UAE takes no tax when profits go back to Sweden. VAT is charged at 5%.1920
- The FTA treats key management decisions, board meetings and resident board members in the UAE as indicators of effective management there, so governance should show the office is run from the UAE.21
Swedish staff sent to the Gulf and local hires
UAE staff need work permits sponsored by the employer and accrue end-of-service gratuity; non-GCC staff are outside UAE social security. Whether Swedish staff stay in Swedish social insurance and how their salaries are taxed in Sweden could not be confirmed.
- Staff who stay on the Swedish payroll keep costing employer social security contributions of 31.42% in 2026; whether and for how long they remain insured in Sweden while working in the UAE was not confirmed.22
- Non-GCC nationals are not covered by UAE social security, so Swedish staff working for the UAE entity are outside any UAE scheme; whether Swedish coverage continues must be checked.23
- A mainland employer may not employ a worker without a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation; free-zone employers use their zone's process.24
- Foreign employees accrue end-of-service gratuity of 21 days' wage per year for the first five years and 30 days thereafter, capped at two years' wage. Employment income alone does not bring an individual within UAE corporate tax.2526
- Mainland companies with 50 or more employees must grow Emirati employment in skilled roles by 2% a year.27
Licences, distribution and moving goods
The UAE office needs a trade licence from the economic department or free zone authority, after initial approval and any activity approvals. There is no EU–UAE trade agreement in force, so Swedish goods pay the GCC tariff, and EU export controls follow technology sent to the Gulf office.
- The EU was negotiating a free trade agreement with the UAE in 2026, with EU–GCC talks at the scoping stage; until an agreement is in force, Swedish goods get no preferential UAE tariff.28
- Under EU export control rules, sending controlled software or technology to the UAE office by email, cloud or remote access is an export, so it needs the same licence as a physical shipment of that item.29
- Initial approval confirms there is no objection to the business but does not allow it to operate; some activities need a sector authority's approval first.30
- If the Swedish company appoints a registered commercial agent instead of selling directly, the agent must be a UAE national or a wholly UAE-owned company under the Commercial Agencies Law.31
- Imports pay customs duty of generally 5% of CIF value; goods held in a free zone are treated as foreign goods and pay no duty until they enter the mainland.3233
Banking, data and dispute protection
UAE banks look through to every 25% owner, so the Swedish group structure must be documented, and Swedish documents need legalisation because the UAE is not party to the Apostille Convention. Personal data sent from Sweden to the UAE needs a GDPR transfer tool, and a Sweden–UAE investment treaty has been in force since 2000.
- The UAE has no EU adequacy decision, so personal data sent from Sweden to the UAE office (customer records, HR files) needs safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.34
- The Sweden–UAE bilateral investment treaty has been in force since 6 May 2000 and may protect the Swedish parent's investment in the UAE entity.35
- Swedish corporate documents for UAE licensing and banking cannot be apostilled for use in the UAE and go through legalisation and attestation instead.36
- UAE banks must identify and verify every individual holding 25% or more of a corporate customer; the UAE entity must also keep a beneficial owner register and report changes within 15 days.3738
- The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so the Swedish parent carries krona and euro exchange risk against the dollar bloc.39
- The UAE has applied the New York Convention since 2006 without reservations, so arbitration awards made in Sweden or elsewhere can be enforced there.40
Structures to consider
These are the structures businesses commonly weigh, not a recommendation. The right one depends on the facts listed under "What we need from you".
What has to happen first
- Both sidesDefine the office's role: regional coordination only, or direct sales to UAE customers; list activities and expected headcount.
- SwedenSwedish tax adviser confirms the treaty position, CFC exposure and Swedish treatment of dividends or branch profits from the UAE.After step 1
- United Arab EmiratesChoose the vehicle and zone (free zone, mainland or branch) and check strategic-impact and sector approvals.After step 1, 2
- SwedenBoard of the Swedish company approves the investment and signatories; legalise and attest Swedish corporate documents for the UAE.After step 3
- United Arab EmiratesObtain initial approval, reserve the trade name, sign the memorandum or free-zone constitution and lease, and obtain the licence.After step 4
- Both sidesOpen the UAE bank account with full KYC on the Swedish group and fund the company.After step 5
- United Arab EmiratesRegister for corporate tax and, once over the threshold, VAT; set up the beneficial owner register.After step 5
- Both sidesPut intercompany agreements in place (services, distribution, cost recharges) with a transfer pricing policy, and EU standard contractual clauses for personal data.After step 5
- Both sidesArrange work permits and residence visas; decide whether Swedish staff stay on the Swedish payroll and confirm their social insurance and tax position.After step 5, 6
- Both sidesCheck export control classification of any technology or products the office will receive, and customs registration if goods are imported.After step 5
- United Arab EmiratesSet governance so key decisions for the UAE entity are taken in the UAE, then start operating.After step 7, 8, 9
- Both sidesOngoing: UAE corporate tax return within nine months of year end, free-zone substance and audit if claiming 0%, Swedish CFC and tax reporting, Emiratisation monitoring as headcount grows.After step 11
What we need from you before anyone can advise
- Whether the office will sell to UAE mainland customers or government, or only coordinate other GCC markets.
- The Swedish parent's group structure, ultimate owners and consolidated revenue.
- Activities to be licensed, and whether any are strategic-impact or regulated.
- How many staff will move from Sweden, for how long, and whether they stay on the Swedish payroll.
- Whether goods or controlled technology will be shipped to the UAE.
- How profits will be returned to Sweden (dividends, service fees, cost recharges).
- Whether the group already has a regional presence elsewhere in the GCC.
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional before you rely on them.
- Whether Sweden and the UAE have a comprehensive double taxation agreement was not confirmed on the Swedish Tax Agency treaty list (search budget exhausted); only the 2015 tax information exchange agreement was found.
- Swedish controlled foreign company rules (the national low-tax test and any list of exempt jurisdictions) were not researched; only the EU directive minimum was confirmed.
- Swedish participation exemption for dividends from a UAE subsidiary and Swedish taxation of UAE branch profits were not researched.
- Swedish rules on social insurance for staff posted to a non-agreement country and on taxation of salaries for work abroad (including the six-month and one-year rules) were not researched.
- Swedish ratification of the New York Convention was not confirmed (UNCITRAL status page refused by the fetch proxy).
- UAE work permit and visa processes in free zones, and the current position on service agents for mainland branches, need confirmation with the relevant authority.
- Whether a UAE corporate tax participation exemption or foreign permanent establishment exemption is relevant to any onward structure was not researched.
- Swedish exchange control or reporting requirements on outbound investment were not researched.
Brief for your advisers
Questions to put to your advisers in each country. Copy them, or download them as a text file to send with your requirement.
- Swedish tax adviser: is there any double taxation agreement between Sweden and the UAE, and how will dividends from a UAE subsidiary be taxed in Sweden?
- Swedish tax adviser: will a UAE entity taxed at 0% or 9% be caught by the Swedish CFC rules, and would a branch be treated differently?
- Swedish social insurance adviser: do our staff stay insured in Sweden while working in the UAE, and for how long?
- Swedish tax adviser: how will the salaries of staff working in the UAE be taxed in Sweden?
- UAE corporate adviser: free zone, mainland or branch for our activities, and does a mainland branch still need a UAE national service agent?
- UAE tax adviser: can our free-zone company meet Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions given our customer mix?
- UAE employment adviser: which authority issues our work permits, and when do Emiratisation targets apply?
- Banking: which UAE banks will onboard a new subsidiary of a Swedish group, and what documents and legalisation will they require?
Who can help, on each side
Sweden
- Setting up and running a company · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Licences, permits and regulators · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Tax and structuring · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Accounting and annual filings · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Employment, payroll and immigration · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Customs, trade and export controls · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Contracts and commercial law · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Banking and capital · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Data protection and cyber · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Disputes and arbitration · Arranged by WONE Global on request
United Arab Emirates
- Setting up and running a company · Led by Dr Hajra Nazir
- Licences, permits and regulators · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Tax and structuring · Led by Priju Dominic
- Accounting and annual filings · Led by Priju Dominic
- Employment, payroll and immigration · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Customs, trade and export controls · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Contracts and commercial law · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Banking and capital · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Data protection and cyber · Arranged by WONE Global on request
- Disputes and arbitration · Arranged by WONE Global on request
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
A Swedish limited company pays corporation tax of 20.6% on its surplus, meaning taxable income less allowable deductions. Aktiebolag (limited companies).
Corporate tax is charged at 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and at 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000. Federal; applies in all seven emirates and to mainland and free zone businesses unless the Qualifying Free Zone Person regime applies. Exempt persons are listed in ae-tax-017.
Rates set by Article 3(1) of Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 with the threshold fixed by this Cabinet Decision.
Under the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive, an entity is a controlled foreign company where the taxpayer, alone or with associated enterprises, holds directly or indirectly more than 50% of its voting rights, capital or profit entitlement. EU law applying in Sweden as an EU member state. Control test in Article 7(1)(a); applies to foreign entities and permanent establishments whose profits are not taxed or are exempt in the parent's Member State.
The ATAD low-tax test is met where the actual corporate tax paid by the foreign entity or permanent establishment is lower than the difference between the tax it would have paid under the parent Member State's rules and the tax actually paid. EU law applying in Sweden as an EU member state. Article 7(1)(b); in practice this catches foreign effective rates below roughly half of the parent-country tax that would have applied.
UAE federal law permits 100% foreign ownership of mainland commercial companies and abolished the former requirement for a majority Emirati shareholder. Introduced by Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 and consolidated in Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 on Commercial Companies. Mainland only; free zones have their own regimes.
Foreign investors need approval from the relevant federal authority to carry on activities of strategic impact, which under Cabinet Decision No. 55 of 2021 include security, defence and military activities; banks, exchange houses, finance companies and insurance; currency printing; telecommunications; and Hajj and Umrah services. Mainland activities. The list summarised in the source may not be complete; Dubai's guidance refers to seven strategic-impact sectors. Emirates may also keep their own lists of restricted activities.
Secondary source: the text of Cabinet Decision No. 55 of 2021 could not yet be checked. Chambers Doing Business In 2025 (UAE) gives a wider list of restricted sectors, including upstream oil and gas, water and electricity distribution, Quran memorisation centres and fisheries-related services.
Mainland trade licences are issued by the emirate's economic department: the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai and the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah. Sharjah uses its Economic Development Department and Fujairah its Municipality. Free-zone companies are licensed by the relevant free zone authority instead.
Free zone companies have generally benefited from customs exemptions but cannot trade directly in the mainland market unless they establish an onshore presence. Non-financial free zones. Free zone rules and mainland distribution arrangements vary.
Secondary source, which describes the position as historical. The customs treatment of free zone to mainland movements was not confirmed on a customs authority page (dubaicustoms.gov.ae could not yet be checked).
The DIFC and ADGM have their own company laws based on English common law principles, so the federal Commercial Companies Law does not apply to companies incorporated there; non-financial free zones are subject to federal law plus their own regulations, and may exclude the Commercial Companies Law. ADGM applies English common law directly; the DIFC uses a common-law-based framework. Free zone rules vary by zone (for example Jafza excludes the Commercial Companies Law, but its registrar may apply some provisions where Jafza's own regulations are silent).
Secondary source. DIFC and ADGM official pages could not yet be checked.
A non-resident person with a fixed or permanent place of business in the UAE, including a branch, has a permanent establishment and is taxed on income attributable to it and on UAE-sourced income. Places used only for preparatory or auxiliary activities are excluded, subject to an anti-fragmentation test. A UAE subsidiary is a resident taxable person in its own right.
Branches of foreign companies on the UAE mainland are no longer required to appoint a UAE national service agent. Mainland branches. Branch licensing still needs approvals listed in iae-021.
A mainland branch or representative office of a foreign company must appoint a local service agent who is a UAE national or a company wholly owned by UAE nationals; the agent holds no ownership or management stake. Mainland branches and representative offices of foreign companies. Free zone branches follow the rules of the relevant free zone authority.
Secondary source. The foreign-company provisions of Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 (Title 9) could not yet be checked in the version opened, so the primary basis was not confirmed. Emirate practice should be checked with the licensing department.
Sweden and the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement on the exchange of information in tax matters in Stockholm on 5 November 2015, given effect in Swedish law by Lag (2016:409). An information exchange agreement, not a double taxation agreement. The Swedish law enters into force on a date set by the Government, which the page opened did not state.
Signature date confirmed in Government Bill 2015/16:107 (section 3) on riksdagen.se. No comprehensive Sweden–UAE double taxation agreement was found in the official Swedish sources opened, but the Swedish Tax Agency treaty list could not be checked (search budget exhausted), so the absence of a treaty is not confirmed.
A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays corporate tax at 0% on qualifying income and 9% on other taxable income, provided it keeps adequate substance, earns qualifying income, has not elected to be taxed at standard rates and meets transfer pricing requirements. Free zone persons only (mainland entities cannot use this regime). Failing any condition removes the status from the start of that tax period. The incentive period may be extended but cannot exceed 50 years. Detailed qualifying activities and de minimis rules are in Cabinet and Ministerial Decisions not reviewed here.
The EU Pillar Two Directive applies to constituent entities of groups with annual consolidated revenue of EUR 750 million or more in at least two of the four fiscal years immediately preceding the tested year. EU law applying in Sweden as an EU member state. Multinational groups and large-scale domestic groups in the EU; excluded entities (for example certain governmental, pension and investment entities) are outside scope.
Every taxable person must register for corporate tax and file a corporate tax return no later than nine months after the end of the relevant tax period. Federal. The Minister may prescribe registration exceptions. Registration is required even where the business is already VAT-registered.
The FTA Corporate Tax page carries a news item that returns and payment for financial years ended 31 December 2025 were due by 30 September 2026.
To be a Qualifying Free Zone Person an entity must maintain adequate substance in a free zone, derive qualifying income, not elect for standard taxation, comply with transfer pricing rules, prepare audited IFRS financial statements and keep non-qualifying revenue within the lower of 5% of total revenue or AED 5 million. Revenue of a domestic permanent establishment (for example a mainland branch), taxed separately at 9%, is excluded from the de minimis test.
Secondary source; the Ministry of Finance page confirms the 0% regime but does not list the conditions, and the FTA Free Zone guide PDF could not yet be checked.
A free-zone entity that fails any Qualifying Free Zone Person condition is taxed at 9% on all its income for that year and the following four years.
Secondary source.
Withholding tax on UAE-sourced income paid to non-residents is set at 0%. Covers dividends, interest, royalties and service fees paid to non-residents, unless the income is attributable to a UAE permanent establishment or nexus; the Cabinet may set other rates.
The standard VAT rate is 5%. Federal. Zero-rated and exempt supplies apply under the VAT law and executive regulation.
The FTA page shows the 5% rate through its VAT calculator rather than in a statement of law. The rate is set by Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017, which could not yet be checked here.
The FTA lists the making of key management and strategic decisions in the UAE, board meetings held in the UAE and UAE-resident board members as indicators of effective management and control in the UAE, and says dual residence is resolved under double tax agreements. Relevant where the Indian parent's management also directs the UAE company.
Employers in Sweden pay employer social security contributions of 31.42% in 2026. A lower 18.80% rate applies to employers based outside Sweden without a permanent establishment, for employees born in 1959 or later, exclusive of general payroll tax.
Rate stated on a page about the social security agreement for foreign employers; a general rates page could not yet be checked.
Non-GCC nationals are not subject to social security in the UAE, while other GCC nationals working there contribute under the rules of their home country's system. Federal and Abu Dhabi pension schemes. End-of-service gratuity still applies to foreign workers under the Labour Law.
Secondary source; the pension authority page could not yet be checked.
An employer may not recruit or employ a worker without first obtaining a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Mainland employers under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Free zone permit procedures were not reviewed here.
A foreign worker's end-of-service gratuity is 21 days' wage for each of the first five years of service and 30 days' wage for each further year, capped at two years' wage in total. Mainland private sector. The two-year cap is stated for foreign workers. The wage basis for the calculation and the treatment of UAE nationals were not reviewed here.
An individual is subject to corporate tax only if they conduct a business or business activity in the UAE, directly or through a partnership or sole proprietorship. Federal. Employment income alone does not bring an individual within corporate tax; details are set by Cabinet decision.
The FTA FAQ ties individuals' liability to business activity; it does not address employment income directly.
Private-sector companies in the UAE with 50 or more employees must achieve 2% annual growth in the number of Emirati employees in skilled positions, monitored by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Companies registered with MOHRE (mainland). Free zone coverage is not stated on the page.
The European Commission described its free trade agreement negotiations with the United Arab Emirates as ongoing in March 2026, while talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council as a whole were at the scoping stage. No EU–UAE or EU–GCC free trade agreement is in force, so Swedish goods enter the UAE on standard GCC tariff terms. Status as described for the Commission's civil society dialogue of 24 March 2026; later progress was not confirmed.
Under Regulation (EU) 2021/821, an export includes the transmission of software or technology by electronic media to a destination outside the EU customs territory. EU law applying in Sweden as an EU member state. EU-wide. Relevant to cloud uploads, e-mail and remote access to controlled technology.
Initial approval confirms that the UAE Government has no objection to the business being set up but does not authorise it to operate, and some activities need approval from the relevant authority before this step. Examples of activity approvals listed include the Ministry of Economy (foreign branches and representative offices), the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (national industrial licence), and the Central Bank (financial activities).
Under the UAE Commercial Agencies Law, commercial agency activity is limited to UAE national individuals and companies wholly owned by UAE nationals, public legal persons and certain companies owned by public entities. Federal Law No. 3 of 2022, Article 2(1). The Cabinet may allow a non-UAE-owned international company to act as agent for its own new products where no agent exists (Article 2(2)); public joint-stock companies with at least 51% UAE national shareholding are covered by Article 2(3).
Article 31 brings the law into force six months after publication in the Official Gazette; the publication date was not shown in the text read, so the exact commencement date is not confirmed here.
The standard customs duty rate is 5% of the CIF value, except for alcohol (50%) and cigarettes, tobacco and their substitutes (100%), with details in the GCC Common Customs Tariff. Stated by Dubai Customs for imports into Dubai; the rates derive from the GCC Common Customs Tariff applied at UAE first points of entry. Specific goods may carry exemptions or different rates.
Under the GCC unified customs procedures, goods may be stored in designated free zones without paying customs duties and are treated as foreign goods while stored in or moving to and from free zones. GCC unified procedures (code 0304). The same guide requires proof of the importer's commercial activity to obtain a customs code (code 01).
The European Commission has adopted adequacy decisions for Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Canada (commercial organisations), the Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Israel, the Isle of Man, Japan, Jersey, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States (commercial organisations participating in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework), Uruguay and the European Patent Organisation. EU law applying in Sweden as an EU member state. Singapore, India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are not on the list. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework decision is dated 10 July 2023; the UK decisions were renewed on 19 December 2025; mutual adequacy with Brazil was adopted in early 2026.
The Sweden–United Arab Emirates bilateral investment treaty, signed on 10 November 1999, has been in force since 6 May 2000. Protects qualifying Swedish investments in the UAE and UAE investments in Sweden; the treaty text, including its dispute settlement clause, was not reviewed here.
The United Arab Emirates does not appear in the HCCH status table of the Apostille Convention, so documents for use in the UAE cannot be apostilled and go through legalisation and attestation instead. International. The consequence (legalisation route) is our reading, consistent with the UAE requirement that foreign judgments be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For a corporate customer, CBUAE-licensed financial institutions should identify and verify every individual who alone or jointly holds a controlling ownership interest of 25% or more, and only where none exists fall back on the individual who exercises control. CBUAE-licensed financial institutions (banks, exchange houses, finance companies and others). Sections 3.2.2 and 3.2.5 of the guidance; customers should generally be identified and verified before the relationship is established.
The Rulebook shows the guidance as in force with an effective date of 7/11/2025, but its legal-basis section still cites the 2018 AML law and its 2019 executive decision, which have been replaced. Confirm the current version with the bank.
Companies must keep a register of beneficial owners and submit any change in beneficial ownership information to the registrar within 15 days of the change. Entities covered by Cabinet Resolution No. 109 of 2023. Administrative penalties for breaches are set by Cabinet Resolution No. 132 of 2023 (not reviewed here).
The Central Bank of the UAE maintains a fixed exchange rate of the dirham against the US dollar, committing to buy dirhams against dollars at 3.673 and to sell dirhams for dollars at 3.672 with eligible market counterparties. Federal; applies to the CBUAE's dealings with eligible market counterparties. The page does not state when the peg began.
The UAE acceded to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards on 21 August 2006, with entry into force on 19 November 2006, and the status table shows no declarations or reservations. Federal; applies to recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards.
