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Hi can anyone give me any background info or point in the right direction of how I would start a small buissness around Dubai??
Ideas I have are...grocery shop/small deli cafe/juice bar.

many thanks

get yourself a copy of the "company law" (i think of 1980), there is a book shop at the bottom of the burjaman centre that used to carry law books. the book will tell you all you need to know in order to start a business in dubai as well as the various types of companies and partnerships.

the basics are that you need to have a local sponsor (emirati) for the business, on paper he would own 51% of the business and you 49%. You require a startup capital of 300, 000AED to finance and establish the company; normally both partners should put in an amount equal to the shares they have in the business, BUT do not count on this, many local sponsors won't put up a single dirham, and expect you to do that for having the privallige of their sponsorship.

sorry, i forgot to add. if you are going to do anything related to the preparation of food, i suggest you contact the dubai municipality as well, there are a number of specific criteria to meet with regards to the kitchen size, layout and storage of food. the same applies to selling of food and food products. try and get a copy of their guidelines before you do anything as it will save you un-necessary costs and frustrations later on. as they need to provide you with a license for the business on the basis of site and facility approval.

Thanks....youve probably saved me a lot of hassle

Hi there, sorry to put a damper on your plan. It’s best to be realistic about things though. There are plenty of restaurants in Dubai, and seem to come and go on a pretty regular basis as well – some I suppose make money and others not.

What I would suggest though is keep the idea in the back of your mind for a year or two until you have been in Dubai long enough to know the specific ins and outs of the industry here, also keep an ear open for good business information, and who to stay away from – this will help later on when you’re ready to take the step. Being eger is great, but rather be cautious than bankrupt.

You need to find a niche in the market that will set your business (when you open it) apart from the rest – exploit it, make your money and move on before the concept is copied to death!

I see from you other posts you’re a chef? Employed already or still looking.

Still looking my friend,
done this sort of thing in the uk ....I suppose its different here.

If you know of any positions feel free to enlighten me.

dbxsoul wrote:get yourself a copy of the "company law" (i think of 1980), there is a book shop at the bottom of the burjaman centre that used to carry law books. the book will tell you all you need to know in order to start a business in dubai as well as the various types of companies and partnerships.

the basics are that you need to have a local sponsor (emirati) for the business, on paper he would own 51% of the business and you 49%. You require a startup capital of 300, 000AED to finance and establish the company; normally both partners should put in an amount equal to the shares they have in the business, BUT do not count on this, many local sponsors won't put up a single dirham, and expect you to do that for having the privallige of their sponsorship.

But you only need this when outside of the Freezones. If you found your company within, you get around the ownership issue, but still will have to have an agent.

What I'm still investigating i.e. if you register a service/consulting company in RAK, can you do direct business in Dubai or does it need to go via an agency (as I read on their FAQ/Website)? How does this work in practice?