Q: Morning. I would like to open a high-end bespoke shoe service. Customers will be able to book an appointment online thru the website, I will go to their homes to advise the model/colour/type of the shoe and finalise the order. I will then order from a shoemaker in Argentina who will deliver the final product to Dubai. My idea is to get an online trading licence in a free zone to do the consultancy part and partner with someone with a mainland licence who will import the shoes and sell to the customer. I would like to double check the following: - Can I take care of the marketing and order taking with my licence, and resell through a reseller? - Do I need to establish a contract between myself and the reseller? Thanks for your advice

Q: Hello I want to open an online store (e-commerce) in Dubai, it will be online clothing store and I will receive the clothes from China by courier and sell it in Dubai. Customers can complete the payment with Pay Pal. So I would like to know if I need to register this online store, and if yes, what's the procedure. Since the items will be shipped from overseas, then maybe I do not need even to register it. Please advise

Q: Hi, We are a startup in Canada. Our business is online food ordering system that connects customers to restaurants. We receive payments from customers, restaurants and at the same time we pay back money to restaurants. We are planning to operate in Dubai. Questions: 1 - Do we need to set up a company in Dubai to have a legal agreement with the restaurants or, our Canada branch is allowed to do that kind of legal agreement with local restaurants in Dubai? 2 - Are we allowed (as Canadian Company with Canadian Bank Account), to operate in Dubai, receive and send money from/to restaurants and customers? 3 - In case setting up a company in Dubai is mandatory, in which free zone can we set up the company? DIC, Sharjah, or Fujairah, knowing that we don't have physical delivery inside Dubai? 4 - In case setting a company in Dubai is not required, which court (Canada/UAE) will be in charge of the agreement? 5 - Do you have a lawyer who is specialized in writing online startup contracts?

س: السلام عليكم ورحمة الله، عساكم بخير! أريد أن أستفسر من فضلكم عن موضوع إنشاء الشركات في الإمارات العربية المتحدة. نحن مجموعة من الشباب العربي اجتمعنا معًا وبدأنا في تقديم الخدمات الإلكترونية من تصميم إلى برمجة وتسويق وغيرها من الخدمات، ونريد أن نرخص هذا العمل في الإمارات العربية المتحدة. بحثنا كثيرًا عن الموضوع ودخلنا في متاهات كثيرة من التعقيد ولم نصل إلى إجابة وافية حتى الآن. إن أمكن المساعدة أو حتى رسالة بسيطة توضح فيها فقط البداية ونحن سنبحث أكثر عن الأمر نكن لك من الشاكرين وتكون قد ساعدتنا كثيرًا بذلك. الفكرة أن تواجدنا كله على الإنترنت وليس لدينا مكان فعلي لتلك الشركة التي ستكون افتراضية. مترقب ردكم وشكرًا جزيلاً!

Over the years the UAE has become a centre of trade and commerce for the Middle East, thanks to its strategic location, excellent connectivity and extensive services to assist with all aspects of business. According to the World Bank's 2016 report, the UAE has ranked 31st in the global index of ease of doing business. This encourages more entrepreneurs to set up different kinds of business entities in the country.

The provisions of this Law apply to the commercial companies established in the UAE and the foreign companies that have established in the UAE a base to conduct any activity therein or established a branch or representative office. The Law abrogates Federal Law No. (8) of 1984 Concerning Commercial Companies.