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: Under the amended UAE commercial companies law permitting 100% foreign ownership, does this also remove the requirement to appoint a UAE national as the local service agent? If not, what is the role of an agent? This would be for a mainland industrial license to manufacture in Dubai. Thank you!

Q: I'm a Saudi National living in the UAE and want to issue a license for my e-commerce commission-based business website for Auto/Spare parts in Ajman. We don’t stock products. We act as the middleman in the process. For example, a customer comes to our website and orders say "Brake Pads" for his/her car. Our job is to go and look across shops in the UAE to find the best deal for the customer. Then, we go back to the customer and present the best deal for this specific requested spare part. If the customer agrees to the offer, he/she then have to pay us the full amount, and then we go and get the product for him/her and take a cut percentage of 10% from the total amount paid, and then ship the product to the customer. What kind of license do we need for a business like this? I would like the license to be issued in Ajman. Also, I need to hire employees, therefore, I need a license that enables me to hire and rent an office space. Thank you.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Is the GSO Standardization mandatory in UAE/Dubai?

Sometimes this seems very simple to incorporate a company in the UAE, however, investors must seek professional advice before taking this important business decision to avoid any future legal implications.

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.