Dubai Business Start-up: Comprehensive 2026 Guide
Complete guide for starting a business in Dubai in 2026, covering setup options, licensing, banking, and launch costs with timelines.
The exact change
The old reason for choosing a free zone (100 percent foreign ownership) disappeared in 2021, following Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021's amendments to the Commercial Companies Law. Sources: Nasr & Al-Hussaini, Journal of International Business Studies, https://doi.org/10.1057/xxxxx-unverified (unresolvable); World Bank, Doing Business 2024 Report (discontinued series, report does not exist).
The old reason for choosing a free zone (100 percent foreign ownership) disappeared in 2021. Sources: UAE Ministry of Economy. Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 (amending the Commercial Companies Law), effective June 1, 2021. https://www.moec.gov.ae/
Suggested change
Major fix: removed all 4 fabricated References citations (matching the same pattern found in the Dubai free zones guide, including fake DOIs and one hijacked from an unrelated article), and corrected the Federal Decree-Law citation for the UAE ownership-requirement removal to the correct Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020.
Why this is better
The ownership-reform citation was corrected from the misattributed Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 to the actual amending law (No. 26 of 2020), and four unverified References entries with unverified or hijacked DOIs, including an impossible 2024 'Doing Business' report from a series discontinued in 2021, were removed.
More by Emir Baycan in Uae Dubai
- Correction Dubai Payment Gateways for E-Commerce: 2026 Overview
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- Correction Understanding UAE Crypto Regulations and VARA Framework
- Correction UAE Business Laws: Compliance Guide for Foreign Firms