Free Zones / Best for Holding & IP
A holding company, IP holding structure, or family office. The primary objective is tax efficiency — minimizing withholding tax on dividends, protecting IP royalty income under QFZP, and maintaining substance to defeat POEM and CFC challenges from the parent jurisdiction. The UAE's 0% corporate tax and 25+ DTAA treaties make it a strong holding jurisdiction, but only if substance requirements are genuinely met.
Top pick: DIFC — AED 40,000–120,000/year for Year 1.
QFZP eligibility for royalty income
Substance requirements
DTAA treaty network
POEM/CFC risk from parent jurisdiction
#1 Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai · 3–6 weeks
AED 40,000–120,000/year
The premier holding jurisdiction for family offices, investment holding companies, and IP structures. DIFC Courts' common-law system provides legal certainty for inter-company agreements, and DIFC Family Arrangements regulations offer purpose-built frameworks for family wealth structures.
Red flag: Physical office and substance are mandatory — a holding company with no economic activity and a nominal presence will not withstand POEM scrutiny from a parent jurisdiction with CFC rules.
Not a low-cost mailbox option — real substance costs apply
#2 Abu Dhabi Global Market
Abu Dhabi · 3–6 weeks
AED 45,000–130,000/year
The Abu Dhabi equivalent for holding and family office structures, particularly strong for sovereign wealth-adjacent structures. ADGM's Foundations framework is more developed than DIFC's for multi-generational wealth planning.
If: Family office or multi-generational wealth structure requiring legal certainty
→ DIFC (for Dubai families) or ADGM (for Abu Dhabi families) — the common-law framework and Foundations regulations are purpose-built for this.
If: Parent jurisdiction has CFC rules (UK, Germany, India, Australia)
→ Substance is mandatory, not optional. DIFC or ADGM with real UAE-resident management is the only defensible structure — RAKEZ with a virtual office will be challenged.
See the full zone-by-zone permission matrix for this activity →
Verified permission status, additional licence requirements, and regulator notes across every UAE zone
UAE has no corporate tax so there is nothing to plan — the 0% QFZP rate applies only to qualifying income from qualifying activities. Passive holding income may be subject to 9% CT if the structure does not meet QFZP conditions.
A UAE holding company is automatically protected from CFC rules in the parent jurisdiction — CFC rules in countries like the UK, Germany, and India look through UAE holding companies unless genuine substance exists.
Transfer pricing only applies to multinationals — UAE CT law applies transfer pricing rules to all related-party transactions above AED 3M, including intercompany royalties, management fees, and loans between a UAE holdco and its subsidiaries.
Other audiences
Red flag: Substance requirements are as strict as DIFC — do not treat ADGM as a low-cost mailbox.
Comparable cost base to DIFC
#3 Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
RAK · 1–2 weeks
AED 8,000–18,000/year
The cost-efficient holding jurisdiction for smaller structures where DIFC/ADGM prestige is not required. QFZP eligible, and frequently used for IP holding where the IP is being migrated in from another jurisdiction.
Red flag: IP migration triggers transfer pricing scrutiny — the arm's length value of the IP must be defensible, and a tax advisor must be involved before any transfer.
Less defensible substance for CFC-exposed parent structures without real UAE presence