Dubai’s economy is flourishing, but new businesses are choosing to migrate there because of the city’s reputation for safety, quality education, accessibility, tax structure, and modern healthcare systems (as demonstrated by the city’s swift response to the coronavirus outbreak).
Many areas of the economy, including trading, export, import, logistics, financial services, hospitality, event management, tourism, construction, and so on, have transformed the United Arab Emirates into a global trading hub and ultimate investment destination. As a result, the United Arab Emirates is a popular choice for many entrepreneurs because of various factors. The top ten reasons to do business in Dubai are listed here:
1. Growing economy of Dubai
Despite the pandemic, the UAE’s economy remained robust. In other words, tourism rebounded the fastest in the world.
Despite the Covid-19 situation, the United Arab Emirates plans for a brighter future by aiming to double its economy by 2030. Entrepreneurs, Investors, and creative minds can also use the country’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, superior connectivity, highly developed incubators, accelerators, investors, various incentives, and recent legislative modifications.
2. Ideal Location
A suitable venue to conduct many economic activities, such as international trade (import and export), logistics, tourism (hospitality), and events (event management), Dubai’s strategic location allows for easy access to all three continents. Dubai is in the center of the 400-mile-long shoreline of the United Arab Emirates. Because it has sea and air access, Dubai is an ideal transit hub for products moving between East and West. 2.5 billion consumers in Gulf, Africa, Asia, and CIS nations may reach through Dubai.
3. Favorable Tax Structures and Regulatory for Businesses
Interestingly, many entrepreneurs choosing Dubai as their base of operations are ex-pats from high-tax cities and nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and France. In Dubai, profits are tax-free, yet it is vital to understand the tax rules of every individual’s home country. People who favor self-regulation highlight Dubai’s regulatory environment as an additional reason to go there. Corporate and personal income taxes and withholding tax exemptions are available in the United Arab Emirates’ 38 free zones, established to encourage foreign investment.
The UAE’s economy is considered one of the most liberal and diverse in the Middle East and North Africa. Most businesses in Dubai are exempt from taxes, except for branches of foreign banks, hotels, and oil and gas corporations headquartered in the United States.
Dubai does not impose any of the following taxes:
- Personal income tax
- Value-added Tax
- Capital gains tax
- Corporate Tax
- Withholding Tax
4. A Safe Place to Live and Work
Entrepreneurs looking to launch a business in Dubai can find all they need in the city’s innovative design centers, startup hubs, and strategic collaborations. One of Dubai’s distinctive features is its emphasis on health and safety due to its status as one of the safest cities on Earth. Dubai is among the countries with the world’s lowest crime rates. While the world average is 6 to 8 crimes per 100,000 people, the number of severe crimes in the United States is only 0.5 to 1 per 100,000. Furthermore, the United Arab Emirates is one of the most stable countries. The United Arab Emirates has attracted many foreign investors and enterprises because of its high security and political stability. A safe environment is indeed necessary for a business to thrive.
5. Residency Permit
A UAE provides Residency Visa if you open a business in Dubai or other Emirates in the UAE and your family members and expatriate staff. Having a UAE Residency Visa offers various advantages, including opening a current account in UAE banks, leasing an apartment for an extended period, and entering and exiting the UAE multiple times.
Golden Permits, long-term residence visas that allow business owners and their staff to live and work in the UAE without the historical necessity of having a sponsor, were made available in 2019 to make relocation easier for businesses. In contrast to the past requirement that a company outside the free trade zone have a local partner with at least 51% ownership, these visas are awarded to qualified individuals and their families for 5 or 10 years, renew automatically, and offer 100% ownership of one’s business. The goal is to make the UAE more appealing to business people, particularly startups and business owners.
6. World-class Health Care
Healthcare in Dubai is excellent, with top-notch facilities and highly qualified staff overseen by the Ministry of Health and Prevention. In addition to the government’s four hospitals, Dubai, Rashid, Latifa, and Hatta, more than 40 other hospitals in Dubai. Healthcare in Dubai provides healthcare accessible to all residents, and employers need to provide health coverage for their employees’ costs.
Living a healthy lifestyle is impossible without finding something to do in Dubai. Fitness-conscious visitors and locals alike can enjoy the city’s pristine beaches, delicious cuisine, and bustling streets great for a stroll. Sports including skiing, polo, cricket, tennis, cycling, and camel riding are most popular.
7. Retain capital and profits in full
Remittances of capital and profits are not subject to any limitations in Dubai. However, many businesses prefer to keep their money in the United Arab Emirates because of its tax-free status. In addition, there is no foreign exchange restriction in the UAE, and the US dollar and the UAE Dirham have a steady exchange rate of US$1.00 to AED 3.678.
8. Transportation and Infrastructure
The Dubai International Airport (DXB) serves over 100 airlines and 260 destinations worldwide, making it one of its best public transportation systems. In addition, Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the world’s largest and fastest-growing passenger and cargo hub, according to the Airports Council International.
You don’t have to be tense about finding an office, a retail shop, a manufacturing unit, or a warehouse in Dubai if you’re launching a business there. There has been a tremendous amount of new construction on a vast scale in recent decades in residential, tourism, industrial and commercial use. New highways, improved public transportation, and a new airport are all in the works. UAE’s infrastructure and transportation have been ranked among the best globally by the WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. However, there was a significant gap between the quality of roads in the country and the quality of air travel, ports, and ground transportation. There are two kinds of ports: maritime and aviation.
Dubai International Airport is the region’s largest airport and one of the region’s largest seaports (Jebel Ali Port). Importing and exporting items to and from Dubai may be done via sea, land, and air, so there’s no need to worry about the logistics of international shipments getting here or going there.
9. Corporations with a global reach
Microsoft, HP, Oracle, Nokia, Sony, and Boeing are just some of the world’s most well-known multinational corporations with regional offices in Dubai. In addition, Procter & Gamble, Adidas, and BBC World have regional offices in Dubai. Moreover, numerous internationally famous colleges have campuses in Dubai, such as the American University, Wollongong University, Michigan State University, London School of Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology, London School of Business, and Hult International Business School.
10. Living standards
Finally, the excellent quality of life and living conditions that one may enjoy in Dubai are another reason to choose the Emirate as a company location. Among the 160 countries studied, the UAE came first in the Middle East and North Africa for overall quality of life and 15th globally. Furthermore, the United Nations has recently placed the United Arab Emirates as the 14th happiest country. Therefore, you can be more productive and inspired by the pleasant environment while enjoying an excellent quality of life and living standards.
As a result, Dubai has become one of the world’s most important cities. Businesses worldwide are interested in doing business in Dubai because of the government’s strong support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Additionally, Dubai’s Smart City 2021 initiative is changing the city, revolutionizing government service delivery, encouraging private sector partnerships, and increasing happiness. In addition to drawing worldwide attention, Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to boost domestic travel, which grew during Covid. The United Arab Emirates’ position as a global melting pot is admirable, with 180 nationalities in the UAE.
The Bottom Line
While Dubai’s position as the world’s one favorite spot is undeniable, it will only get stronger in the future. More and more people are flocking to do business, work, and live in Dubai for all these reasons. Nearly 90% of Dubai’s population comprises expatriates from 200 countries worldwide. Primarily, they’re drawn to the Emirate by its commercial and investment opportunities.
Table of Contents
- 1. Growing economy of Dubai
- 2. Ideal Location
- 3. Favorable Tax Structures and Regulatory for Businesses
- 4. A Safe Place to Live and Work
- 5. Residency Permit
- 6. World-class Health Care
- 7. Retain capital and profits in full
- 8. Transportation and Infrastructure
- 9. Corporations with a global reach
- 10. Living standards
- The Bottom Line
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