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UAE allows 100% ownership of businesses for expats

TAS News Service

info@thearabianstories.com

Monday, November 23, 2020

DUBAI: In a major development, the UAE has removed the need to have nationals as sponsors, which will now allow expat investors 100% ownership starting from December 1, 2020.

According to media reports from UAE, the new regulation is in line with a federal law issued by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and which amends Law No. 2 of 2015 on companies and their shareholding.

The long-awaited 100 per cent ownership by foreign nationals of companies licensed and registered in the UAE is allowed as per Cabinet Resolution No. 16 of 2020.

As per the earlier law, foreign shareholders were limited to owning a maximum 49 per cent in a ‘limited liability company’ (LLC) operating as an onshore UAE business. This requires an Emirati individual or 100 per cent Emirati-owned company to hold the balance 51 per cent share as a local sponsor. This law has been now amended and it now allows legal persons to establish companies without the need for a specific nationality.

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