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Corporate Structures

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is a premier financial hub offering flexible corporate structures, robust legal frameworks, and strategic support to help businesses thrive in a dynamic, competitive global market.

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DIFC Corporate Structures: Flexible & Easy-to-Use Solutions

DIFC offers a wide range of corporate structures tailored to meet the needs of businesses and entrepreneurs. Whether you are establishing a new entity or seeking to expand your existing operations, DIFC provides the flexibility, support, and infrastructure to ensure your success.

 

Explore the various corporate structures available and discover how DIFC can help your business thrive in a dynamic and competitive environment.

1. Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)

  • A special purpose vehicle (also known as a Prescribed Company – Passive Structure in DIFC). This structure is designed to protect and isolate assets and liabilities from financial and legal risks. Ideal for passive holding, it is available to qualified applicants for various purposes.      ​​

2. Active Enterprise Structure

  • This is a commercial package designed to allow firms to establish an operational office and employ staff within DIFC,  with holding company, managing office and/or proprietary investments activities, while benefitting from competitive licensing fees and flexible address options.

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While the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and Active Enterprise structures offer simplified setups for specific business needs, DIFC also hosts a variety of fully established entities and activities. These provide unique advantages tailored to your company’s goals and industry focus.

1

Family Office

A comprehensive structure for wealth management services for high-net-worth individuals and families, including asset management, accounting, succession planning, and philanthropic investments.

2

Foundations

Independent legal entities for wealth protection, tax efficiency, family wealth planning, philanthropy, and holding structures for businesses and investments.

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3

Holding Company

DIFC holding companies can be used to hold assets within the UAE, the GCC, or anywhere else in the world. These include real property and shares in other companies in the UAE and worldwide.

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4

Managing Office

This is a legal entity that allows companies to administer and oversee their establishments, providing strategic planning, decision-making and essential group services to ensure smooth business operations. 

5

Proprietary Investment

Suitable for businesses investing their own capital. This entity enables firms to manage their own investment portfolio, allocating funds into various commercial activities and subsidiary companies

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Why set up your Corporate Structure in DIFC?
Benefit from a future-focused platform.

01.

Strategic location and access to regional and global markets  

02.

Tax-efficient operating environment

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03.

Robust legal and regulatory framework at par with global standards

04.

Access to the largest financial talent pool & world class infrastructure

05.

Flexible legal structures

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Non-Traditional Company Structures to Explore in DIFC
The Centre offers an ideal base for company structures in the MEASA region.
Here are some useful documents to support your decision making about establishing your SPV or Commercial Package at DIFC.​
-                                             Special Purpose Vehicle Flyer (A Prescribed Company – Passive Structure in DIFC)
-                                             Commercial Package Active Enterprise Flyer

2 easy steps to start setting up your business in DIFC

Step 1

Apply for initial approval.
An application for initial approval is completed through DIFC portal. Information required will vary depending on company legal structure and planned activities.

Step 2

Submit requirements.  

Following receipt of initial approval, there are requirements which need to be completed to register the legal entity                                                                            

Structuring for Success – Business & Family Wealth Insights

DIFC at a glance

World-class business and lifestyle destination

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Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region. DIFC has a close to 20-year track record of facilitating trade and investment flows across MEASA.

 

The region comprises 72 countries with a combined population of around three billion people and a nominal GDP of approximately USD 8trn. The Centre connects the fast-growing markets of the MEASA region with the economies of Asia, Europe, and the Americas through Dubai.

DIFC Unplugged Podcasts

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Disclaimer:

DIFC is committed to preserving your privacy in line with applicable data protection laws, including DIFC Law No 5 of 2020 ("DP Law 2020").  As such, we provide this notice to help you understand how we process your personal data and most importantly, your rights to access and control our use of it. We encourage you to review the DIFC Online Privacy Policy , which includes information about how to contact our DPO, what type of personal data we process, and retention and safeguards in place to protect personal data. Per our Privacy Policy, if you permit DIFC to keep your personal data, we will not share it with third parties unless you tell us we may do so.

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