The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism plans to formally recognise companies established in the country as UAE companies, a move aimed at strengthening national economic identity while improving market access for businesses operating from the Emirates, according to reporting by Khaleej Times.
The ministry said the approach will apply to both existing firms and new companies set up in the UAE, regardless of whether they are owned by Emiratis or foreign nationals. Officials said the policy is intended to reinforce the country’s commercial reputation, support homegrown brands, and enable UAE-based firms to compete more easily in international markets.
Under the framework, companies registered in the UAE will be able to leverage benefits tied to the country’s business ecosystem, including access created through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements signed with multiple trading partners, alongside streamlined regulations and global connectivity.
Explaining the rationale during a media briefing, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said: “There are a lot of those kinds of aspects and incentives for UAE companies. It’s not just in the UAE, but the advantages are global. If you open a company in Germany, you’re a German company. If you own a company in the UK, you’re a UK company. Same here. If you open a company here, you’re a UAE company. That’s the kind of methodology behind granting UAE citizenship to companies.”
He clarified that the initiative does not involve granting citizenship to business owners or investors, stressing that the designation applies strictly to companies as legal entities.
The announcement was made during a briefing on amendments to commercial regulations, where officials also highlighted parallel efforts to strengthen domestic products. These include a Geographical Indication initiative designed to protect and promote locally rooted goods such as Hatta honey, Dabas dates from Al Dhafra, and ceramics from Ras Al Khaimah in both local and international markets.
Business growth figures were also cited during the briefing. The UAE added around 250,000 new companies in 2025, bringing the total number of registered firms to more than 1.4 million. This represents growth of nearly 119 per cent over a four-year period, which the minister attributed largely to reforms allowing full foreign ownership in 2021 and the introduction of the Golden Visa programme.
Discussing investor attraction, he pointed to long-term investments in infrastructure and tourism, noting: “When you offer a Golden Visa, it gives a huge opportunity for investors to come and invest in great companies. The UAE, for the last five decades, have invested so much into infrastructure, from airports, hotels, conferences, leisure and luxury tourism. So there are a lot of people who come in and really enjoys to be in the UAE. We have achieved numbers such as 30 million tourists last year, the highest globally. They were quality tourists who liked to come and spend the amount.”
The legislative changes also introduce adjustments to company operations. Amendments to the Commercial Companies Law reduce the lock-in period for private joint stock companies from two years to one year, with scope for further reduction by ministerial decision, and exempt such firms from lock-in requirements when conducting private placements in financial markets.
Additional provisions allow for drag-along and tag-along rights, the creation of non-profit commercial companies, and the ability of free zone and financial free zone entities to operate across the UAE through branches or representative offices. The updated law also permits companies to change their legal form without dissolving their existing legal identity and introduces a new article governing the transfer of company registration within the Commercial Register.
