If you are a single founder with a passport in English, setting up a company in Dubai involves very little translation. The paperwork grows quickly once a foreign company is the shareholder, because the authorities then need to understand that company too: who owns it, who can sign for it, and whether it is in good standing.

Mainland or free zone البر الرئيسي أو المنطقة الحرة

A mainland company is licensed by Dubai's economic department and works in Arabic. Its founding document, the memorandum of association (عقد التأسيس), is signed in Arabic or in a bilingual Arabic and English version, and foreign documents supporting the application are normally expected with a legal Arabic translation.

Free zones are more flexible. Many accept documents in English and only ask for translation when the original is in another language. Each free zone sets its own rules, so check with yours before ordering anything.

Documents that usually need translating المستندات

When the shareholder is a company registered abroad, expect to prepare these:

• Certificate of incorporation (شهادة التأسيس), proving the parent company exists.
• Memorandum and articles of association, showing what the company may do and how it is run.
• Board resolution (قرار مجلس الإدارة), approving the new Dubai company and naming its manager.
• Power of attorney (وكالة), if someone in the UAE will sign on the company's behalf.
• Certificate of good standing or incumbency, confirming the company is active and listing its directors and shareholders.

Each of these is normally attested in the home country and in the UAE first, then legally translated into Arabic. Passports are not translated.

After the licence بعد الرخصة التجارية

Translation does not end once the trade licence (رخصة تجارية) is issued. Opening a corporate bank account, signing an office lease, hiring staff and registering for tax can each bring a new request for documents in Arabic. Employment contracts and anything that may end up before a UAE court are the ones to treat most carefully, because the court will work from the Arabic text.

How to avoid paying twice نصائح

Finish attestation before translating, so the stamps appear in the Arabic version. Use a legal translator recognised in the UAE, since a certified translation from your home country is not automatically valid here. And keep the spelling of every company name and director's name identical across all documents. A single variation in Arabic can send a file back.

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Requirements differ between the mainland and each free zone, and can change. Confirm the current requirements with the licensing authority or your business setup adviser.