Registering an IT/GameDev Company in the UAE

‍twofour54 Abu Dhabi

• Exemption from company registration fees for two years.
• There are no requirements for the minimum size of the authorized capital.
• Positions itself as a center of attraction for businesses from the media sphere, as well as the IT and GameDev industries.
• Located in Abu Dhabi, an hour's drive from Dubai.

​

There is an opportunity to become a participant in the AD Gaming project (for GameDev companies). The project is designed to attract as many GameDev companies as possible to Abu Dhabi, making the emirate the center of the gaming industry in the Middle East. The project provides participants with various subsidies and support. For example, it compensates up to 30% of the salaries of developers who are residents of Abu Dhabi. Despite the fact that the AD Gaming initiative was launched by twofour54, the decision to accept a company into this program is made by a separate commission, independent of twofour54. Alina Davletshina, Head of Digital Practice

​

​

Dubai Internet City (DIC)

• One of the most prestigious free zones in the UAE, where the offices of the largest IT corporations are located: Google, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, etc.
• There are requirements for the minimum amount of authorized capital - AED 10,000 (about USD 2,700). It does not have to be paid.
• You can register a company at the address of a hot desk. It should be noted that the number of available visas depends on the size of the office space.

​

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)

• Favorable infrastructure for opening a company office.
• There are various programs to support technology projects.

​

Meydan Free Zone

​

This free zone is not specialized for IT or GameDev, but it best meets the price-quality parameter. The registration procedure is very fast and does not require personal presence, as well as signing a large volume of documents. After registration, the company can be managed remotely, through a special free zone portal. Egor Lvov, юрист

​

​

We have carried out work on analyzing and systematizing information on the most popular free zones in the UAE and created the Free Zones Atlas, in which you can find up-to-date information on the free zone you need and choose the right one for yourself.

"Before you start registering, it is important to decide what exactly your company will do. Will it only license software or distribute games? Will it outsource development for clients or affiliated companies? On what basis will revenue come in? From advertising or in-game purchases? Based on this, it is necessary to select the types of activities and codes for them - they will be indicated in your business license." Artur Faniev, commercial директор

​

Depending on the type of company (Mainland or Free Zone), the numbers of the types of activities may differ, as well as their wording. Therefore, it is important to carefully select them. 

For example, the following activities may be suitable for providing development services in Meydan Free Zone:

6200,00

Computer programming, consultancy and related activities.

6201,00

Computer programming activities.

6201,01

Designing the structure and content of, and/or writing the computer code necessary to create and implement: 

• Systems software (including updates and patches), 
• Software applications (including updates and patches), 
• Databases, 
• Web pages.

​

6201,02

Customizing of software, ie modifying and configuring an existing application so that it is functional within the clients' information system environment.

Another example. In the free zone twofour 54 Abu Dhabi, the type of activity suitable for GameDev studios is Gaming Studio. If the company specializes in publishing games, then it is recommended to choose the type of activity Publishing.

Since twofour 54 Abu Dhabi specializes in GameDev companies, it offers some rather rare activities. For example, game localization services (Gaming – Localization Services) or VR game and solution development (Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Service Provider / Developer).