What ideas come to mind when you hear the word “Dubai”? Does your mind begin to formulate images of the sorts of innovations and technological advancements that have led to the city of Dubai being classified as the most rapidly growing city in the world?

Do you begin to form a Guinness Book of World Records reference list, categorizing its various infrastructures as the world’s largest this or the world’s longest that? Well, if you are a business owner looking to expand into a new market or an individual with a great idea for a start-up, here’s a couple of reasons why, when you think of Dubai, starting your business here should also come to mind as well.

Dubai is a strategic location for your business setup because it facilitates easy access to major markets all over the world. Dubai sits at an intersection between the regions of Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, easily accessing a combined regional population of 2.2 billion people. More importantly, because of its strategic location, many multinational companies have regional headquarters in Dubai; as they experience a growth in their supply chains, they channel more business through Dubai leading to continual economic growth. As a complement to its location, the emirate is now home to the world’s busiest airport, the Dubai International Airport, which had more than 70 million passengers last year alone and, the world’s most productive container facility in 2014, Port Jebel Ali. Therefore, setting up a business in Dubai opens your business up to the opportunity for growth into other markets also, in different regions, all over the world.

Dubai has an advanced infrastructural network that makes running a business here convenient as well. In anticipation of a 6-month long, global exhibition expected to host 25 million visitors, the emirate of Dubai is expected to have spent $300 billion by the year 2030 on infrastructure alone. The development of road and transportation networks facilitating the transport of both goods and people has been coupled with continuing growth in the hospitalities industry. For your business, this transfers into easy access to the rest of the UAE market, and support to expand within the country.

The UAE and Dubai especially, have a high number of free trade zones where foreign companies can set up businesses with less restriction. The government of Dubai has intentionally kept Dubai’s economy open in order to attract foreign business investment. In Dubai alone, 20 of the UAE’s 45 free trade zones can be found. Within these zones, foreign companies are allowed to have 100 percent foreign national ownership with no requirement of a local sponsor, as well as exemption of personal and corporate taxes (corporate tax exemption subject to renewal). Custom duties are kept low at four percent with several exemptions. These zones even allow for 100 percent repatriation of profits! Given these factors, it is no wonder the UAE ranked 26^th in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report with the number one ranking in ease of paying taxes.

The UAE has made a strong comeback after the global recession of 2008. For many nations in the Gulf, high economic dependence on oil and gas have left them vulnerable to recent fluctuations in the prices of oil and gas. Though a large portion of the UAE’s economy is made up of oil and gas, it has also been able to diversify into other industries to support the stability of the economy. The UAE is now a high-income country with a GDP per capita equivalent to 311 percent of the world’s average as of 2015. For your business, this means a level of economic safety to support you as you run your business.

Given all these benefits, there is a high incentive for you to start your business in Dubai. However, the process of establishing a business in a market you are new to maybe a bit difficult. You have questions about legal requirements, about business set up, about acquiring a business license and so much more. Crenov8, a leading digital and business development firm in the region, is here to guide you in every step along the process. If you would like to take that bold step and enter this market, contact us. We have the tools and the expertise to establish a strong presence for your business in Dubai.