Antwort Law Dubai Office: Three Years of Stable Legal Practice in the UAE

In August 2025, the office of the international law firm Antwort Law in the United Arab Emirates celebrates three years since its foundation. During this time, the team in Dubai has become an integral part of the company's structure, providing ongoing support to clients in key areas of international and Emirati law.

Since opening, we have focused on creating full-fledged legal support for projects in the UAE, including company registration and maintenance, obtaining licenses, opening accounts, protecting intellectual property, tax planning and supporting transactions in free economic zone jurisdictions.

The main achievements of the office over the past year:

Analytics and business education

Over the past year, the team has published a number of analytical materials covering key aspects of doing business in the Emirates. Among them:

• «Payment agents in the UAE: what you need to know about licensing»
• «VAT and cryptocurrency mining in the UAE: key changes in 2025»
• «“Made in UAE” labeling: your opportunity to enter new markets»
• «How to successfully conduct business in the UAE: a selection from Antwort Law»

We continue to share knowledge about the specifics of the UAE legislation, the peculiarities of lease agreements, corporate changes and the nuances of interaction with government agencies.

Case 1: registration of an investment company

One of the bright results of the year was a successful project to register an investment company with several licenses. The client is an international group working in the fields of investment, IT, consulting and brokerage services.

The company was registered in one of the most technologically advanced zones, and at the start received licenses in the following areas:

• investment and asset management;
• investments in commercial enterprises;
• brokerage services;
• marketing research and consulting;
• software development.

The process was supported by the Antwort Law team at all stages — from selecting a zone and preparing a package of documents to obtaining licenses and opening corporate accounts. Thanks to clear planning, the company registration and obtaining all the necessary permits were completed within the established time frame.

Project features:

• Registration took 4 weeks, including choosing a jurisdiction, form of ownership and filing documents;
• The opening of bank accounts was completed within 2 months, taking into account the specifics of investment activities;
• The company received permits for several types of activities, which allowed it to immediately launch a comprehensive presence in the UAE.

Case 2: registration of an industrial company with dual-use products

As part of a separate project, we provided full support for the registration of an industrial company specializing in the production of dual-use equipment. The company focuses on the development and production of electronic warfare equipment and drones, which requires strict compliance with export controls, technological standards and safety regulations.

Responsibility and precision of actions at each stage allowed the registration process to be completed without delays, including the preparation of statutory documents, submission of technical descriptions of products, approval by relevant authorities and connection to the logistics infrastructure.

Key elements of the project:

• Company registration and preparation of permits;
• Legal support in the process of applying for licenses related to controlled goods;
• Support in building a contractual base with component suppliers and contractors;
• Consultations on compliance with international restrictions and internal regulations;
• Successful organization of work with banks: despite the high-risk profile of the products, full banking services for the project were provided

Team and local development

Responsibility, precision and a deep understanding of Emirati regulations are the key principles on which the work of the Dubai office is based. Over the past year, the team has strengthened interaction with local registrars, banks, and government agencies.

We continue to provide clients with support in matters of renting and purchasing offices, changing company owners, registering trademarks, licensing new business areas and legal support for transformation processes. 

Three years of stable work in Dubai is the result of a systematic approach, a high level of legal expertise and trust from clients. Antwort Law expresses gratitude to partners, colleagues and clients for their cooperation and confidence. We continue to work to ensure that business in the UAE is transparent, sustainable and legally protected.

Diana Gulevskaya

Head of Office in UAE
Antwort Law