We are not a setup agency chasing commission. Fallback matches you to the right free zone or mainland licence at a fair price, gets you registered in about a week, then builds your tech AI-native and puts our agents to work on growth. One platform, from licence to a running company.
Not sure what to set up? Validate your idea free and we will recommend a jurisdiction and licence.
Nearly everything else follows from one choice: free zone or mainland. A free zone gives you full foreign ownership and a lean starting cost, but it sells to the world rather than directly into the UAE market. Mainland lets you trade anywhere in the country, including retail and government, and now allows full ownership for most activities too.
Pick the wrong one and you either overpay for reach you do not need, or box yourself out of the customers you do. That is the decision most setup agencies rush, because their commission does not depend on you getting it right. Ours does not exist, so we can just tell you straight.
Free zone
Where most first-time founders start
Mainland (DED)
When you sell across the UAE itself
Still not obvious which fits? That is normal, and it is exactly what the idea validator and our experts are for. Tell us what you are building and we will make the call with you.
Each zone suits a different kind of business. Start with the one that fits, or let us match you. We are adding a full guide for every zone below, with Dubai South live now.
IFZA
Dubai
Consultants, services and a wide activity list on flexible, low-entry packages.
Meydan
Dubai
A central Dubai address for e-commerce, trading and digital businesses.
DMCC
Dubai
Commodities, trading and crypto, in a premium JLT business district.
RAKEZ
Ras Al Khaimah
Cost-effective setups, industrial and manufacturing, and lean SMEs.
SHAMS
Sharjah
Media, creative and freelance businesses on a low-cost licence.
SPC
Sharjah
Fast setup and dual-licence flexibility for publishing, media and services.
DAFZA
Dubai
Aviation, tech and premium trading right beside Dubai International Airport.
A lean free zone licence with a flexi-desk starts near AED 12,500, and a small company with one visa is typically AED 15,000 to 20,000 a year. Mainland usually starts higher and varies more by activity. These are current market figures, not our quote, because your real number comes down to four things.
Not listed? There are thousands of licensed activities. Tell us yours and we will find the right licence.
Setup agencies hand you a certificate and disappear. We establish the company, then build the tech it runs on and grow it with agents, so you leave with a working business, not just paperwork.
Setup that's on your side
Get matched to the right free zone or mainland licence at a fair price, then pick and pay. No commission steering you to the wrong zone.
Learn moreAI-native from day one
We build the tech the business actually runs on, wired into our brains and agents from the start, so you are not retrofitting old systems in two years.
Learn moreAgents that know the work
Marketing, growth and operations agents built on years of research and real expertise, running on the same tech we built for you.
Learn moreTell us your idea or activity
Our free idea validator reads what you are building and recommends a jurisdiction and licence, in plain language.
We confirm the details
Free zone or mainland, the right licence, visas, workspace and any approval your activity needs.
You choose how to proceed
Move fast with an instant trade licence and self-serve checkout, or speak with an expert first.
We set it up, then build and grow
Licence sorted in about a week, then we build your tech and put the agents to work.
Yes. Every free zone gives you 100% foreign ownership, and since 2021 most mainland (DED) activities allow it too. A few strategic activities still require an Emirati partner or agent, and we tell you upfront if yours is one of them.
It depends on who pays you. If you sell internationally, online, or business to business, a free zone is usually cheaper and 100% owned. If you need to sell directly to customers across the UAE, take government contracts, or open retail, mainland fits better. Tell us your activity and we point you to the right one.
A free zone licence starts around AED 12,500 with a flexi-desk, and a small company with one visa is typically AED 15,000 to 20,000 a year. Mainland usually starts higher and varies more by activity. Your real number depends on jurisdiction, licence type, visas, workspace and approvals, so we send an itemised quote rather than a fake headline.
There is no fixed minimum capital for most free zone and mainland licences today, so your real starting cost is the licence, visas and workspace, not a deposit you must show. Practically, budget from around AED 12,500 for a lean free zone setup.
Most free zone setups are done in about a week once your details and any approvals are in. Some steps can be handled remotely; a few may need you or a representative here.
Not to start. A flexi-desk satisfies most free zones and keeps your cost down. You can move up to a private office, warehouse or land as you grow, and some activities or higher visa counts do require more space.
Pick your activity, choose free zone or mainland, submit your documents, clear any third-party approval, then collect your licence and visas. We run all of it for you, and the idea validator can pick the activity and jurisdiction if you are not sure.
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ReadTell us what you are building. We will match you to the right free zone or mainland licence, set it up in about a week, then build your tech and put the agents to work.
