UAE Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Business in the United Arab Emirates

TL;DR. The UAE has no single national business registry. Mainland companies register with their emirate’s Department of Economic Development (DED). Free zone companies register with that free zone’s authority. DIFC and ADGM operate independent common-law registers. https://www.moet.gov.ae/ loads as الصفحة الرئيسية | وزارة الاقتصاد والسياحة - الإمارات العربية المتحدة. An English homepage at the same ministry is titled Home | Ministry of Economy & Tourism - UAE. That federal site is a ministry homepage, not a national company-search form. Certified extract tariffs were not on that homepage, so fees in this guide are unknown rather than free; confirm at source. Confirm FATF listing at the FATF source. This page does not prescribe enhanced due diligence.

What is the official UAE business registry?

The UAE does not have one central company registry. The country operates a multi-layered licensing and registration system that reflects its federal structure and the legal autonomy granted to free zones.

Federal level. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism at https://www.moet.gov.ae/ oversees trade licensing policy and foreign investment regulations for the mainland. The page is titled الصفحة الرئيسية | وزارة الاقتصاد والسياحة - الإمارات العربية المتحدة. An English ministry homepage is titled Home | Ministry of Economy & Tourism - UAE. The ministry does not maintain a publicly searchable national company database on that homepage. It coordinates the foreign investment framework under the Commercial Companies Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021). This page does not name a former hostname as live or dead.

Emirate level (mainland). Each emirate’s Department of Economic Development (DED) is the licensing authority for companies on the mainland. Key DEDs include the Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) department, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), and equivalents in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain. A mainland trade license is issued by the emirate where the company is incorporated. Those DED hosts were not confirmed here, so no DED search screen is described here.

Free zones. The UAE hosts over 45 free zone authorities, each operating under its own regulatory framework. Named authorities for international compliance work include DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre), ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market), DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority), RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone), and Sharjah International Airport Free Zone. DIFC and ADGM operate as common-law jurisdictions with their own company registers. Those free-zone hosts were not confirmed here, so no free-zone search screen is described here.

For compliance buyers, the registry to query depends entirely on where the target company holds its license.

What can you search?

No national company-search form is on the ministry homepage. DIFC, ADGM, DED, and DMCC search fields are not described here, because those hosts were not confirmed here; confirm at source.

How much does it cost?

Certified extract tariffs were not on the ministry homepage at https://www.moet.gov.ae/, so the table above reads unknown rather than free; confirm at source.

Do you need a local account or ID?

Optional. Account rules for DIFC, ADGM, and mainland DED hosts were not confirmed here. The ministry homepage is https://www.moet.gov.ae/. UAE Pass is used by UAE residents for some government services.

Is the website in English?

Yes. The ministry site has an Arabic homepage titled الصفحة الرئيسية | وزارة الاقتصاد والسياحة - الإمارات العربية المتحدة and an English homepage titled Home | Ministry of Economy & Tourism - UAE.

DIFC, ADGM, and DED language coverage is not confirmed here.

What’s the turnaround time?

Unknown. No turnaround time is published on the ministry homepage; confirm at source.

Is there an API?

No public API is published on the ministry homepage. This page does not claim DED, DIFC, ADGM, or commercial-supplier APIs loaded here.

What you legally cannot do

UAE data protection law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on Personal Data Protection, “PDPL”) applies to the processing of personal data of natural persons. Director names and shareholder information extracted from UAE company records are personal data subject to the PDPL when processed by a private entity.

DIFC and ADGM have their own data protection regimes (DIFC Law No. 5 of 2020 and ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021), both modeled closely on GDPR.

Automated bulk downloading of registry records from DED, DIFC, or ADGM portals has been reported as not permitted under their terms of use; confirm at source.

UAE AML/CFT obligations are set by Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018. The UAE Financial Intelligence Unit is the named central AML authority. This page does not claim a FIU host loaded here.

Whether the UAE appears on a FATF monitoring list is not confirmed here; confirm at the FATF source. This page does not prescribe enhanced due diligence.

Practical tips for foreign users

• Determine the licensing emirate first. There is no single national company record. A company’s authoritative record sits with the DED (mainland) or free zone authority where it holds its license.
• Distinguish mainland from free zone. A free zone company (for example DIFC, ADGM, DMCC) and a mainland company are legally distinct and governed by different laws. A DIFC-incorporated entity is not on the Dubai DED register.
• Use the license/registration number as the primary identifier. Trade license numbers (format varies by emirate) and DIFC/ADGM registration numbers are the stable identifiers. Company names can change, transliteration from Arabic varies, and common names are not unique.
• Ownership structure changed in 2021. Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2020 (effective June 2021) amended the Commercial Companies Law to allow 100% foreign ownership of mainland companies in most sectors. Prior to this, mainland companies typically required a UAE national shareholder holding at least 51%. Legacy companies may still have the old structure if they have not converted.
• DIFC and ADGM are common-law jurisdictions. They operate under English common law with their own courts. A contract governed by DIFC law, or an entity incorporated in DIFC, is legally distinct from UAE federal law.
• Free zone offshore companies. RAK International Corporate Centre (RAK ICC) and JAFZA Offshore register offshore companies that have no physical UAE presence. Those hosts were not confirmed here.
• For the wider due diligence context, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly

The UAE’s fragmented registry structure makes it difficult to conduct a thorough company search without knowing the licensing emirate and authority.

• DIFC and ADGM public registers are separate common-law registers. Those hosts were not confirmed here.
• Named commercial suppliers (Dun & Bradstreet UAE, Creditinfo UAE, CRIF Gulf) package company intelligence across emirates and free zones. This page does not claim those supplier hosts loaded here.
• Commercial typing centers and PRO services in the UAE: Local document clearing agents can retrieve mainland DED documents on behalf of foreign clients.

Local data suppliers

Named providers covering the UAE market include Dun & Bradstreet UAE, Creditinfo UAE, CRIF Gulf, and DIFC Authority data arrangements for licensed entities. This page does not claim those hosts loaded here.

Use the ministry homepage for federal policy context. It is not a national company search. Confirm the relevant DED or free-zone register at source.

FAQ

Does the UAE have a single national company registry?

No. Mainland companies are licensed by the DED of each emirate (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, and others). Free zone companies are registered with their respective free zone authority. DIFC and ADGM maintain separate common-law registers. There is no single national portal that covers all UAE-licensed entities. The ministry site is a ministry homepage, not that missing national search.

Is the UAE on the FATF grey list?

Not confirmed here. Confirm listing status at the FATF source. This page does not prescribe enhanced due diligence.

What is the difference between a mainland company and a free zone company in the UAE?

A mainland company is licensed by an emirate DED and governed by UAE federal commercial law (Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021). It can conduct business anywhere in the UAE including with the government. A free zone company is licensed by the relevant free zone authority and may only conduct business within the free zone or internationally (it requires a mainland agent or additional license to trade directly with mainland UAE). DIFC and ADGM also operate under English common law and have separate courts.

Can a foreign company search UAE registries without a UAE identity document?

DIFC, ADGM, and mainland DED account rules were not confirmed here. The ministry homepage is https://www.moet.gov.ae/.

Where can I find UBO information for a UAE company?

There is no publicly searchable national UBO register on the ministry homepage. UAE AML regulations require reporting institutions to verify beneficial ownership under Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018. Confirm current access at source.

What company types exist in the UAE?

Mainland forms include the Limited Liability Company (LLC), Private Joint Stock Company, Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC), Sole Establishment, and Civil Company. Free zone forms vary by authority; DIFC uses Private Company Limited by Shares, Protected Cell Company, and Branch. ADGM uses equivalent English-law forms. Offshore vehicles include RAK ICC Offshore and JAFZA Offshore.

How do I verify a trade license number?

Mainland trade licenses sit with each emirate’s DED. Those DED hosts were not confirmed here. The ministry homepage is https://www.moet.gov.ae/, a ministry homepage rather than a license-search form.

Last verified: 2026-09-15. Source: https://www.moet.gov.ae/, titled الصفحة الرئيسية | وزارة الاقتصاد والسياحة - الإمارات العربية المتحدة; English ministry homepage titled Home | Ministry of Economy & Tourism - UAE. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.