Tax, banking and compliance
Legal support for small companies in the UAE
Legal advisory at Caliph covers the documents a small UAE company relies on: the Memorandum of Association and shareholder terms, commercial contracts, employment contracts, powers of attorney and notarisation. Caliph arranges drafting and review with qualified legal professionals and handles the notary, translation and filing steps around each document.
At a glance Fact sheet
- Company law
- Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 on Commercial Companies
- Employment law
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the regulation of the employment relationship
- Who drafts
- Qualified legal professionals, arranged and coordinated by Caliph
- Notarisation
- Before the notary public, in person or through electronic notary services
- Language
- Arabic or bilingual text where a notary or an authority requires it
- Not included
- Court representation and litigation
Overview
Small companies rarely get into trouble over complicated law. They get into trouble over missing paperwork: two partners with no written agreement on who decides what, a client contract copied from another country, an employee hired on a handshake, a manager signing without written authority. Each of these is simple to fix at the start and hard to argue about later.
The documents also have to work with UAE rules. A mainland company's Memorandum of Association follows the Commercial Companies Law and the requirements of the licensing authority. Free zone companies use the constitutional documents of their zone. Private sector employment contracts follow the federal labour law, which sets rules on fixed terms, probation and non-compete clauses. A power of attorney generally needs a notary before a bank or an authority will act on it.
Caliph is a business setup consultancy. We take your instructions, arrange the drafting or review with qualified legal professionals, and then do the practical work around the document: legal translation, the notary appointment, attestation and filing with the licensing authority. Disputes and court matters need a licensed advocate, and we tell you so plainly.
Where legal support makes a difference
Shareholder terms written down
Profit shares, management powers, what happens when a partner leaves and how a deadlock is settled are agreed while everyone is still on good terms.
A Memorandum of Association that fits
The standard text is checked against what the partners agreed, so the clauses on management, signing authority and share transfers reflect your real arrangement.
Contracts written for the UAE
Payment terms, liability, governing law and dispute resolution are drafted for where you trade, instead of borrowed from a template.
Employment terms that follow the law
Contracts and offer letters are aligned with the federal labour law and with what is registered for the work permit.
Authority that third parties accept
Powers of attorney and company resolutions are drafted, translated and notarised so that banks and government departments act on them.
One coordinator for the paperwork
Your consultant manages drafting, translation, notary and filing, so you are not carrying documents between offices yourself.
What to have ready
- Trade licence and the current Memorandum of Association
- Passport copies and Emirates IDs of the partners or signatories
- A short note of what the parties have agreed, in your own words
- Any existing draft, template or earlier contract you want reviewed
- Names and details of the other party, for contracts and powers of attorney
- Job title, salary and benefits for each employment contract
- The exact powers to be given, and to whom, for a power of attorney
Documents signed outside the UAE usually need attestation before they can be used here. Your consultant explains the route.
How legal support works at Caliph
You tell us what you need
Your consultant notes the facts, the parties and what the document has to achieve.
The scope is agreed
We confirm whether the work is a new draft, a review or an amendment, and which legal professional will handle it.
The document is drafted or reviewed
A qualified legal professional prepares the text or marks up your draft and explains the points you need to decide.
You approve the final text
Changes are agreed and the document is prepared in Arabic or in bilingual form where it will go to a notary or an authority.
Signing and notarisation
We book the notary step, in person or electronically, and arrange attestation for anything signed abroad.
Filing and safekeeping
Amended company documents are filed with the licensing authority and copies are kept in your client file.
Good to know
- Caliph does not represent clients in court. If a matter becomes a dispute, you will need a licensed advocate.
- Free zone companies follow the company regulations of their zone, and some free zones apply their own employment rules. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
- Changing the Memorandum of Association is a licence amendment as well as a legal step, so the two are planned together.
Questions people ask
Do I need a shareholder agreement as well as a Memorandum of Association?
Often yes. The Memorandum of Association is the constitutional document held by the authority and covers the basics. A separate shareholder agreement can record private terms such as funding commitments, exit rights, deadlock procedures and limits on selling shares. The two must not contradict each other, so they are reviewed together.
Does a power of attorney have to be notarised in the UAE?
For most business uses, yes. Banks, licensing authorities and other government departments ask for a power of attorney that has been notarised, and one signed abroad usually needs attestation before it is accepted here. Notary services can be used in person, and electronic notary services are available as well.
What should a UAE employment contract cover?
Private sector contracts follow the federal labour law. They run for a fixed term that can be renewed, and they set out the role, the pay and the working arrangement. Probation cannot be longer than six months. A non-compete clause has to be limited in time, place and type of work, and cannot run for more than two years after the contract ends.
Can I use a contract template from another country?
You can start from one, but have it reviewed. Foreign templates often refer to laws, courts and remedies that do not fit a UAE company, and they can miss points that matter here, such as language requirements and how the contract will be enforced. Reviewing a draft is usually quicker than writing from nothing.
Is Caliph a law firm?
No. Caliph is a business setup consultancy. We arrange drafting and review with qualified legal professionals and handle the translation, notary and filing steps ourselves. We do not appear in court or act in disputes. For those matters you need a licensed advocate.
Can the Memorandum of Association be changed after setup?
Yes. The partners can amend it to change shareholdings, managers, activities or other terms, following the procedure of the licensing authority or the free zone. The amendment is signed before a notary or through the authority's own system and then recorded on the licence. Caliph prepares the amendment and files it.
- Ministry of Economy and Tourism, companies legislation
- UAE Government portal, employment contracts
- Dubai Courts, notary services
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
Ready to establish your company in the UAE?
Book a free consultation. Tell us what you want to open and we come back with the route, the documents and the cost.
- VisitHapag-Lloyd Building, Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai. P.O. Box 8070
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