My blog posts have really been sporadic at best lately, but I am trying to get my new office sorted out and adjust to working with my new company….not much has actually changed in terms of how my business is run, but due to the laws of the UAE, there are certain systems which have to be in place before I can officially start doing business again through the new company.
In the UAE, a person cannot just “open a company”-one has to have a sponsor (usually and Emirati partner who owns 51% of the business) and/or a trade license from a free zone. A free zone is usually based in one of the other Emirates and allows one to be a 100% owner of the company. There is a slight hitch though….although you are the owner, because you are based in a free zone, you have to have a Dubai based “agent”or partner in order to be able to actually trade in Dubai… it can be extremely tricky to say the least and involves hours and hours of red tape and paperwork to get it all sorted out! Hence the reason for my absence….
A Decorator's Notebook 