The Licensing Landscape for Contractors and Consultants in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia

Analysis

In recent years the construction sector has seen a return to growth in the Middle East and this has led to renewed interest in the licensing regime in the region for contractors and consultants/engineers. As explained below these activities tend to attract higher levels of regulation - this can impact everything from the initial set-up process, ongoing operational matters as well as any joint venture or M&A transactions.

Country	Are there foreign (non-GCC) ownership restrictions?	Requirement for contractors classification regime/special approvals?	Set up/approval process
UAE	Contracting: an onshore company (LLC) will often be used in which case foreign ownership will be limited to 49%. A branch may also be used in certain circumstances (in which case there is a requirement to appoint a UAE national service agent). Consultants/engineers: depending on the Emirate/ activities a civil company sole establishment, LLC or a branch may be used.