Do you handle the business setup itself?

Yes. Licensing, visas and compliance are handled alongside the commercial plan, so the entity, the premises and the launch all run to one timeline. Where you already have a setup agent, I work with them.

How is this different from a setup agency?

A setup agency completes the licensing and the paperwork. I lead the commercial decisions around it: which route into the market, which structure, which customers to go after first and what it takes to win them. That work continues past launch inside a fractional CMO engagement if you want it to.

How long does UAE market entry take?

It varies by structure and sector. A plan with dates is in place within the first weeks, and I manage delivery on the ground from there. How to set up a business in Dubai in 2026 sets out the steps and the typical costs.

UAE market entry

UAE market entry for UK businesses setting up in Dubai

A senior, independent view across entry route, structure, setup and launch, for Dubai, the UAE and the wider GCC.

Book a discovery call See the framework

In short

Decisions made in month one set the cost base for years

Licence type, free zone, location, supplier terms and visa structure all fix costs that are slow and expensive to unwind. This work puts a senior, independent view on those decisions, then stays through setup and launch so the plan holds once it meets the market.

What I lead

Dubai and UAE go-to-market strategy, built on local insight.

Business setup, licensing, visas and compliance.

Supplier sourcing, contract and lease management.

On-ground operational management and launch delivery.

Market, customer and competitor intelligence.

When it applies

You are entering the UAE for the first time.

You are scaling an existing UAE presence.

You want local knowledge without adding local headcount.

You are launching a brand, store, event or free-zone entity.

You are choosing between free zone, mainland and offshore structures.

The outcomes

Measured on commercial results

+1,150%Lead growth, UAE free zone (IFZA)

20+ yrsOperating in the UAE and the GCC

65,000+Companies licensed by the free zone I marketed

Read the IFZA case study

What it covers

Six areas of work

Each one is checked against current UAE requirements before anything is committed.

Market + opportunity sizing

Entry route + structure

Licensing, visas + compliance

Location, premises + leases

Supplier sourcing + contracts

Launch + go-to-market plan

How I work

One framework, from first conversation to renewal

Six phases. Each hands a finished output to the next. Two gates, where you decide before anything moves forward. Market entry sits in phase four and runs on into phase five.

Gate 01

Scope and fees are agreed before any work starts.

You see the full scope, the fee and the timings in writing, and decide, before I begin. Nothing is invoiced until you have signed it.

Gate 02

You sign off the findings before the entry plan is written.

The market-entry diagnostic is played back and you agree which route carries forward. No setup work is started, and no budget committed, against findings you have not accepted.

01Align + agreeWeeks 0 to 2Discovery, fit and scope.

02Onboard + mobiliseWeek 1Evidence gathered, roles and KPIs set.

03Audit + diagnoseWeeks 1 to 4Market, route and cost base mapped.

04Strategy + roadmapWeeks 5 to 8Entry route, structure and go-to-market.This page

05Execute + leadOngoingSetup, suppliers and launch delivery.

06Report, review + growMonthly + QBRBoard reporting and quarterly review.

How I engage

Project-based or embedded

A defined-scope market entry project, or part of a broader fractional CMO engagement. Scope, costs and timings are confirmed at proposal.

Book a discovery call

FormatProject-based, or within a retainer.

ScopeStrategy, setup, supplier or on-ground.

MarketsDubai, the UAE and the wider GCC.

Starts withA market-entry diagnostic.

What you receive

Five outputs, all of them yours

Everything produced stays with the business, whether or not the engagement continues past launch.

01Market entry assessmentThe opportunity, the route in and what it costs.

02Structure recommendationFree zone, mainland or offshore, with the reasoning.

03Setup + licensing planLicence, visas, premises and the order to do them in.

04Supplier + contract shortlistVetted suppliers, terms compared side by side.

05Launch planChannels, spend and the first 90 days in market.

Related thinking

Questions I am asked about entering the UAE

Do you handle the business setup itself?: Yes. Licensing, visas and compliance are handled alongside the commercial plan, so the entity, the premises and the launch all run to one timeline. Where you already have a setup agent, I work with them.
How is this different from a setup agency?: A setup agency completes the licensing and the paperwork. I lead the commercial decisions around it: which route into the market, which structure, which customers to go after first and what it takes to win them. That work continues past launch inside a fractional CMO engagement if you want it to.
How long does UAE market entry take?: It varies by structure and sector. A plan with dates is in place within the first weeks, and I manage delivery on the ground from there. How to set up a business in Dubai in 2026 sets out the steps and the typical costs.

“

Adam was instrumental to the success of Expo 2020’s premier events portfolio, the Programme for People and Planet.

Kevin Brown

Vice President, Master Calendar, Expo 2020 Dubai

Next step

30 minutes to test whether there is a commercial case

We will pressure-test the opportunity, confirm fit and agree whether and how to proceed. No obligation.