Analysis on the Citizenship Policy of Akiman Company's Registered Shareholders

In Akiman's business investment landscape, "whether the nationality of shareholders is restricted" is one of the core issues that overseas investors are most concerned about. As an emirate with a high degree of openness to foreign investment in the UAE, Akiman's shareholder nationality policy is characterized by "overall relaxation and detailed classification"-federal and local commercial laws and regulations do not set uniform restrictions on shareholder nationality, but the differentiated supervision of companies in free zones and non-free zones makes the practical requirements significantly different in different scenarios.

1. Policy Framework: Statelessness Restrictions Openness

the registration policy of the Ajman Free Zone explicitly follows the UAE federal law, which applies the principle of "zero restriction" on the nationality of shareholders:

legal basis: According to the UAE "Company Law" and the "Commercial Company Regulations" of the Ajman Free Trade Zone, foreign-funded enterprises do not require local partners to register, and shareholders can be natural persons or legal persons with unlimited nationality. This policy is highly compatible with the UAE's strategic objective of diversifying its economy and attracting global capital.

Policy practice verification: The registration cases published on the official website of the Akiman Free Trade Zone show that in 2024, foreign investment accounted for more than 85% of registered companies, and shareholders came from more than 50 countries including China, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom, covering trade and logistics, Science and technology, consulting and other industries.

Exceptions for special scenarios: only companies involved in sensitive areas such as defense and security in the UAE require special approval from the federal government, but such situations rarely apply to companies registered in the Akiman Free Trade Zone.

2. practical operation: shareholder nationality unlimited landing process

1. Shareholder Identification Document Requirements

natural person shareholders: a copy of the passport and proof of address (such as the utility bill for the last 3 months) are required, and the documents must be notarized by Arabic translation. For example, Chinese shareholders need to be double-certified by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy in China, which takes about 15-20 working days.

Corporate shareholders: need to submit the company registration certificate, business license and the resolution of the board of directors and other documents, also need to be notarized certification. If the shareholder is an enterprise that is not a member of the Hague Convention (such as China), consular certification is required at a cost of about US $500-1000 per share.

2. Equity structure flexibility

100 percent foreign ownership: The Akiman Free Trade Zone allows wholly foreign-owned operations without the need to bring in local shareholders or partners. For example, a Chinese cross-border e-commerce company registered a Free Zone Agency (FZE) in Akiman in 2025 to conduct its Middle East market business with a 100 per cent stake, with annual revenue exceeding $20 million.

Multi-shareholder model: If the company chooses the free zone company (FZC) type, it can set up 2-5 shareholders, and the equity distribution ratio can be freely negotiated. For example, a Sino-British joint venture technology service company successfully won the UAE government's digital project through the FZC structure, with a distribution of 60% (Chinese shareholders) and 40% (British shareholders).

3. Registered address and office plan

virtual office support: Akiman Free Trade Zone provides free registered addresses for foreign companies without the need to lease physical offices. Enterprises can reduce operating costs through virtual office packages (including telephone transfer, mail collection and other services) at an annual cost of about 5000 dirhams.

Physical office upgrade option: if an enterprise needs to carry out offline business, it can rent office space in the free trade zone, ranging from 20 square meters to 500 square meters, with a rent of about 150-300 dirhams/square meter/month.

3. compliance points: nationality unrestricted risk aversion

1. The central role of the business plan

although the nationality of shareholders is unlimited, the Akiman Free Trade Zone requires companies to submit a detailed business plan, covering business models, market analysis, financial forecasts, etc. For example, a Chinese manufacturing enterprise was required to postpone registration for one week after supplementary materials were required because the plan did not specify the proportion of localized procurement.

2. Annual compliance reporting obligations

tax declaration: Although enterprises in the Akiman Free Trade Zone are exempt from corporate income tax, they are required to file annual tax returns in accordance with the new UAE regulations (even if the tax burden is zero). Failure to file on time can result in fines (up to Dh 5000) or license revocation.

Audit requirements: Enterprises with annual revenue of more than 10 million dirhams are required to submit audited financial statements, and the audit institution must have the qualification of the UAE Ministry of Economy.

3. Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance Review

foreign-funded enterprises are required to comply with the UAE Anti-Money Laundering Law, and the source of shareholders' funds is required to be legal and compliant.

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