"Quiet" Jurisdictions: Where to Structure a Business in the Middle East apart from the UAE

In recent years, the UAE has effectively become the main hub for international business structuring in the Middle East. However, as investor interest in the region grows, alternative jurisdictions are increasingly being discussed – primarily Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and, to a certain extent, Egypt.

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Each of these countries is actively developing tools to attract international capital: special economic zones (economic free zones / free zones) are being established, programmes to attract foreign investors and specialists (golden visas) are being introduced, and requirements regarding the participation of nationals of the relevant country in the authorised capital of legal entities are being relaxed, amongst other measures.  

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Nevertheless, in terms of the maturity of their infrastructure and the ease of doing business for international companies, most of them still lag behind the UAE.

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