Fund manager licenses in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates is home to two common-law financial centres that grant internationally recognised fund manager permissions. Dubai International Financial Centre opened its doors in 2004 and now ranks among the world’s ten largest on-shore hubs. Abu Dhabi Global Market followed in 2015 and quickly climbed into the global top 25 by positioning itself […]
VC fund marketing and distribution in UAE
Venture capital managers flock to the United Arab Emirates because the country blends deep pools of entrepreneurial capital with an ever-growing pipeline of technology founders. Before units in an overseas or local VC vehicle can be shown to a family office on Sheikh Zayed Road or a pension board in Abu Dhabi, however, managers must […]
Economic requirements in UAE
The Emirates spent two decades cultivating their reputation as a tax-efficient launch pad between Asia, Europe and Africa. That narrative is still valid, yet the landscape around it has shifted. Since 2019 companies incorporated onshore or in any free zone, DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA, RAK or the northern emirates, must show that the income they book […]
Why you need an Ejari in Dubai
New entrepreneurs and residents in the UAE quickly discover an unexpected hurdle beyond setting up a company or getting a visa: opening a bank account or applying for a credit card requires proof of a local address. Not just any address will do. It must be a tenancy in the government Ejari system (in Dubai) […]
Documents required for VC funds
Launching a venture capital vehicle in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or any other sophisticated financial hub such as tis no longer a matter of opening a bank account and circulating a pitch deck. Regulators, limited partners, and even portfolio companies now demand a detailed documentary spine. This spine has to prove that the fund is professional, […]
Private venture capital funds in Dubai
Venture capital has moved from a Silicon Valley niche to a global asset class, and nowhere is that transformation more evident than in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai now houses dozens of domestic general partners, several hundred limited partner offices and a fluid pipeline of technology founders seeking seed-to-Series-C cheques. Understanding how private venture capital […]
Dubai property ownership via ADGM
Buying real estate in Dubai no longer means holding property in your own name, nor does it require incorporating in an offshore island thousands of miles away. Since the Dubai Land Department signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi Global Market in 2018, investors can register freehold units through locally domiciled special purpose vehicles, […]
Venture capital fund lifecycle
Launching a venture vehicle is exciting, but excitement alone will not see partners through a ten‑year commitment. Limited partners want clarity on every phase of the programme, fundraising, deployment, harvest, extensions, even early wind‑down scenarios. The venture capital fund lifecycle is therefore more than a timeline; it is the framework that aligns investors, management teams […]
Economics of a VC fund
At first sight a venture capital partnership looks simple. Money flows in at the beginning, firms acquire equity stakes, exits occur and cash returns to contributors a few years later. In reality the web of commitments, claw‑backs, catch‑ups, allocations, preferred hurdles and fee offsets means the economics of a VC fund are anything but linear. […]
Venture capital in the Middle East
Venture capital in the Middle East has moved from promise to performance. Five years ago regional funds raised less than USD 1 billion a year; in 2023 disclosed commitments passed USD 4 billion despite a global pull‑back. Founders in Riyadh and Dubai now expect term sheets within weeks, while global general partners open satellite offices to capture the momentum. […]
