How to set up a company in the Media & entertainment industry in Dubai/UAE?

Dubai, the most luxurious place on Earth, has been a center of attraction worldwide for the past few decades. The global foothold of Dubai/UAE for the various global events it organizes and conducts at a larger than life level and the rapid growth in the past decades has made headlines worldwide. This itself is a reason good enough to result in an overflow of media investments, not to mention the lifestyle, culture, food and tourism it boasts of. This means Dubai/UAE will be in a limelight for years to come making it the best time for media and entertainment enterprises to flourish here more than anywhere else in the world.

The media and entertainment industry in Dubai/UAE is fairly big. UAE is the Middle East hub for print, television, radio and digital media. The city has attracted a variety of global media brands including news channels such as CNN, BBC, CNBC and agencies such as Reuters, AFP, and Bloomberg. Publishing firms include Forbes, McGraw Hill, and media production companies Sony and Showtime, as well as the giants - Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Snapchat and Twitter. Some of the popular Arab/ homegrown media houses include MBC Group, OSN, Arab Media Group, ITP Media Group, Motivate Publishing, Al Nisr Publishing (Gulf News) and Galadari Press and Publishing (Khaleej Times). All of which makes Dubai a leading player in the regional media network. In this blog, we shall cover all the aspects with regards to How to set up a media company in Dubai.

Why Dubai: Advantages of setting up a media company in Dubai/UAE?

The Government of Dubai has continued to work towards bolstering the Emirate’s reputation as a media hub and rolling out new initiatives to ensure that investors can set up a media company in Dubai with ease. In 2014, a new media industry with the entity name of Dubai Creative Clusters Authority (DCCA) was introduced as a mandate to ensure that the city remains a leading location for creative and innovative companies.

The advantages of setting up a media company in Dubai/UAE are many. Below are the major ones highlighted:

• 100% Foreign Ownership
• The perfect business environment for all media players
• 100% repatriation of capital and profits
• One-stop-shop for Government services
• No personal or corporate taxes or import duties imposed
• Cluster working area with a zone to enable different media houses to work, collaborate and cooperate
• You can gain a lot of popularity and success as the location is perfect for expansion and partnerships
• Dubai offers high-quality infrastructure

There are three zones where you can establish your media company in Dubai:

• Dubai Media City: Region’s largest media hub with over 2,500 media establishments, and more than 25,000 employees and investors. Media houses like CNN, Thomson Reuters and BBC are established in this media zone.
• Dubai Production City: offers a world-class ecosystem for media production, printing, publishing and packaging companies. It houses more than 220 companies and over 6,800 professionals.
• Dubai Studio City: the region’s leading business community inhabits over 220 companies and 2,500 people working and investing here.

How to set up a media company in Dubai/UAE?

It is important to identify the types of business activities that are permissible in a certain media centre/zone before taking the plunge. Business activities which are allowed are: Broadcasting, Publishing, Advertising, Public Relations, Market / Media Research, Digital Marketing, Music and Post Production

The process of setting up a media company in Dubai is simple yet you should keep in mind the following steps towards a successful establishment of business:

• Dubai Media and Technology-Free Zone Authority regulates and is responsible for approving the registration of all DMC companies.
• The first step to establishing a media company in Dubai/UAE is to correctly fill up the application form on the online portal and submit it to the DTMFZ. The application will then be evaluated within a timeframe of 5 days and approved by the authorities.
• Present all legal documents and their photocopies once the documents get approved. Once all the documents are submitted and evaluated, DMC issues a letter of confirmation after properly going through all legal documents.
• This is followed by sending a customer confirmation of the applicant, to which you need to revert at the earliest
• Signing of MOA (memorandum of association) in the presence of the stakeholders of the company
• Submission of the full share capital following which the license & lease would be generated
• Signing of lease and individual sponsorship contract to finally get the license for opening a media company in Dubai/UAE.

Things to keep in mind before setting up a media business in Dubai/UAE:

• Office space requirement: DMC provides investors to set up a business without the need for physical office space, along with Free Zones to be used as your registered company address. It also gives access to Dubai Media City’s business centre that provides visa and document processing, distribution and mail collection. These, however, are the exception. Businesses operating in certain industries such as publishing and other related activities have to retain a physical office space.
• Type of Media Business in Dubai/UAE: there are several types of media business that you can establish in Dubai. These include print media, TV & Radio, Films and more. To understand the different types of media and entertainment businesses and activities further, you can check here.
• Dubai Media City: was established in the year 2000 by the government of Dubai to boost the media foothold of UAE. Ever since, the DMC has been a magnet for investors in the media industry from all over the world. It currently inhabits 20,000 individual and shared investments, with state-of-art infrastructure and locations for investors to achieve the success they aspire for.
• Corporate Bank Account Setup: the process of Setting up a Corporate Bank Account is very simple. It is extremely important to ensure that you have a Bank account. DMC makes the process extremely easy for you and it is the first step you take right after getting a media company business license.
• Sponsoring: Acquiring a visa for a media company in any of the zones is easy for you as well as your dependents, but it should be done correctly, following the due process. As long as you meet certain criteria, it is easy to apply for visas for self, employees and dependents.
• Key Location: DMC is situated at a prime location in Dubai and so are the other media commercial hubs. You have to carefully choose where you want to set up your company. Factors such as good connectivity and access for conducting business with ease are important while choosing a location
• TAX systems: practically no personal and corporate tax is imposed on media houses. However, VAT is applicable on many businesses and some business activities within the circumference of Media as well. This the investor should make a note and plan ahead accordingly.

Cost of opening a media company in Dubai/UAE:

• The minimum share capital requirement for Dubai Media City companies is AED 50,000
• For the TV and Radio broadcasting industry, a deposit of minimum capital of AED2,500,000 is required
• The overall cost depends upon the size of the business and the type of business you are opting for excluding the above

Types of Licensing available:

The company must apply for an appropriate license regardless of the type of company one chooses to have a Business Setup in Dubai Media City. The types of licenses that are required are as follow:

• Radio or Television broadcasting license;
• Film management or distribution license;
• Entertainment and Music license
• Marketing and Media services license;
• Web designing license.
• Publishing license
• News bureau license;
• Film management or distribution license;

Documents required for opening a media company in Dubai.

• A filled company registration application form
• Application for a business license
• Business plan
• Passport copies of the company’s director, investor and shareholder
• Memorandum of association and article of association
• Board resolution
• No objection certificate (NOC) from residency visa sponsor
• Share capital proof
• Manager’s specimen signature
• Proof of license and registration fee

How can MBG help?

MBG is one of the leading consultancies that helps entrepreneurs with Business Setup in Dubai, UAE. We have our reach worldwide, and our seasoned professionals, customized services, and proactive approach ensure that all your business setup in Dubai needs is met. We have an impressive base of successful and satisfied clients to vouch for.

For more information, please email us with your specific business requirements [email protected]

or contact us on +91 88601-90008