Glossary

Definitions of terms used in Qarar services, UAE government processes, and this knowledgebase.

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A

ADGM — Abu Dhabi Global Market. A financial free zone in Abu Dhabi operating under an English common law framework. Popular for financial services, family offices, and holding companies.

AML — Anti-Money Laundering. A set of regulations requiring financial institutions and service providers to verify the identity and source of funds of clients. UAE banks apply strict AML requirements to account-opening applications.

Apostille — A certification issued under the Hague Convention that authenticates the origin of a public document. Accepted by UAE authorities in place of UAE embassy attestation for documents originating in apostille-member countries.

Attestation — The process of authenticating a document through an official chain of verifications. For UAE use, foreign documents typically require notarisation, state authentication, UAE embassy attestation, and UAE MOFA attestation.

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B

Business Bay — A commercial district in Dubai. Also a common colloquial reference to mainland-registered businesses in Dubai.

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C

Case Reference — A unique reference assigned to every Qarar case. Use it in all communications with the Qarar team.

Certificate of Incorporation (CoI) — The official document issued by a company registry confirming the legal formation of a company. Required for corporate banking, MOFA attestation, and authority submissions.

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D

DED — Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai. The authority that issues mainland business licenses in Dubai.

DIFC — Dubai International Financial Centre. A financial free zone with its own court system (DIFC Courts) based on English common law. Commonly used for financial services, holding companies, and will registration.

DLD — Dubai Land Department. The authority responsible for property registration, title deed issuance, and transfer of ownership in Dubai.

DMCC — Dubai Multi Commodities Centre. One of the UAE's largest free zones, based in JLT. Popular for trading, commodities, and a wide range of business activities.

DTT — Double Taxation Treaty. A bilateral agreement between two countries to avoid the same income being taxed twice. The UAE has DTTs with over 130 countries.

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E

EJARI — A mandatory tenancy registration system in Dubai. Required for residency visa applications that use a tenancy contract as proof of address.

Emirates ID — The national identity card issued by ICP to all UAE residents. Required for virtually all government and banking interactions in the UAE.

Establishment Card — An immigration card that allows a UAE company to sponsor employees and family members for residency visas. Must be renewed annually alongside the trade license.

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F

Free Zone — A designated economic zone in the UAE with its own regulations, licensing authority, and visa quota system. Companies in a free zone can have 100% foreign ownership but typically cannot trade directly in the UAE mainland without a local distributor.

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G

GDRFA — General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. The Dubai immigration authority responsible for residency visas, entry permits, and status changes in Dubai.

Golden Visa — A UAE long-term residency visa valid for 10 years. Available to investors, company founders, skilled professionals, outstanding students, and others meeting specific criteria.

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I

ICA / ICP — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. The federal immigration authority handling visas and Emirates ID outside Dubai (Abu Dhabi, Northern Emirates).

IFZA — International Free Zone Authority, Dubai. A flexible and cost-effective free zone popular with SMEs and startups.

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K

KYC — Know Your Customer. The identity verification and due diligence process required by banks, financial institutions, and regulated service providers before onboarding a client.

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M

MoA / MOA — Memorandum of Association. The founding document of a UAE company, setting out shareholder structure, capital, and business activity.

MOFA — UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Issues the final attestation on foreign documents for use in the UAE.

MOH / DHA — Ministry of Health and Prevention (federal) / Dubai Health Authority. Regulate healthcare professionals and issue professional licences for medical roles.

MOJ — Ministry of Justice. Approves translation offices for certified Arabic translation work.

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N

NOC — No Objection Certificate. A document issued by a developer, strata manager, or authority confirming no objection to a specific action (e.g., property sale, visa sponsorship change).

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R

RAKEZ — Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone. A free zone in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. Popular for its broad activity list and competitive licensing.

RERA — Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Dubai. Regulates real estate brokers, developers, and off-plan projects in Dubai.

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S

SPA — Sales and Purchase Agreement. The binding contract between buyer and seller in a UAE property transaction, setting out terms, price, and payment milestones.

SPV — Special Purpose Vehicle. A separate legal entity created to hold a specific asset or group of assets, commonly used in property holding and cross-border asset planning.

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T

TRC — Tax Residency Certificate. An official document issued by the UAE Ministry of Finance confirming that the applicant is a UAE tax resident. Used to claim double taxation treaty benefits and confirm tax status to foreign authorities.

Trade License — The official license issued by a UAE free zone or mainland authority (DED) that permits a company to operate specified activities in the UAE.

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U

UBO — Ultimate Beneficial Owner. The natural person(s) who ultimately own or control a legal entity. UAE AML regulations require disclosure of UBOs for company registrations and bank accounts.

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V

Vault — The Qarar document storage system. See the document vault overview.

Visa Stamping — The final step in a UAE residency visa process — physically stamping the residency entry in the passport as confirmation of the active visa.

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*Terms and definitions reflect current UAE regulatory usage. Definitions are provided for operational orientation only and do not constitute legal advice.*