The UAE's Ultimate Beneficial Ownership framework, established under Cabinet Resolution No. 58 of 2020, requires all UAE companies to identify, verify and register the natural persons who ultimately own or control the business. The UBO register must be maintained by the company and filed with the relevant licensing authority. The framework applies across mainland companies and most free zones. Since the UAE's removal from the FATF grey list in 2024, enforcement of UBO requirements has intensified significantly.
CashLaw Global manages UBO compliance for UAE businesses across all entity types and licensing jurisdictions. We conduct the beneficial ownership analysis, tracing ownership chains to identify all natural persons meeting the UBO threshold, prepare the UBO register in the required format, and file the register and associated disclosures with the relevant authority. For businesses with complex ownership structures involving trusts, foundations, nominees or multi-tier corporate chains, we provide a detailed beneficial ownership mapping exercise.
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Book Free ConsultationA UBO is any natural person who ultimately owns or controls, directly or indirectly, 25% or more of the company's share capital or holds 25% or more of its voting rights, or who exercises ultimate executive control over the management of the entity.
Any changes to the details of your UBOs or partner registers must be formally submitted to your relevant licensing authority (such as the DED or Free Zone Registrar) within 15 days of the change occurring to avoid non-compliance penalties.
Your internal register must document each UBO's full legal name, nationality, date and place of birth, residential address, passport details, the exact date they acquired their ownership stake, and clear details of how they exercise control over the entity.