UAE company names must comply with specific rules set by the licensing authority. Here is a complete guide to UAE company name requirements and how to check availability in 2025.
UAE Company Name Rules
General rules for all UAE company names: the name must not already be taken by another company in the same jurisdiction, must not contain restricted words (Bank, Insurance, Investment, University, Hospital, Ministry, Government, unless you have specific approval from the relevant authority), must not contain offensive, political, or religious terms, must not infringe on existing UAE trademarks, and for mainland LLCs: the name can incorporate the founder’s name (e.g., Saif Trading LLC), but the name of a non-shareholder cannot be used without their written consent.
UAE Company Name Rules by Type
Mainland DED: LLC: name + LLC (Limited Liability Company) e.g., Al Noor Trading LLC. Sole establishment: name + name of the owner e.g., Ahmed Mohammed Consulting. Professional company: name + the profession e.g., Ahmed Architects. Free zone: most free zones: name + FZCO (Free Zone Company) or FZE (Free Zone Establishment, single shareholder) e.g., TechVision FZCO. DIFC: name + Limited e.g., Sunrise Capital Management Limited. ADGM: similar to DIFC (name + Limited).
How to Check UAE Company Name Availability
Dubai mainland: Dubai DED Smart app or ded.ae website has a company name search function. Abu Dhabi mainland: tamm.abudhabi portal. IFZA: IFZA website search tool. DMCC: myDMCC portal. DIFC: DIFC entity search (difc.ae). ADGM: ADGM public register. Reservation: after confirming availability, most authorities allow you to reserve the name for 30-90 days by paying a small fee (AED 100-500). This prevents others from registering the same name while you complete your incorporation.