One wrong step when buying a business in Dubai can cost you your key money, your deposit and years of someone else’s debts. The Safe Business Transfer Guide walks you through every step of taking over a running business legally, from checking the seller’s numbers to the day the licence is in your name. Read it before you pay a single dirham.
Instant PDF download · 14 pages · Mainland & free zone · Updated October 2026
When you buy a running business you don’t just buy a shop. Depending on how the deal is done, you can take on its lease, its staff, its debts and its history with the authorities. These are the five places buyers lose money, and every one of them is avoidable if you know what to check first.
The location is usually what you’re really paying for. If the landlord won’t approve the transfer or a new lease, that payment can be very hard to recover.
Buy the company and its unpaid fines, supplier bills and tax issues come with it. The guide shows you how to spot them and who should pay.
Under UAE labour law, employees’ service and end-of-service entitlements generally carry over to the new owner. Years of gratuity can quietly become yours.
“It makes AED 40k a month.” Our checklists show exactly which bank statements, POS reports and VAT returns prove it, and which excuses mean it doesn’t.
Once the full price is paid, your leverage is gone. Learn how to structure deposits, escrow and retentions so money moves only as the deal moves.
Know what to ask, what to verify and what must happen before money changes hands, so you can negotiate with confidence and walk away from a bad deal early.
The one-time cost of reading the guide before you make an offer.
What’s at stake in a typical Dubai business deal: key money, the purchase price, staff liabilities and inherited debts. Avoiding a single mistake can save you far more than this guide costs.
Practical, plain-English chapters with tick-box checklists you can take to every viewing and every meeting with the seller.
No. In the UAE, drafting contracts and giving legal advice to clients is reserved for licensed lawyers. This guide explains the process and gives you a clear list of points to brief a UAE-licensed lawyer on, which usually saves time and fees.
Yes. It explains how free zone transfers differ from Dubai mainland (DET) transfers and what to confirm with the specific free zone authority.
Yes. Sellers who prepare the documents in the due diligence checklist close faster, and the payment chapter shows how to get paid safely.
Straight after checkout you’ll get a download link on the order page and by email. You can also download it any time from My Account.
No. It’s general information to help you understand the process. Laws and fees change, so always confirm current requirements with DET or your free zone authority and a UAE-licensed lawyer before you sign.
BusinessFinder.me is a marketplace. We don’t act for buyers or sellers, draft agreements, or guarantee any transaction. The Safe Business Transfer Guide provides general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice.
Hidden costs, renewal bills and company credit checks, researched for Dubai and the UAE, with AED figures and checklists.
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