Activity guide / Financial Services
Fund & Investment Management-Related Setup business setup in the UAE
Fund management, investment advisory, and related structures commonly established in the UAE financial centres.
Plan this activityBy Two Pillars Advisory. Sources last checked 2026-09-12. Independent guidance, not authority advice.
Understanding fund & investment management-related setup
Managing funds or advising on investments requires a financial regulator. Onshore, the Securities and Commodities Authority supervises securities and fund activity; DIFC and ADGM have their own regulators, rulebooks and capital rules. Client type matters too: serving professional investors only is usually lighter than marketing to retail clients.
At a glance
- What the activity covers: Fund management, investment advisory, and related structures commonly established in the UAE financial centres.
- Activity type: Regulated financial activity
- Likely jurisdiction context: Regulated
- Possible external approvals: Managing or advising on investments requires authorisation from the competent financial services regulator, with capital, governance and compliance conditions.
What you offer matters.
What this activity covers
Fund management, investment advisory, and related structures commonly established in the UAE financial centres.
A plain-English label, not an official activity name or code.
Boundaries & approvals to check
Managing or advising on investments requires authorisation from the competent financial services regulator, with capital, governance and compliance conditions.
Marketing funds before authorisation.
Your independent consultant: Two Pillars Advisory
Two Pillars helps you define the business model, compare routes and prepare an application. We are an independent consultancy, not a licensing authority.
The licence issuer / regulator: the competent authority
The competent licensing authority decides the permitted activity scope and issues the licence. A sector regulator may separately assess and authorise regulated services. Neither decision is made by TPA.
Choose around your operations.
Regulatory authorisation, fit-and-proper approval of key individuals and capital requirements apply before any client activity. Client money or assets may only be held under an explicit permission.
For fund & investment management-related setup: Managing or advising on investments requires authorisation from the competent financial services regulator, with capital, governance and compliance conditions.
Confirm the local operating route
Describe where customers, staff, premises and goods will be located. Ask the mainland issuer and any proposed free zone to confirm the exact scope and any permissions for operating outside the zone.
Map delivery across borders
Describe where the service is delivered or goods move. Confirm entity scope, destination requirements and any UAE local operations separately; international customers do not establish free zone eligibility.
Check the sector perimeter first
Describe the actual service, product and client type to the competent regulator. A commercial registration alone does not establish authorisation to deliver regulated services.
| Decision point | Mainland | Free Zone | Sectoral approvals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who decides? | Competent emirate licensing authority | Proposed free zone licensing authority | Competent regulator, where applicable |
| Permitted operating scope | Requires case-by-case confirmation | Requires case-by-case confirmation | Managing or advising on investments requires authorisation from the competent financial services regulator, with capital, governance and compliance conditions. |
| Premises, people & documents | Confirm for the selected activity | Confirm for the selected activity and zone | Confirm against the regulated service or product |
| Fees & timing | Obtain a current itemised quotation | Obtain a current itemised quotation | Confirm if a separate application applies |
From scope to application.
- Define the regulated activity and client type.
- Compare SCA, DFSA and FSRA routes.
- Prepare a regulatory business plan.
- Identify fit and proper key individuals.
Illustrative planning sequence; the authority may require a different application order or additional steps.
Common mistakes worth avoiding.
- Marketing funds before authorisation.
- Underestimating capital and staffing requirements.
Authority information, independently explained.
Published by Two Pillars Advisory. References last checked 2026-09-12; each source’s check date and jurisdiction are shown below. Review is limited to the cited activity scope, not an approval or universal licensing assessment. Confirm current requirements directly before applying.
No affiliation, partnership or endorsement by the authorities listed.
- Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA): Regulations listing for financial activities. Onshore securities and fund-related activity sits with the SCA. DIFC (DFSA) and ADGM (FSRA) are separate jurisdictional routes with their own rulebooks. (UAE mainland (onshore), checked 2026-09-12)
- Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA): Licensed companies register. Public register of companies licensed by the SCA. (UAE mainland (onshore), checked 2026-09-12)
- Invest in Dubai: Search business activities. Official Dubai activity search. Final activity wording and code must be confirmed here or with the licensing authority before filing. (Dubai, checked 2026-09-12)
- Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET): Business licensing. Official Dubai business licensing information, including licence types and permit requirements. (Dubai, checked 2026-09-12)
Before you take the next step.
Which is better for funds, DIFC or ADGM?
Both host fund managers with different rules and costs. See our DIFC vs ADGM comparison.
Can a consultancy give investment advice?
No. Investment advice needs regulatory authorisation.
Ask Two Pillars to confirm Fund & Investment Management-Related Setup