UAE Lists 9 Business Activities Foreigners Can't Own

The United Arab Emirates has officially published a list of nine business activities that foreign investors are prohibited from fully owning. These restrictions are designed to preserve national interests in sensitive sectors.

The categories include security and defense activities, telecommunications, banking, exchange houses, financing companies, insurance firms, and establishments involved in banknote or coin production. Additionally, commercial agencies, Hajj and Umrah organizing services, Holy Quran recitation institutes, fish catching, and natural pearl catching are also restricted.

The regulations ensure that sectors tied to national security and cultural significance remain under local control. Foreign entrepreneurs and investors are advised to carefully review these restrictions before proceeding with business registration in any of the affected sectors.