By Christopher Lester and Connie Leung

The Prescribed Company Regulations offer a more flexible incorporation and permitted purposes regime than its predecessor, the Special Purpose Company Regulations.

Prescribed Companies are a type of corporate vehicle available in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the financial free zone of the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Prescribed Companies are categorised as Private Companies under the DIFC Companies Law No. 5 of 2018 (the Companies Law), but are exempted from certain requirements otherwise applied to Private Companies under the Companies Law and the accompanying DIFC Companies Regulations 2018 (the Companies Regulations), such as the requirement to audit or file its accounts with the DIFC Registrar of Companies. Prescribed Companies are subject to lower DIFC incorporation and licensing fees, and are permitted to use, as their registered office, the DIFC registered office of their associated Qualifying Applicant or Registered Person, or to obtain a DIFC registered office through a corporate services provider.

These benefits make Prescribed Companies amenable for use as holding or interim holding entities within wider transaction, financing or asset holding structures, subject to requirements around the ownership and control of the Prescribed Company, and the permitted purposes of the Prescribed Company.

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