What is a UBO in the UAE?

A UBO is a person who owns or controls at least 25% of a company’s shares or voting rights, directly or indirectly.

Who must submit UBO information in the UAE?

All companies licensed in the UAE, except those in Financial Free Zones or government-owned, must file UBO data.

What details are needed for the UBO register?

You need the UBO’s full name, nationality, address, ID or passport, date of appointment, and the reason for status changes.

What happens if company information changes?

The company must notify the relevant authority within fifteen (15) days of any change in UBO, director, or shareholder information.

How can Mubarak Al Ketbi (MAK) Auditing help with UBO compliance?

We help you prepare and update registers, manage ongoing compliance, and file reports to UAE authorities.

New UAE Cabinet Decision on Ultimate Beneficial Owner Procedures (UBO) 2025

Understanding the New UBO Regulations

The UAE government always tries to make business more transparent and reliable. In 2025, UAE introduced Cabinet Resolution No. (58) on Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) Procedures. This law started on August 28, 2025, and replaced the earlier Cabinet Resolution No. 34 of 2025. Dubai wants to keep its place as a top world trade hub, so new rules help fight financial fraud and support a transparent business environment.

In recent years, investigators have found more suspicious financial transactions. Companies sometimes hide real ownership. Now, with this new resolution, every company must provide full and current information about their real owners. These new steps help authorities verify each business’s legitimacy and accuracy.

Objectives of the UBO Resolution

The UAE wants to achieve several goals through the UBO Cabinet Resolution:

Increase transparency for all UAE-registered entities
Develop better systems for tracking UBO data
Introduce strong regulatory mechanisms for compliance

Main Requirements for Companies

All companies licensed in the UAE must submit and update three main registers within sixty (60) days of the law’s start date or from their own establishment date:

Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) Register
Nominee Director Register
Partners or Shareholders Register

These registers must be kept current, and any changes need to be reported within fifteen (15) days.

Who Must Follow the UBO Law?

The law applies to most companies in the UAE, such as:

Mainland Companies
Free Zone Companies

Who Is Not Covered by the UBO Law?

The UBO regulations do not apply to:

Entities in Financial Free Zones (like Dubai International Financial Centre, DIFC)
Entities fully owned by the Federal or Emirate Government

Who Qualifies as a UBO?

A UBO is a real person who owns or controls at least 25% of the company’s shares or has similar voting rights. The person can have this ownership directly or indirectly. If no one fits this rule, then any person who controls the company by other means, or who is part of senior management, will be listed as the UBO.

The UBO Register must include:

Full name, residence, and nationality
Identification or passport number
Date of appointment as a UBO
Date and reason for ceasing to be a UBO
The reason for being named as a UBO

What Is a Nominee Director Register?

Companies must record details about all directors and managers. This information is added to the Nominee Director Register, following company records and instructions.

What Goes in the Partners or Shareholders Register?

The register must state:

Each partner or shareholder’s ownership share
The date of acquiring those shares
Percentage of interest
Voting rights

Points Every Entity Must Remember

Businesses must keep all records up to date. If there are any changes to UBO, director, or shareholder details, companies must inform the relevant authority within fifteen (15) days.

All companies subject to the UBO rules must:

Prepare and update registers for UBOs, partners/shareholders, and nominee directors
Submit registers to the correct government authority on time
Notify the authority about changes immediately