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"- Lars, Why did you move to Dubai ?"

So many people have asked me - Why did you move to Dubai? 

So why not answer this and share my own experience with anyone who may have un interest.

In one way, the answer is simple - I just did what I felt was right to do, in my life, at such time!

But to come to such decision - to take the step - and change your life 180 degree - was based on the conviction to find a place where you can contribute and be appreciated for your initiatives. Already when I first time arrived to Dubai, I did feel that this is the place where you have the freedom to create and do things on a global level.

Sweden, which is, my home country, is an advanced country, quite peaceful and a friendly country with an multitude of cultures and a country which always has striven to make the human rights and make the society transparent and give equal chances for anyone.

Such a statement is more a statement which fits in if you are a "Normal" person - someone who follows the flow - but being an entrepreneur - the rules are different and the society haven't yet learned on how to deal with those, who may are "different".

As you may already have read, I have done a lot in my life and always tried to do good for my country and for the community - by trying to do good business and at the same time bring in social values and help the once who need help, to get it right. Such qualities are often facing a lot of skeptical comments, and most of the time you need to fight for doing something which is good. The bureaucratic part of the society, seams to think that they have a monopole on doing things they may think are good. With centuries of experiences they don't, still, see from where all the good ideas comes from - which they later on will adopt.

Instead for building up resources which would make an innovators successes to be multiplied - they try do do it them self - and they more often fails - the one who came with the idea has left the region and started something else, somewhere else.

Having had some very tuff years and being nearly "raped" by the Swedish authorities, who despite violation of laws and rules did not change what they had done wrong - I decided that I needed a re-start in my life. To do so, you ought to do it fully and do it in such way that you start everything from scratch, you cant have a your feet's left in the "history" and than start to walk into the future - it most be the right harmony and all what you do need to be done in the same time-space, if you got my point.

Also having had a "wrong-picture" of what an Arabic country could offer as culture, family values, relations and as a base to have the freedom to create and have the right to be rewarded for hard work and good achievements - that 

Dubai and UAE has given me - Freedom of Creation.

How is it to start a business in Dubai?

It is not as easy as you may think or may have heard, but there is plenty of options, which may fit your need. In general you can say that you ought to have a local sponsor, if you aim to operate a legal entity within UAE or any of the seven Emirates. The local partner, who would hold a local passport shall accordantly to the law hold 51% ownership and you as a foreigner can hold 49%. There is exceptions, if the company are being established in one of the Free-Zones, you can own your own company, but need to do the business in the Free-Zone itself. There is also one other exception, if you are a professional lawyer or consult, you can obtain a professional license whereby you do not need a sponsor.

The local sponsor can be a so called “sleeping-partner” who do not be involved in the day to day matters and you as the informal owner can handle all the day-to-day matters. A sponsor will charge an annual fee, which may differ from case to case and size of the business.

If you need high involvements or need specific networks of contacts, you may need a high-profiled sponsor which may have a different price then another one.

There is in general very difficult to bring ideas to the right decision makers attention, without feeding some middle hand, which is part of the structure and can been seen as part of an indirect taxation system.

Recognision as a forigner to contribute new ideas is not part of the society structure at all. There is now room for transparacy or equal rights, as we are used to in Europe and Scandinaiva, but also well understod. The local population is just a few houndred thousends and the so called x-pats are in millions, so the structure is well established to serve their interest and preserve the country and the emirates with its original triebs.

 

Professional Experience
Read Mr. Kanngard's (Känngård) Curriculum Vitae

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Do you want to visit our Village Project in Sweden, Bullerbo, with remains from the Ice Age which now been transformed into the IT-Age and the @-Age. Go to Bullerbo.

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