WHERE THIS FITS
Related services
The service pages behind this guide — each sets out what the authority actually accepts.
Last updated: 11 August 2026
Company documents are rarely translated one at a time — and that is exactly where most problems start. A memorandum, a board resolution and a shareholders’ agreement translated as three separate jobs will use three different renderings of the same defined terms. Authorities notice.
What DED and the free zones typically require in Arabic
- Memorandum of association and any amendments — see MOA translation
- Shareholder and board resolutions appointing managers or authorising signatories
- Parent-company documents for a branch — certificate of incorporation, good standing, constitution
- Powers of attorney for the authorised signatory
- Commercial contracts relied on in licensing or disputes — see contract translation
- Trade licences for banking and government submissions — see licence translation
The four failure points
1. Company name inconsistency
The Arabic company name must match the trade licence and the register exactly. A single different letter between the MOA and the licence stops the file.
2. Share capital and percentages
Figures, currencies and percentage splits must be reproduced exactly. Rounding or reformatting is not a stylistic choice here.
3. Authority clauses
“Sole signature”, “joint signature” and thresholds carry legal consequences. A loose rendering can grant or remove authority that was never intended.
4. Free zone versus mainland terminology
DED, DMCC and JAFZA do not use identical Arabic phrasing for the same concepts. Tell the translator which authority receives the file.
Why the pack should be quoted as one job
| File-by-file | As one coordinated pack |
|---|---|
| Terms rendered differently per file | One glossary applied across everything |
| Company name may drift | Locked to the trade licence |
| Priced per document | Priced as a set |
| Rejection risk multiplies | Single consistent submission |
Practical tip: send the trade licence with the pack even if it does not need translating. It is the reference for the Arabic company name and signatory details.
Only a translator registered under Federal Decree-Law No. 22 of 2022 can certify these documents for official use.
Setting up, restructuring or renewing?
Send the whole document pack in one message and tell us the receiving authority. We quote the set together and keep terminology locked across every file.
Send your document packCall +971 54 526 6500Related: corporate and commercial translation · what drives the cost.
What each authority actually asks for
“Corporate document translation” covers a set of filings that differ meaningfully depending on where the entity sits. A DED mainland licence, a DMCC free-zone company and a JAFZA entity are governed by different authorities with their own document lists and their own tolerance for variation.
| Document | Typical use | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Memorandum of Association | Incorporation, share transfers, capital changes | Amendments must match the current version on file, not the original. |
| Board / shareholder resolutions | Appointments, signatory changes, branch opening | Names and titles must match the passports and the licence exactly. |
| Trade licence | Bank accounts, tenders, counterparty due diligence | The registered company name is a fixed string, never a free translation. |
| Certificate of incorporation / good standing | Foreign parent registering a branch | Usually needs authentication before translation. |
| Commercial contracts | Disputes, notarisation, regulatory filing | Bilingual contracts normally state which language governs. |
| Financial statements | Licence renewal, tenders, banking | Figures are carried in both numerals and words to remove ambiguity. |
The three mistakes that send corporate files back
- The company name drifts. A translator renders the name descriptively instead of reproducing the registered Arabic and English strings from the licence. The reviewing officer sees two different companies. Always send the licence alongside whatever is being translated.
- The wrong version of the MOA. Companies frequently hold several amendments. The authority wants the current consolidated position, and translating a superseded version wastes the trip.
- Signatory names inconsistent across the pack. When the resolution, the passport copy and the licence transliterate a name three ways, the file stalls. Translating the whole pack together fixes this, which is why we ask for it as a set rather than page by page.
Free zone versus mainland: what changes
Free-zone authorities often operate substantially in English and may accept English-language corporate records for internal purposes, while still requiring certified Arabic for anything that leaves the zone — court proceedings, notarisation, MOFA, or a mainland counterparty. Mainland filings with the Department of Economy and Tourism sit in Arabic from the outset. The practical rule: if the document will ever be read by a court or a ministry, have the certified Arabic version prepared at the same time as the English one, not months later under deadline.
Common questions
Corporate Document Translation for DED and Free Zones — FAQ
What companies ask before submitting a corporate pack for certified translation.
