Personal Migration Isssues
Dubai

Dubai keeps showing up on relocation shortlists, but the real story is more complicated than “move there and pay no tax.” We sit down with Jimmy Sexton of the Esquire Group in Dubai to unpack why entrepreneurs, investors, and globally mobile families are choosing the UAE, and what you need to understand before you follow the trend. For Americans especially, we talk candidly about citizenship-based taxation and why many moves are driven by business access, deal flow, and practical freedom rather than a simple tax play.

From there, we zoom out to the bigger migration patterns. With the UK non-dom regime ending and tax pressure rising across parts of Europe, Dubai is increasingly treated like a modern base for wealth. We also get into the non-financial reasons people stay: personal safety, lifestyle stability, and day-to-day convenience that can be hard to find in other major global cities.

We then move into the nuts and bolts that make or break a relocation plan: free zone vs mainland company formation, the shift to 100% foreign ownership, and what the UAE’s 9% corporate income tax means for operating businesses and self-employed trading income. Just as important, we clarify a common misconception: having a UAE residence visa is not the same as being a UAE tax resident. We explain day-count rules, tax residency certificates, and why the UAE’s extensive double tax treaty network can still have limitations, including nationality requirements and look-through rules.

If you’re thinking about moving to Dubai, expanding a business to the UAE, or simply trying to compare jurisdictions more intelligently, this conversation gives you a clear framework.