A Premier Global Offshore Corporate Registry for Asset Protection, Wealth Structuring & International Expansion

RAK International Corporate Centre (RAK ICC) is a world-class offshore corporate registry operating in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. It offers an efficient, secure, and cost-effective jurisdiction for global investors, family offices, holding companies, and international businesses. As a modern offshore solution aligned with international compliance standards, RAK ICC empowers industries with robust asset protection and flexible corporate structures.

Core Benefits for All Industries

Strategic Advantages:

• 100% Foreign Ownership: No local sponsor needed; complete control, capital, and profit repatriation.
• Tax Advantages: DIFC entities enjoy a 0% corporate tax rate on qualifying income if they meet the FTA conditions, along with no personal income tax.
• International Common Law Jurisdiction: DIFC Courts operate under common law in English, offering legal certainty and global credibility.
• Strict Regulatory Alignment: Full compliance with FATF, OECD, and UAE Economic Substance Regulations via governance by the independent DFSA.

Holding & Investment Companies

Specialized Benefits:

• Robust Asset Protection & Risk Mitigation: RAK Maritime City offers a legally fortified environment for asset segregation, reducing liability exposure by up to 80% and safeguarding intellectual property or shares against lawsuits, creditors, and market volatility.
• Unparalleled Global Investment Flexibility: Benefit from unrestricted global asset holding (real estate, securities, international businesses) with multi-currency capabilities, eliminating 2-5% in currency conversion fees and reducing exchange rate risks.
• Simplified, Comprehensive Structuring: Innovative framework for simplified structuring using holding companies with trusts and foundations, reducing estate tax liabilities and ensuring smooth, confidential wealth transfer across generations.

Ideal Use Cases:

• Holding Company for UAE Mainland or Free Zone Firms: Establish a central entity to manage and own shares in operating companies across the UAE mainland and free zones, improving operational synergies by 10-15% and streamlining financial reporting.                       
• Private Equity and Venture Capital Vehicles: Ideal platform for forming and managing funds for strategic investments in private companies and startups, leveraging a flexible regulatory environment to capitalize on the global private equity market (forecast to reach $34.88 trillion by 2030, 15% CAGR).
• Real Estate Ownership and Investment Firms: Create dedicated vehicles for acquiring, managing, and investing in diverse local and international real estate portfolios, offering asset protection and tax efficiency in a dynamic market (e.g., Dubai’s AED 54.6 billion transaction value in Oct 2024).

Family Offices & Wealth Management

Tailored Advantages:

• Confidential & Secure Jurisdiction: RAK Maritime City offers a jurisdiction with high corporate privacy, where beneficial owner disclosure is limited to authorities, reducing external scrutiny by over 90% and safeguarding family financial affairs.
• Robust Estate Planning Tools: Facilitates seamless integration of trusts and foundations for efficient intergenerational wealth transfer, potentially minimizing inheritance tax liabilities by 20-40% and reducing distribution disputes.
• Nominee & Trustee Services: Provides access to licensed agents for multi-layered structuring, including nominee and trustee services, which add legal insulation for up to 99% of assets and enable strategic control within a compliant framework.

Suitable Structures:

• Family Investment Funds: Create dedicated funds to manage and grow family wealth across diverse asset classes, leveraging a platform that supports the expanding global family office market (projected to grow from $14.5 trillion in 2023 to $24.3 trillion by 2030). 
• Legacy Preservation Vehicles: Establish specialized structures for long-term preservation and controlled distribution of family legacy assets and values, crucial for managing generational wealth, philanthropy, and family businesses.
• Offshore Foundations: Utilize for philanthropic endeavors, robust asset protection, and strategic wealth management, offering flexibility and enhanced privacy for long-term planning and specific family objectives outside direct personal ownership.

Consulting & Professional Services

Operational Benefits:

• Efficient Setup for Global Operations: RAK ICC entities provide a streamlined structure for cross-border consulting and invoicing, resulting in a 20-30% reduction in administrative overhead and a 15-25% acceleration of payment cycles.
• No Physical Office Required: Virtual setup options are ideal for remote businesses and freelancers, leading to significant cost savings (40-60%) on office rental and utilities, allowing reallocation to growth.
• Ease of Integration: RAK ICC entities can own shares in UAE mainland and other free zone companies, enabling efficient fee routing and profit repatriation, optimizing tax efficiency and financial consolidation across group entities.

Industry Applications:

• Management Consulting: Ideal for firms offering global strategic advice, providing a flexible and tax-efficient base to serve international clients, especially those targeting the MENA region, within a market projected to reach USD 451.28 billion by 2030 (4.75% CAGR).
• IT Services and Digital Agencies: Perfectly suited for companies providing technology solutions, software development, web design, and digital marketing, supported by a flexible setup for remote work and efficient IP management within a market projected to reach USD 6.46 trillion by 2033 (9.4% CAGR).
• International Freelancing and Advisory: Tailored for independent professionals engaged in cross-border projects, offering a flexible, compliant, and discreet business setup. This supports the global freelance platforms market, projected to reach USD 14.39 billion by 2030 (17.7% CAGR).

Trading & E-commerce Holding

Structural Advantages:

• Ideal for IP Holding & Licensing: RAK ICC offers a framework to centralize and license valuable trademarks, digital rights, and e-commerce platforms globally, potentially increasing royalty revenues by 15-25% and enhancing legal protection.
• Low-Cost Setup with Global Reach: Benefit from significantly reduced initial operational costs (30-50% lower) compared to other jurisdictions, while leveraging the UAE’s robust international trade network and banking system for seamless global transactions and market access.
• Efficient Profit Allocation: The RAK ICC structure supports advanced transfer pricing and strategic profit routing, potentially optimizing global tax liabilities by 10-20% and ensuring greater financial control over multi-jurisdictional revenue streams.

Applications:

• Global E-commerce Holdings: Ideal for managing multiple e-commerce ventures under a unified corporate structure, streamlining administration, optimizing synergies, and facilitating rapid scaling within the global e-commerce market (projected to reach $9.5 trillion by 2029).
• Product Licensing & Distribution Channels: Perfectly designed for centralizing product licensing and managing global distribution channels, allowing efficient administration of agreements, royalty tracking, and IP enforcement in the expanding global brand licensing market (valued at $340.8 billion in 2023).
• IP-Based Revenue Models: Tailor-made for businesses primarily generating revenue from licensing, usage, or distribution of intellectual property (software, digital content, patented technologies), providing the legal and financial backbone to optimize IP portfolios and maximize royalty income in the growing global IP market (projected to reach $283.4 billion by 2029).

Financial Services & Fintech Structuring

Sector-Specific Opportunities:

• SPVs for Fund Management: Secure Investment Structuring: RAK ICC offers a robust framework for Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to manage and isolate diverse investments, potentially reducing operational errors by 20% and improving tax efficiency by 15-30% by ringfencing assets and liabilities.
• Regulatory Clarity: Building Trust and Global Credibility: Operating under rigorous international compliance and substance laws (including AML/CTF and robust CDD), RAK ICC structures ensure global credibility, attracting investment faster and fostering strong relationships with financial institutions.
• Secure Banking Integration: Seamless Financial Operations: RAK ICC entities can open accounts with leading UAE and international banks, supported by global KYC procedures, facilitating seamless cross-border transactions and liquidity. This reduces banking compliance friction by up to 40% and offers access to extensive Double Taxation Treaties.

Ideal For:

• Fintech Startups Needing Offshore Structuring: Provides a flexible and cost-effective base for new financial technology companies to operate globally, leading to 20-40% cost efficiencies and rapid market access without immediate onshore operational burdens.
• Venture Funds, Angel Networks, and Capital Raising Entities: Offers a recognized, compliant, and efficient structure for pooling capital, managing investments, and facilitating fundraising activities within the growing global venture capital market, providing legal and administrative infrastructure for effective operations.
• Crypto and Blockchain-Related Intellectual Property Holding (Subject to Compliance): RAK ICC allows holding of crypto/blockchain IP (e.g., patents, trademarks), though specific activities must align with UAE federal laws and virtual asset regulations (e.g., VARA, SCA). For specialized digital asset companies, RAK Digital Assets Oasis (RAK DAO) operates under the RAK ICC framework, offering a tailored environment in a market projected for significant growth.