UAE Company and Corporate Terms: Arabic–English
Why Corporate Terms Are Not Word-for-Word
This glossary of UAE company and corporate terms in Arabic and English covers the documents you meet when you set up, run or change a company: memorandum and articles, licences, registers, resolutions, powers of attorney and beneficial-ownership filings. Each term has the Arabic used by UAE registrars and a note on how to use it.
Literal translation fails because company law vocabulary is tied to legal forms. In a UAE limited liability company the owners are usually called partners (الشركاء) and hold shares/quotas (الحصص), while in a joint-stock company they are shareholders (المساهمون) holding shares (الأسهم). Foreign documents use their own labels ("members", "stockholders", "directors") that do not always match. The translator keeps the source’s meaning and the UAE form’s vocabulary apart, and does not invent a legal form.
For the process side, see our guides to commercial register translation for foreign companies and company documents translation.
Legal Forms and Founding Documents
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Limited Liability Company (LLC) | شركة ذات مسؤولية محدودة (ذ.م.م) | The common mainland form under the Commercial Companies Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021). |
| Sole Proprietorship LLC | شركة الشخص الواحد ذ.م.م | An LLC owned by one person; different from a sole establishment. |
| Sole establishment | مؤسسة فردية | Not a company; the owner and the business are not separate. |
| Public / Private Joint Stock Company | شركة مساهمة عامة / خاصة | PJSC / PrJSC. |
| Branch of a foreign company | فرع شركة أجنبية | Not a separate legal person from its parent. |
| Free zone establishment / company | مؤسسة منطقة حرة / شركة منطقة حرة | Abbreviations (FZE, FZCO, FZ-LLC) are kept as written. |
| Memorandum of Association (MOA) | عقد التأسيس | The founding contract. Not مذكرة التأسيس, a literal calque. |
| Articles of Association (AOA) | النظام الأساسي | Internal rules; some forms combine MOA and AOA into one document. |
| Addendum / amendment to MOA | ملحق تعديل عقد التأسيس | Used for changes in partners, capital or activities. |
| Certificate of incorporation | شهادة التأسيس / شهادة القيد | Name the issuing registry. |
| Share capital | رأس المال | Paid-up capital: رأس المال المدفوع. |
| Shares / quotas (LLC) | الحصص | Shares in a joint-stock company are الأسهم. |
Licences and Registers
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Trade licence / commercial licence | الرخصة التجارية | Professional and industrial licences: الرخصة المهنية / الصناعية. |
| Licence number | رقم الرخصة | Copy exactly. |
| Commercial register | السجل التجاري | Extract from the register: مستخرج من السجل التجاري. |
| Business activity | النشاط التجاري | Licensed activities are listed with their official names; translate them as listed, not paraphrased. |
| Trade name | الاسم التجاري | The Arabic and English trade names are both registered; do not re-translate a registered name. |
| Economic department | دائرة الاقتصاد | The emirate’s licensing authority; name it as on the licence. |
| Establishment card | بطاقة المنشأة | Immigration file of the company. |
| Certificate of good standing | شهادة حسن الوضع القانوني / شهادة استمرارية | Foreign certificates use various titles; translate the title as printed. |
| Certificate of incumbency | شهادة شاغلي المناصب | Lists directors, officers and sometimes shareholders. |
| Liquidation / dissolution | التصفية / الحل | Liquidator: المصفّي. |
Management, Decisions and Authority
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Manager (LLC) | المدير | An LLC is run by a manager or managers named in the MOA. |
| Board of directors | مجلس الإدارة | Director: عضو مجلس الإدارة. Chairman: رئيس مجلس الإدارة. |
| Board resolution | قرار مجلس الإدارة | Banks and registries check the date, quorum and who signed. |
| Partners’ / shareholders’ resolution | قرار الشركاء / قرار المساهمين | Use the word that matches the legal form. |
| General assembly | الجمعية العمومية | Ordinary / extraordinary: العادية / غير العادية. |
| Quorum | النصاب القانوني | Keep percentages and counts exactly. |
| Minutes of meeting | محضر الاجتماع | Signatures and attendees are listed as in the source. |
| Authorised signatory | المفوّض بالتوقيع | Specimen signature: نموذج التوقيع. |
| Power of attorney (POA) | الوكالة | General POA: وكالة عامة. Special POA: وكالة خاصة. See bilingual power of attorney. |
| Attorney (under a POA) | الوكيل | Principal: الموكِّل. Not "lawyer". |
| Local service agent | وكيل الخدمات المحلي | Used for some professional licences; not a partner. |
Ownership, Transfers and Compliance
| English term | Arabic (UAE usage) | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) | المستفيد الحقيقي | Term used in Cabinet Decision No. 58 of 2020 on beneficial owner procedures. Register: سجل المستفيد الحقيقي. |
| Register of partners / shareholders | سجل الشركاء / سجل المساهمين | Keep each holder’s name as in the passport. |
| Share transfer | التنازل عن الحصص / نقل ملكية الأسهم | LLC transfers usually go through the registrar or a notary. |
| Capital increase / decrease | زيادة رأس المال / تخفيض رأس المال | Requires a resolution and an MOA amendment. |
| Audited financial statements | القوائم المالية المدققة | See financial statements translation. |
| Auditor | مدقق الحسابات | External auditor: مدقق الحسابات الخارجي. |
| Tax registration number (TRN) | رقم التسجيل الضريبي | Copy exactly. |
Common Mistakes With Corporate Terms
- مذكرة التأسيس for MOA. UAE registrars use عقد التأسيس.
- Shareholders and shares in an LLC. Arabic LLC documents speak of partners and quotas (الشركاء، الحصص).
- Re-translating a registered trade name. The registered Arabic and English names are copied, not translated.
- وكيل translated as "agent" or "lawyer" in a POA. It is the attorney-in-fact; the principal is الموكِّل.
- Activities paraphrased. Licensed activities have official names; paraphrasing them can cause rejection at a bank or registry.
- Dates and signatories dropped from resolutions. They are what the reader checks first.
What is the Arabic for Memorandum of Association in the UAE?
عقد التأسيس. The Articles of Association are النظام الأساسي. The literal مذكرة التأسيس is not the term UAE registrars use.
Are LLC owners shareholders or partners in Arabic?
In UAE LLC documents they are usually الشركاء (partners) holding الحصص (quotas). Shareholders (المساهمون) and shares (الأسهم) belong to joint-stock companies.
What is UBO in Arabic?
المستفيد الحقيقي, the term used in Cabinet Decision No. 58 of 2020. Banks and registrars usually ask for beneficial-ownership details.
Should a company’s trade name be translated?
No. If the company has a registered Arabic and English name, both are copied exactly. A trade name with no registered Arabic form is usually transliterated.
Do I need a legal translation of a foreign board resolution in the UAE?
For use with a UAE registry, notary, court or bank, a foreign resolution is normally attested and translated into Arabic by a licensed legal translator. Check the receiving authority’s requirements.
How much does it cost to translate an MOA or board resolution?
Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available for many documents. A board resolution is often one or two pages; an MOA is priced by its word count.
How SWLT Helps
We translate MOAs, AOAs, licences, registers, resolutions and powers of attorney between Arabic and English, and keep the registered names and activities exactly as issued. See MOA translation in Dubai and company documents translation.
Disclaimer
This glossary is a language reference, not legal advice. The right Arabic or English term always depends on the context of the document, the governing law and the authority that will read it, and laws, forms and official terminology change. For advice on your rights or obligations, consult a lawyer licensed in the UAE; for a document you will submit, use a licensed legal translator. SWLT does not notarise documents; where notarisation is needed it is arranged with a legal partner.
Get Your Corporate Documents Translated
Send us the documents and tell us which registry, bank or authority will receive them. Smart World Legal Translation – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. (SWLT) is a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translation company in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, led by Dr. Hani Elimam. Our federal accreditation is accepted across the UAE, including by Dubai Courts, and we hold exclusive interpretation contracts with the UAE Federal Courts and the Federal Public Prosecution. Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available for many documents. Send us the document on WhatsApp (+971 50 864 8439), email info@swlt.ae, or use our contact page.