Questions
Common questions
Do you work with businesses in Dubai?
Yes, remotely from Albania. Two to three hours ahead of Albania depending on season. Working-hour overlap is the practical thing to check before scoping anything time-sensitive.
Which sectors in Dubai do you work with?
Real estate and property development, hospitality and F&B, aesthetics and wellness, luxury retail, financial services, and a very large professional-services and personal-brand consulting sector.
What do people get wrong about marketing in Dubai?
Whether a business sits in a free zone or on the mainland changes its contracting entity, its licensing and its invoicing — settle that before scoping, not after.
What advertising rules apply in Dubai?
Advertising rules, data protection and invoicing are national rather than local. The UAE Media Council regulates advertising and media content, and — distinctively — anyone producing paid promotional content in the UAE needs an appropriate media licence. Influencers require a licence to accept paid promotion, and brands carry exposure if they engage unlicensed creators. Content standards also restrict material considered contrary to public morals or religious values, which shapes casting, imagery and campaign timing far more than a European brief would anticipate.
How does invoicing work for a Dubai client?
VAT applies at a low standard rate, and the export of services to a non-resident recipient can be zero-rated where the conditions are met — which is a question for the client’s tax adviser, not for me. Whether a client sits in a free zone or on the mainland changes both the contracting entity and the invoicing treatment. Invoices are usually in AED or USD.