British nationals have a long-established presence in UAE business, and the formation process itself is the same as for any nationality — the practical differences worth knowing are around document legalisation and UK tax residency considerations if you plan to spend significant time in the UAE.
Document legalisation from the UK
UK-issued documents typically need an apostille (legalisation) through the UK's Legalisation Office before they are recognised in the UAE, since the UK is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention — a comparatively more streamlined process than the multi-step attestation chain some other nationalities' documents require, though it still needs to be planned into your timeline.
UK tax residency considerations
Moving your business activity to the UAE does not automatically end your UK tax residency — the UK's Statutory Residence Test looks at day-counts and ties to the UK (property, family, work patterns) to determine tax residency, independent of where your company is registered. If you plan to spend substantial time in the UAE while running a UAE company, get UK-specific tax advice on your residency position rather than assuming UAE incorporation alone changes anything with HMRC.
Getting the setup itself right
The core formation decision — mainland or a specific free zone — works the same way as for any nationality. This site's Free Zone vs Mainland Tool and Business Setup Cost Calculator cover that directly; the UK-specific homework is mainly the apostille process and your own UK tax residency position.