A civil company in Abu Dhabi is the structure for professional partnerships — groups of doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants and similar licensed professionals practising together — licensed through ADDED, distinct from both an LLC and a sole establishment.
Who this structure suits
Civil companies are built for partnerships among licensed professionals in the same or closely related field, not general commercial trading. A group of doctors forming a medical practice, or engineers forming a consultancy, are the natural fit for this structure in Abu Dhabi specifically.
Liability and partnership structure
Partners generally bear liability similar to a sole establishment's owner, without an LLC's limited-liability shield, though the specific arrangement can be defined in the partnership agreement between partners — worth addressing with legal advice before finalising the partnership.
Costs and timeline
Civil company formation involves drafting a partnership agreement alongside the standard ADDED trade licence process, plus each partner's individual professional registration for their specific field. Model your base licensing cost with this site's Business Setup Cost Calculator.