A representative office in Abu Dhabi lets a foreign company establish a liaison and marketing presence through ADDED without conducting direct commercial trading — a narrower structure than a full branch, suited to companies testing the Abu Dhabi market before committing further.
What a representative office can and cannot do
It can promote the parent company's products, conduct market research and liaise with local clients, but generally cannot issue invoices or sign sales contracts directly — those activities require a branch or fully incorporated company instead. Choosing the correct structure for your actual planned activity avoids needing to re-register later.
Why companies choose Abu Dhabi specifically
Foreign companies pursuing government-adjacent business development or federal-entity relationships often start with a representative office in Abu Dhabi specifically, given the capital's concentration of government and state-linked entities, before committing to a full branch or subsidiary.
Costs and timeline
Costs include the ADDED registration fee plus parent-company document attestation, generally lower than a full branch registration given the narrower activity scope. Model your base licensing cost with this site's Business Setup Cost Calculator.