The conventional wisdom about incorporating locally makes sense if you’re building a traditional business. But if you’re building a startup that might raise international capital or expand globally, you need to think differently about jurisdiction from day one. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most international investors won’t invest in local MENA entities. It’s not that they don’t trust your legal system—it’s that their limited partners, lawyers, and fund structures are designed around familiar jurisdictions. Fighting this reality is like swimming against the tide. The solution isn’t to abandon your local market, but to structure your company so you can access both local and international opportunities. Most successful MENA startups end up with dual structures: a Delaware or Cayman holding company that owns a local operating subsidiary. Set this up early, before you have revenue or employees, when it’s still simple and cheap.

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The Dual Structure Advantage

A dual structure gives you the best of both worlds. Your local entity can win government contracts, hire employees under local labor law, and operate in regulated industries that require local presence. Your international holding company can raise venture capital, offer employee stock options, and get acquired by international buyers. The key is setting up the agreements between these entities correctly from the beginning. The holding company should own the intellectual property and license it to the operating company. The operating company should pay management fees or royalties to the holding company. These agreements need to be documented properly and priced at market rates to satisfy both local and international tax authorities. This structure costs more to set up and maintain than a simple local entity, but it’s much cheaper than restructuring later when you have investors, employees, and customers. Think of it as insurance against future growth constraints.