Federal·tax credit
UAE R&D Tax Credit
New for January 2026: a 30–50% refundable tax credit on qualifying R&D expenditure. The closest UAE equivalent to Canada's SR&ED program.
Why it matters
This is the newest and most strategically important UAE funding instrument. Refundable means you get cash back even if you owe no tax. Most founders don't know it exists yet.
Authority & application
- Authority
- UAE Federal Tax Authority
- Funding type
- tax credit
- Timeline
- ~12 months
- Apply at
- Official application