Insights
Glossary
The MENA and Europe terms that trip up cross-border teams.
In short
The MENA and Europe terms that trip up cross-border teams.
Terms
Glossary
| Term | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland vs free zone | Two licensing regimes in the UAE with different ownership, tax and invoicing implications | Decides who you can invoice — the single most consequential early choice |
| EBP | Essential Benefits Plan — the entry-level mandatory health cover product under Dubai's DHA rules | Sets the floor for lower-income employees, not the ceiling for your design |
| DHA / DOH | Dubai Health Authority and Abu Dhabi's Department of Health | Two different mandatory health cover regimes for one country |
| TPA | Third-party administrator — administers claims on a carrier’s behalf | Generally paid by the carrier, which shapes whose interests it serves |
| EOSB | End-of-service benefit, or gratuity — statutory termination entitlement | Accrues from day one; usually disclosed rather than funded |
| QFZP | Qualifying Free Zone Person — the conditional 0% corporate tax status | Conditional, and generally does not extend to mainland service revenue |
| Saudisation | Localisation quotas for Saudi nationals in the private sector | Shapes org design in a Saudi entry, not just compliance reporting |
| LSA | Local service agent — required for some UAE professional licences | Not the same as local ownership; an annual cost, not an equity holder |
| Modified Lehman | Tiered success-fee scale used in M&A | The standard reference point when negotiating deal fees |
| PMI | Post-merger integration | The hundred days in which most lower mid-market deal value is won or lost |
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