Ahmed
Born and raised in Dubai. More than 15 years in sales, a family man, and camera-shy his whole career. His challenge: go live every night for 30 nights.
Lights On · Live from 7 December 2026
We are opening Vantablack. Live. Every step.
Everyone talks about setting up a business. For 30 days we will do ours in front of you: the licence, the lawyer, the office, the bank, the tax, the team, the partners. Each step is filmed when it happens and taught so you can do it too. On 6 January the doors open.
–days–hours–minutes
Why we are doing this
Two people, one company, no script.
We could tell you setting up a business in Dubai is simple. We would rather show you, with the receipts.
Abhishek
Builds the Vantablack platform with AI. His challenge: build in public, showing a real feature go from idea to screen every week.
The people watching
Ask questions on the lives, join a house, send a message of support and bring the partners you trust. On Day 1 you choose one more challenge for each of us.
Every day for 30 days
The rhythm
- 8 AMThe episode: yesterday's real step, what we learned, what you can copy
- 1 PM · 6 PMTwo short cuts: the lesson in under a minute
- 8 PMLive: questions answered, Community activities and Founding Seat updates
- SundaysOpen House: a six-hour live with worked examples and Founding Seat updates
On YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, in English with Arabic captions.
The 30 days
What we will do, and what you will learn
This is the plan. Authorities decide on their own timelines, so if a step is late you will see it late, and why.
Week 1 · The DeclarationDays 1–7
Why we are doing this, in front of everyone. The show, the houses, the first real steps.
- Day 1Mon 7 Dec
The Declaration
We do: Our trade licence on screen: what it covers today and what it does not yet cover
You learn: How to read a trade licence: activities, legal form, expiry, who the authority is
- Day 2Tue 8 Dec
Choosing the right activity
We do: Our licence activity update application with the Department of Economy and Tourism
You learn: How to pick activities from the 2,444 on the Dubai list and why the wrong one costs you later
- Day 3Wed 9 Dec
The lawyer's table
We do: Our legal review: payments, client terms, partner terms, privacy
You learn: What a startup must have a lawyer read before taking money
- Day 4Thu 10 Dec
Who owns what
We do: Shareholder and founder agreements: roles, vesting, decisions, what happens if one of us leaves
You learn: The founder agreement most partnerships skip, and why friendships end without one
- Day 5Fri 11 Dec
Founding Seats
We do: We explain how expressions of interest are reviewed
You learn: How a service business can win clients without paying commission
- Day 6Sat 12 Dec
Founder of the Day
We do: Live help for viewers: we answer five real setup questions from the audience
You learn: Mainland or free zone: the questions that decide it
- Day 7Sun 13 Dec
Open House 1
We do: Live partner onboarding: we verify partners on stream (documents blurred, with their consent)
You learn: What a verified partner means: licence, bank account in the company name, references
Week 2 · The BuildDays 8–14
Office, payments, tax and compliance: the paperwork every founder fears, done on camera.
- Day 8Mon 14 Dec
The office
We do: Signing our office lease and registering it (Ejari)
You learn: What Ejari is, why a licence needs an address, flexi-desk or office
- Day 9Tue 15 Dec
The money door
We do: Opening our payment account with split payments
You learn: How card payments reach a business, and why we never hold your money
- Day 10Wed 16 Dec
Tax, properly
We do: VAT registration through a registered tax agent and Corporate Tax registration
You learn: VAT threshold, Corporate Tax registration, deadlines that fine you
- Day 11Thu 17 Dec
Know your client
We do: Our goAML registration and AML policy
You learn: Why a setup firm must check who its clients are, and what it asks you for
- Day 12Fri 18 Dec
Desks and lights
We do: Office fit-out: desks, chairs, meeting room, laptops for the first team
You learn: What it really costs to equip a small office in Dubai
- Day 13Sat 19 Dec
The engine room
We do: Systems: our CRM, the client portal, the project timeline
You learn: How a client sees every step of a setup, with every update on the project timeline
- Day 14Sun 20 Dec
Open House 2
We do: Ask-the-founders setup clinic
You learn: Golden Visa, residency visas and family sponsorship, the basics
Week 3 · The PeopleDays 15–21
The team, the partners and the Community arrive. Halfway: the honest review and the Lights On film.
- Day 15Mon 21 Dec
Halfway: Lights On
We do: Our honest halfway review: what is done, what is late, and what comes next
You learn: Why delays happen in a setup and what you can control
- Day 16Tue 22 Dec
The first hires
We do: Hiring the launch team: offers, contracts, visas
You learn: Hiring your first employee in the UAE: contract, visa, insurance, payroll
- Day 17Wed 23 Dec
Training day
We do: Onboarding the team: sales rules, operations, AML, the daily client update
You learn: What "accountable delivery" means in practice
- Day 18Thu 24 Dec
The partners' day
We do: Partner Success: how partners receive jobs, deliver and get rated
You learn: How a supplier wins work on Vantablack: quality, on time, ratings
- Day 19Fri 25 Dec
The Community opens
We do: The Vantablack Community: membership, guides, discussions
You learn: Where to get answers before paying anyone
- Day 20Sat 26 Dec
Every price on the wall
We do: Publishing our full price list: setup, renewals, visas, PRO
You learn: How to compare setup quotes line by line
- Day 21Sun 27 Dec
Open House 3
We do: Live partner verification, week 3
You learn: Choosing a supplier: what to check before you pay
Week 4 · The CountdownDays 22–28
Security, guides, a full rehearsal of a client journey and the house finals.
- Day 22Mon 28 Dec
Locked doors
We do: Security test of the platform and staff sign-in protection
You learn: How to protect your company accounts from day one
- Day 23Tue 29 Dec
In two languages
We do: Arabic versions of the core guides
You learn: Why Arabic matters for a UAE business
- Day 24Wed 30 Dec
The dress rehearsal
We do: A full client journey rehearsed with a demo account: quote, payment, checkpoints, documents
You learn: What happens after you pay a setup firm, step by step
- Day 25Thu 31 Dec
New Year's Eve
We do: Year-end: the decisions that shaped the opening
You learn: Keeping records from day one
- Day 26Fri 1 Jan
Day one of 2027
We do: Launch checklist: what is still open
You learn: A launch checklist any founder can copy
- Day 27Sat 2 Jan
The final push
We do: Partner drive: the last call for eligible applications
You learn: How to ask for referrals without being pushy
- Day 28Sun 3 Jan
Open House 4
We do: Final verification marathon
You learn: What we learned about partners in 28 days
Finale · The OpeningDays 29–30
What we learned and what changes when the doors open on 6 January.
- Day 29Mon 4 Jan
The Founding Wall
We do: The wall of founding partners is printed and mounted in the office (names only with consent)
You learn: Building a community before you sell anything
- Day 30Tue 5 Jan
The Opening
We do: What we learned from the first opening and what happens next
You learn: The real cost of opening a business in Dubai, line by line
Founding Seats
Be part of the ecosystem
Founding Seats are planned for accounting and tax, legal, design and brand, fit-out, insurance, and marketing. Watch Lights On for the eligibility, opening dates and how to apply. We review expressions of interest in the order they arrive. An expression of interest does not reserve a place. If your industry fills, you can opt in to Next Light, the waitlist for the next opening. We keep your original application time and offer places in order to eligible applicants. If you already registered under our earlier Founding promise, we will honour it when we verify your registration.
Coming soon
- A Founding Partner badge on your profile, for life
- Your name on the Founding Wall in our office, if you agree
- A chance to be Partner of the Day in an episode, chosen for quality, never for payment
- No commission. Clients pay for your work; you keep your price
The support wall
Send us a word
Messages appear after a person reads them, and the best are read out on the lives. Please don't share phone numbers, emails or company names.
Our promise for the show
- Everything is real. Nothing is staged, and a delay is shown as a delay.
- Every cost is shown, line by line.
- Authority decisions are the authority's. We never promise approvals or dates.
- Nobody is filmed or named without their written consent. No client details, ever.
- We give through a registered charity. We never ask you for money.
Apply this to your business
What should I check before choosing a setup package?
Why this matters
Products, services, delivery responsibilities, operating location and ownership influence your setup options. Assess these before comparing prices.
What could change the answer?
Changing the activity, service or business location can change your options, approvals and costs.
Check these details first
- What customers will pay the company for
- Who delivers each service or product
- Where the work and customers will be
- Owners, premises and initial visa needs
Choose your next step
Understand the decision ↗Understand what to check before choosing a setup option.See the reasoning in a case ↗See how the business needs and limits shaped the advice.Check relevant activities ↗Read the activity description. A listing does not mean your business is approved.Plan my business setup ↗Answer questions about your own business to prepare for a consultation.