Luxembourg vs RAK ICC: which jurisdiction wins?

Luxembourg vs RAK ICC — both credible, very different trade-offs. Below: side-by-side on the variables that actually move the decision.

	Luxembourg	RAK ICC
Tax headline	24.94% effective; SOPARFI structuring lowers materially	0% on qualifying income
Formation days	14	5
First-year cost	$12,000	$3,800
Treaties	85+	140+
Substance	Substance mandatory post-ATAD	Lighter than DIFC/ADGM; substance for tax claims
Banking	BIL, BGL BNP Paribas, prime brokers	Onshore UAE bank intros possible with proper file

Talk to a partner before you incorporate.

Wrong jurisdiction, wrong substance, or wrong bank shortlist is a 12-month problem. A 30-minute briefing fixes 80% of it.