When I first opened a business bank account here as a sole proprietor, it took weeks of back-and-forth, unclear fee schedules, and a fair amount of guessing about what I was and wasn't entitled to ask for. If you've set up a sole establishment or freelance permit in the UAE and gone through your own bank's onboarding process, you'll probably recognise that feeling—you're a real customer, but somehow the experience doesn't always feel like it.

That changes, formally, this week.