A physical presence is mandatory for companies established on the mainland and in free zones. However, an offshore company is not permitted to lease office space in the UAE. The good news is that there is affordable office space for everyone. If you want to keep your initial costs down, you could look at renting an office or any number of dedicated desks in a co-working space on the mainland. These are all fully furnished and ready to move in. In a free zone, you need to rent at least a desk in a shared office space. The added advantage is the some free zones allow you rent a flexi-desk, that is a desk you will be using for say, ten hours in a week. You still get your dedicated PO Box so that you have a unique address.