Accounting software for Abu Dhabi businesses, from Mussafah workshops to ADGM firms

Tag every invoice, bill and expense claim to a project or class, and HelloBooks reports profit per contract, not just per company. A Mussafah steel fabricator can see that the villa compound job in Khalifa City earned a 22% margin while a warehouse mezzanine job lost money on overtime.

Progress billing follows the contract. Raise an interim invoice for 30% of an AED 1.2 million fit-out, hold back retention in its own receivable account, and release it when the client signs off. VAT is charged at 5% on each tax invoice as issued; the retention balance is tracked separately so it is not lost when the defects period ends.

• Project and class tags on sales, purchases and expense claims
• Retention receivable tracked as its own account
• Job profit reports the site manager can read without accounting training

Site teams buy cement, cable, diesel and tools on account and on the spot. Approval rules route a bill above a limit you set to the project manager before it is posted, and receipts photographed on site arrive in the ledger with the supplier TRN and VAT already read. The agent handles Arabic and English invoices from local suppliers.

Ask "what have we spent on subcontractors for the Yas project this quarter?" and the agent answers with the total and the list of bills behind it. Approval rules, cost codes and a project-based chart of accounts can be tailored to your firm; book a call at /book-a-demo or write to hello@hellobooks.ai.

VAT and corporate tax are federal, so an Abu Dhabi company follows the same FTA rules as one in Dubai or Fujairah. Mandatory VAT registration starts when taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000. Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that.

E-invoicing is coming too. Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more must appoint an accredited service provider by 30 October 2026 and go live on 1 January 2027; smaller businesses appoint by 31 March 2027 and go live on 1 July 2027. HelloBooks is not an accredited provider. It keeps the invoice data you will need, such as TRNs, customer details and line-level VAT, ready for the provider you choose from the Ministry of Finance list.

Abu Dhabi also hosts several free zones, including ADGM, KEZAD, Masdar City Free Zone, twofour54 and Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone. Companies there may have a different corporate tax position if they meet the qualifying free zone person conditions set by the FTA, so they should take advice before relying on the 0% rate.