HOUSTON, March 11 — Halliburton, the big energy services company, said on Sunday that it would open a corporate headquarters in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai and move its chairman and chief executive, David J. Lesar, there.

The company will maintain its existing corporate office here as well as its legal incorporation in the United States, meaning that it will still be subject to domestic laws and regulations.

Although the announcement of the new Dubai arrangement took many by surprise, Halliburton said that the move was part of a strategy announced in mid-2006 to concentrate its efforts in the Middle East and surrounding areas, where state-owned oil companies represent a growing source of business.

Halliburton, which was led by Vice President Dick Cheney from 1995 to 2000, is currently in the process of spinning off KBR, its military contracting unit, to focus on its business of drilling wells and maintaining fields for oil companies. The company did not say what implications the Dubai development might have for its military contracts. Lea Anne McBride, a spokeswoman for Mr. Cheney, referred questions about the company’s plans to Halliburton.

The Dubai announcement, which Halliburton made at a regional energy conference in Bahrain, comes at a time when the company is being investigated by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations of improper dealings in Iraq, Kuwait and Nigeria. Halliburton has also agreed to pay billions of dollars in settlements in asbestos litigation.

Halliburton would not elaborate on Sunday on what the shift of its top executive might mean for some of the issues it faces. The move seemed to raise questions about whether Halliburton might gain tax advantages or other benefits.

A Halliburton spokeswoman, Melissa Norcross, referred inquiries to the company’s press release, saying in an e-mail message, “The C.E.O.’s job is global by nature. He will continue to remain attentive to our shareholders, clients and employees around the world.”

Ms. Norcross added, “As companies usually refer to the C.E.O.’s office as the corporate headquarters, that’s what we are doing. Basing the C.E.O. in Dubai to focus on our Eastern Hemisphere growth makes good business sense, as it is the center of our Eastern Hemisphere operations and a global business hub. We will maintain our company’s legal registration in the United States and we are not leaving Houston.”

The mayor of Houston, Bill White, was notified by telephone shortly before Halliburton made the announcement, according to a spokesman, Frank Michel.

“We don’t expect it will have a big impact on employment here,” Mr. Michel said. “We point out that Houston continues to be the center for the international oil and gas business.”

“Having a corporate headquarters is different than it used to be,” Mr. Michel added. “Executives spend a lot more time on airplanes, and we understand that.” He noted that Schlumberger, one of Halliburton’s top competitors, maintains offices in both Paris and Houston.

On the face of it, the decision to move Mr. Lesar abroad appears to point mainly to how the epicenters of the energy business are moving from the mature fields of North America to the younger fields of the Middle East and Africa. It also underscores the arrival of Dubai as a center for energy deal-making and commerce, a role once solidly filled by Houston.

“My office will be in Dubai, and I will run our entire worldwide operations from that office,” said Mr. Lesar, who holds the titles of chairman, chief executive and president, at a conference in Manama, Bahrain’s capital. “The Eastern Hemisphere is a market that is more heavily weighted toward oil exploration and production opportunities. Growing our business here will bring more balance to Halliburton’s overall portfolio.”