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COMTECH Sharjah, full name Sharjah Communication Technologies Free Zone, is a free zone in Kalba created by Emiri Decree. It is meant for communication technology companies. We could not find a website, a licence list, a price or any sign that it is taking applications yet. If you need a tech licence in Sharjah now, the zones that publish prices today are SRTIP, Shams and SPC Free Zone.
What is the Sharjah Communication Technologies free zone (COMTECH)?
The state news agency WAM reported the decree on . From that report:
- The Ruler of Sharjah issued an Emiri Decree to establish the zone.
- Its seat is Kalba, the Sharjah town on the east coast, on the Gulf of Oman.
- It reports to the Sharjah Communications Technologies Authority.
- It has its own legal personality with financial and administrative independence.
Some news coverage of the decree also talks about tax exemptions for companies in the zone, with a long fixed term. The WAM text we read mentions exemptions but does not give the term, so we do not repeat a number here. Any such exemption would cover emirate level taxes. Federal corporate tax and VAT are set by the UAE, not by Sharjah.
What is not yet known about COMTECH?
We checked on and found:
- No working website. comtech.ae shows an empty directory listing with no owner named. The parent authority's site, scta.shj.ae, says only that it is under development, and the .gov.ae addresses we tried do not resolve.
- No licence types or activity list. We do not know which activities it will accept or whether it will license trading, services or both.
- No prices or packages. No fee, visa cost or office rent is public, and no setup agency lists a COMTECH price. One comparison platform shows a first year price for a technology licence, cites no source and itself rates COMTECH as having limited public information, so we leave the number out. One agency page titled COMTECH turned out to describe SAIF Zone.
- No company forms. The decree reports do not say whether it will register FZE, FZC, FZ-LLC or branches.
- Not on the official list. Invest in Sharjah lists six Sharjah free zones. COMTECH is not one of them.
So treat COMTECH as a zone that exists in law but has not opened a public setup process. If an agent offers you a COMTECH licence, ask to see the licence template and the authority's fee schedule before you pay anything.
Who is COMTECH meant for?
The name and the parent authority point to telecoms, data and communication technology. That could mean network operators, data centres, software and digital service firms. Kalba is far from Sharjah city, so the zone may suit operators who need land or infrastructure more than a city desk. This is our reading of the decree. The authority has not published a sector list.
Which Sharjah zones license tech companies today?
| Zone | Starting official price | Fit for tech firms |
|---|---|---|
| SRTIP | AED 3,999, SPARK Starter, no visa, limited time | Research, technology and innovation focus, offices up to labs and plots |
| SPC Free Zone | AED 4,999, E-Publishing, no visa | 2,000+ activities, online setup, no paid-up capital |
| Shams | AED 5,760, Media Package, no visa | Media and digital activities, up to 5 per licence |
Sources: SRTIP Start Your Business page, SPC Free Zone e-publishing announcement and Shams packages page, all checked .
SRTIP is the closest match by sector: it is Sharjah's technology park and offers commercial, services and industrial licences. SPC and Shams are cheaper general options with flexi desks, good for software, consultancy and e-commerce. For the full picture see Sharjah free zones, and for options across the country read best free zone for tech.
When does COMTECH open?
We will update this page once COMTECH publishes a website, licence types or fees. Until then, if you start in another zone, ask it about transfer and branch rules before you commit to a multi-year licence. That keeps the door open if COMTECH later suits you better.
Ask us about COMTECH
If you are planning a telecoms or data business in Sharjah, describe it in the form on this page. UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is an independent listing site with no tie to COMTECH or the Sharjah Communications Technologies Authority. We pass your details to a free zone or a licensed setup partner, who can tell you where you can be licensed now.
Setup consultants and COMTECH
Few of the setup consultants we list name COMTECH on their own websites, so ask the zone which agents it works with. The directory of Dubai setup consultants lists firms by area and service, and the top 15 by weighted Google score shows how they compare.
Sources
- https://www.wam.ae/en/article/b3xy2rc-sharjah-ruler-establishes-sharjah-communication : decree, Kalba location, parent authority, independence
- https://investinsharjah.ae/sharjah-freezones/ : official list of six Sharjah free zones
- https://scta.shj.ae/ : Sharjah Communications Technologies Authority site, under development when checked
- https://lp.srtip.ae/start-your-business/ : SRTIP SPARK Starter price
- https://www.spcfz.ae/blogs/spc-free-zone-announces-a-new-business-license-to-support-online-publishing/ : SPC E-Publishing price
- https://shamsfz.ae/business-setup/packages/ : Shams Media Package price
