Dubai free zones

Dubai's Free Zones Council counts 27 free zones under 11 authorities. Here is each one with what it costs to start, what you get and who it suits.

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Dubai free zones, lowest starting price first

Starting prices are the free zone's own published package or fees, with what they include. Where a free zone publishes none, the row says so and shows what setup agents publish instead. Checked . Packages change often: confirm before you pay.

Free zoneEmiratePublished starting priceVisasOffice options
Dubai SouthDubai South Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: Business Hub Starter licence, 0 visas (offer AED 11,375)Business Hub Essential tier includes 1 visa from AED 16,500; Dubai South estimates AED 4,000 to 6,000 per visaFlexi desk, Serviced office, Warehouse, Land plot
Expo CityExpo City Dubai Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: licence, registration, shared desk, 0 visasAllocation depends on leased space; Business Hub Package 2 allows 1 to 4 visasShared desk, Coworking, Private office, Retail
Meydan FZMeydan Free ZoneDubaiAED 12,500 a year: licence, 3 activity groups, flexi desk, 0 visasVisas are add-ons: investor visa AED 4,000, employee visa AED 3,500, plus AED 2,250 medical and Emirates IDFlexi desk, Office
IFZAIFZA (International Free Zone Authority)DubaiAED 12,900 a year: zero visa licence (published by 6 setup agents)Agents sell 1 visa from AED 14,900 to AED 15,000 (processing extra) or AED 21,450 to AED 22,200 all inFlexi desk (agent sources), Office
DHCCDubai Healthcare City (DHCC)DubaiAED 16,550: Zawel licence, 2 visa quota, no office in year 1 (limited-time offer)Zawel includes a 2 visa quota; a 2-year employment visa costs AED 3,226.73 to AED 4,947.63Desk space, Office, Clinical facility, Land
DWTCDWTC Free Zone (Dubai World Trade Centre)DubaiAED 16,845 to AED 17,800 with flexi desk and 1 visa (published by setup agents)Official visa fee AED 2,000 from outside the UAE, AED 3,200 inside (older DWTC visa PDF)On-demand licensing, Flexi desk, Business centre, Executive office, Commercial office, Home business (Expo Village)
d3Dubai Design District (d3)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; studio or office lease extrad3 does not publish a visa quota per workspace; ask before you leaseCo-working (shared desks, micro studios), Office (from 700 sq ft), in5 Design
DIACDubai International Academic City (DIAC)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; lease and KHDA approval extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DIAC FAQ)Commercial space, Campus (sale or rent)
DICDubai Internet CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per tech segment, lease extra1 visa per 60 sq ft of leased space (DIC FAQ)Co-working, in5 Tech, Office, Light industrial unit, Warehouse, Retail
DKPDubai Knowledge ParkDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per segment, lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space; 1 visa per freelancer on a hot deskHot desk (freelancers), Office, Built-to-suit
DMCDubai Media CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 a year per media segment, desk extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space; Open Quarters desk gives 1 work permitCo-working (D/Quarters), Office, Studios, Retail
DOCDubai Outsource City (DOC)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DOC FAQ)Commercial space, Retail
DPCDubai Production CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 a year by segment1 visa per 80 to 100 sq ft of leased space (DPC FAQ)Office, Warehouse, in5 Media
DSCDubai Studio CityDubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 to AED 40,000 a year by segment1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DSC FAQ)Office (700 to 1,300 sq ft), Sound stages, Studios, Backlot
DSPDubai Science Park (DSP)DubaiAED 3,500 registration plus AED 15,000 licence a year; desk or lab lease extra1 visa per 80 sq ft of leased space (DSP FAQ); D/Quarters Open Quarters desk carries 1 work permitCo-working (D/Quarters), in5 Science, Office, Light industrial unit, Warehouse
IHCInternational Humanitarian City (Dubai Humanitarian)DubaiAED 11,250 a year: NPO desk; commercial desk AED 20,800 (2 visa quota)Every package includes a 2 visa quota and the establishment card; visa costs are charged on topBusiness centre hot desk, Standard office, Warehouse
Dubai CommerCityDubaiAED 27,545 to AED 28,000 a year: smart desk, 2 visa quota (published by setup agents)The zone publishes no visa quota or visa fees; agent smart desk packages come with visa allocationsSmart desk, Co-working, Office, Retail, Warehouse, Fulfilment centre
DMCCDMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)DubaiAED 35,484 a year: Basic Biz licence, flexi desk options, 1 visa eligibilityFlexi desk up to 3 visas; a new 2 year visa from outside the UAE is AED 2,972.50 (DMCC schedule)Flexi desk, Co-working, Serviced office, Office
DAFZDAFZ (Dubai Airport Freezone)DubaiAED 40,770 to AED 85,000 first year with an office (published by setup agents)Visa quota tied to office size; agents say the smart office carries a 2 visa quotaSmart office, Office, Warehouse, Retail
DIFCDIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre)DubaiUSD 1,500 a year: Innovation licence, tech firms only, plus USD 100 registrationInnovation licence: up to 4 visas on the first desk; new employment visa AED 3,950 plus AED 2,500 refundable deposit (DIFC handbook, may be out of date)Coworking (Innovation Hub), Shared office, Leased office
DMCDubai Maritime CityDubaiLicensed through Jafza (Jafza licences from AED 5,000 a year); DMC lease extraNot publishedOffice, Warehouse, Workshop, Showroom, Ship repair plot
DSODubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)DubaiLicence AED 12,000 to AED 15,000 a year, office extra (published by setup agents)DSO publishes no visa quota or fee; agents quote AED 3,000 to AED 5,100 per visaFlexi desk, Fixed desk, Office, Warehouse, Light industrial unit, Retail, Land
DUCAMZDubai Cars and Automotive Zone (DUCAMZ)DubaiAED 5,500 to AED 14,000 trading licence (published by setup agents, who disagree)Not publishedShowroom
Gold and Diamond ParkDubai Gold and Diamond ParkDubaiJafza licence from AED 5,000 a year; unit lease extraVisas are processed by Jafza under Jafza Free Zone RulesRetail showroom, Workshop, Office
JAFZAJAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone)DubaiLicence from AED 5,000 a year (one activity group); facility lease extraVisa quota not published; employment entry permit from AED 2,378 (Normal, 1 year)Co-working and workstations, Office, Warehouse, Showroom, Retail, Land plot

Last updated

Dubai has 27 free zones run by 11 authorities, according to the Dubai Free Zones Council. For a general company licence, official starting prices go from AED 12,500 a year at Meydan Free Zone, Expo City and the Dubai South Business Hub, with no visa, up to AED 35,484 for the DMCC Basic Biz Package with one visa. International Humanitarian City prints a lower AED 11,250 desk package, but only for aid bodies. The table below lists every Dubai zone with its own published figures, lowest first.

How are Dubai's free zones grouped?

Most Dubai free zones belong to a few authorities, and zones under the same authority share fee rules and portals.

How much does a Dubai free zone licence cost?

The gap between a AED 12,500 licence and a package three times that size is mostly about three things.

  1. Address and reputation with banks and clients. DMCC, DIFC and JAFZA are long-established and well known to banks. Newer zones compete on price.
  2. Visa capacity. Low-cost packages often include no visa or one. Zones that tie visas to office space, such as DMCC with up to 3 visas on a flexi desk and 1 per 9 sq m in an office, cost more as you grow.
  3. Regulation. A DIFC firm that offers financial services needs a licence from the DFSA, the DIFC regulator, on top of company registration. That adds time and cost that no package price shows.

If price is the deciding factor, read the cheapest free zone in Dubai. If you are torn between the two most-searched low-cost zones, read Meydan vs IFZA.

Can a Dubai free zone company sell to mainland customers?

A free zone company trades freely inside its zone and abroad. Since Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of , a company approved by its zone can also work in mainland Dubai with a DET branch licence at AED 10,000 a year or a temporary permit at AED 5,000 for up to 6 months. It must keep separate financial records for that work. DET launched the service as the Free Zone Mainland Operating Permit. More in free zone or mainland.

Free zone areas in Dubai that are not on this list

Some names turn up in older lists but do not license companies on their own today, or have no current official source. A Dubai free zone area on a VAT list is not always a zone that issues licences.

  • Dubai Industrial City is licensed by DED as a mainland area, not as a free zone. See Dubai Industrial City.
  • Dubai Flower Centre has no live official website, and we found no current source showing it licenses companies.
  • Dubai Textile City, Dubai Wholesale City and the Al Quoz free zone area appear on older ministry or VAT lists. The FTA ended the VAT designation of Textile City and the Al Quoz area in .
  • Dubai Aviation City is a VAT designated zone name that covers parts of Dubai South.

Getting quotes

Use the form on this page to ask several Dubai zones at once. Tell us your activity, the visas and the office you need, and we pass it to the zones that fit or to a licensed setup partner. We are an independent directory, not a Dubai free zone, and partners may pay us a referral fee.

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Good to know

Questions people ask

How many free zones are there in Dubai?

The Dubai Free Zones Council counts 27 free zones run by 11 free zone authorities. Several authorities run more than one zone: the Dubai Development Authority licenses the TECOM business parks, and Dubai Integrated Economic Zones runs DAFZ, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai CommerCity.

What is the cheapest free zone in Dubai?

On published official prices, Meydan Free Zone starts at AED 12,500 a year for a licence with no visa, and so do Expo City's first business hub package and the Dubai South Business Hub Starter licence. JAFZA lists licences from AED 5,000, but that is the licence line alone, without registration or an office.

Can a Dubai free zone company work in mainland Dubai?

Yes, with a permit. Under Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 11, a free zone company approved by its zone can get a DET branch licence at AED 10,000 a year or a temporary permit at AED 5,000 for up to 6 months. DIFC financial firms are excluded.

Which Dubai free zone is best for trading goods?

For physical goods with a warehouse, JAFZA at Jebel Ali port, DAFZ at the airport and Dubai South are built around logistics. DMCC suits commodities such as gold, diamonds, tea and coffee. For trading without a warehouse, a flexi desk zone is cheaper.

Do I need to visit Dubai to set up a free zone company?

Not always. DMCC and JAFZA describe fully digital setup, and Meydan says its setup is 100% online with no visit needed. You still come to the UAE for the residence visa medical test and Emirates ID biometrics.

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