Maritime business setup in the UAE

Four free zones fit a maritime business: Dubai Maritime City, RAK Maritime City, Hamriyah in Sharjah and Fujairah. Only Hamriyah and Fujairah publish a price. The others quote.

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Container port with stacked containers and cranes at a free zone in Dubai

The free zones side by side

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
DMCDubai Maritime CityDubaiLicensed through Jafza (Jafza licences from AED 5,000 a year); DMC lease extraNot publishedOffice, Warehouse, Workshop, Showroom, Ship repair plot
RAK Maritime CityRAK Maritime City Free ZoneRas Al KhaimahNo price published: RMC and the RAK Ports tariff list no licence fees; online estimates disagreeImmigration approval through the zone; visa quota and fees not publishedLand lease (Musataha), Waterside plot
HFZAHamriyah Free ZoneSharjahAED 11,000: basic licence (archived HFZA FAQ, may be out of date); agents quote it with a 1 visa quotaAgents list AED 11,000 with a 1 visa quota; visa fees not confirmed by HFZAE-Office, Executive Office, Warehouse, Industrial land
Fujairah FZFujairah Free Zone (FFZA)FujairahFlexi desk AED 18,000 a year plus AED 5,300 incorporation (archived FFZA price list, may be out of date)Residence visa AED 3,460 per person on the archived FFZA price list; agents quote AED 3,500 to AED 7,500Flexi desk, Virtual office, Trading office, Warehouse, Pre-built factory, Land

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A maritime business has a short list of free zones to choose from. Dubai Maritime City, RAK Maritime City, Hamriyah in Sharjah and the Fujairah Free Zone are the four in our data that sit on a port or serve marine work. Only two of them publish a licence price, and both prices come from archived or agent copies. The zones are compared in the table above.

What each zone offers a marine business

Dubai Maritime City is a 249 hectare maritime cluster between Port Rashid and Drydocks World, owned by DP World. It leases ship repair plots, warehouses, workshops, office space, showrooms and staff accommodation, and it sells freehold plots. The zone's setup page says Jafza manages the licence registration. Our Dubai Maritime City page explains why agents name other licensing bodies.

RAK Maritime City is the free zone area of Saqr Port in Ras Al Khaimah, run by RAK Ports. The port says the free zone has several million square metres of land with waterside access. It lists commercial and industrial licences, and land leases on a Musataha basis. No fees are published. Read the RAK Maritime City profile for the renewal documents the zone asks for.

Hamriyah Free Zone is on the Sharjah coast with a deep water port. It is described as the UAE's second largest industrial free zone and lists service, commercial and industrial licences with e-office, executive office, warehouse and industrial land. See Hamriyah Free Zone.

Fujairah Free Zone is on the east coast next to Fujairah Port. It lists trading, services, distribution, assembling, manufacturing and consulting licences, with flexi desks, warehouses, pre-built factories and land. Read Fujairah Free Zone.

What is published on price

Zone Starting figure Source quality
Dubai Maritime City Jafza licence from AED 5,000 a year, lease extra Zone says Jafza registers the licence
RAK Maritime City None published No agent prices found either
Hamriyah AED 11,000 basic licence Archived copy of the zone FAQ
Fujairah Flexi desk AED 18,000 a year plus AED 5,300 incorporation Archived price list

Source: the zone profiles in our directory, checked . Dubai Maritime City's setup page was re-read on and still names Jafza as the registering body.

For a yard business, the lease is the big number, not the licence. A plot or workshop is quoted per unit, so ask for the lease and the licence in one written total.

Which zone fits which work

  • Ship repair and marine workshops: Dubai Maritime City lists ship repair plots and ship lifts. Fujairah and Hamriyah list industrial space.
  • Marine services with a small office: Fujairah has a flexi desk and Hamriyah has an e-office. Dubai Maritime City publishes no desk-only package.
  • Port-side industrial projects: RAK Maritime City offers waterside plots through lease.
  • Marine trading firms that need no yard: a general zone such as Jafza may be simpler, since Jafza is the body that registers Dubai Maritime City licences.

Setup steps

  1. List your activities, such as ship repair, marine equipment, ship management or shipping agency.
  2. Ask each zone whether those activities are licensed there.
  3. Request a written quote that shows licence, lease, visas and deposits.
  4. Send the passports and company documents.
  5. Sign the lease or licence agreement.
  6. Apply for visas and an establishment card.

Using our form

The form on this page sends your activity and space needs to the zones above or a licensed setup partner. We are an independent directory and not one of these zones. We do not name setup firms for maritime work. In our verified firm list, only two firms name Dubai Maritime City among the zones they serve, and none states a maritime specialism.

Sources

Get free quotes from several free zones

Tell us about maritime business setup in the UAE: your activity, the visas and the office you need. We pass it to the free zones that fit or to a licensed setup partner, and reply with options you can compare side by side.

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Good to know

Questions people ask

Which free zone is best for a ship repair business?

Dubai Maritime City leases ship repair plots, workshops and warehouses, and Fujairah offers warehouses, a pre-built factory and land. Hamriyah offers industrial land. Compare the lease terms, because the licence fee is small next to the yard cost.

Can I set up a shipping agency in a UAE free zone?

Free zones license service and commercial activities, so a shipping or marine services company can often be licensed. Ask the zone to confirm your exact activity in writing, because the activity lists for the maritime zones are not all published.

How much does a maritime licence cost in Dubai Maritime City?

The zone lists no fees. Its setup page says Jafza registers the licence, and Jafza licences start at AED 5,000 a year. The lease for your unit is charged separately. Agents quote more, from AED 14,999, and disagree on what that covers.

Does RAK Maritime City publish its prices?

No. The zone and the RAK Ports tariff list no licence fees, and we found no agent prices. The zone sits inside the Saqr Port area, so expect a quote that depends on the plot you lease.

What is the cheapest published maritime-friendly licence?

Hamriyah lists a basic licence at AED 11,000 from an archived copy of its FAQ, and the Fujairah Free Zone archived price list shows a flexi desk at AED 18,000 a year plus AED 5,300 incorporation. Both may be out of date, so confirm before you pay.

Do I need a UAE visa quota for a marine company?

Only if you will employ people in the UAE. Hamriyah agents list a 1 visa quota on the AED 11,000 package. Fujairah lists a residence visa at AED 3,460 a person on its archived list. Dubai Maritime City and RAK Maritime City publish no quota.

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