Last updated
RAK Maritime City is the free zone at Saqr Port in Ras Al Khaimah, run by RAK Maritime City Free Zone Authority inside the RAK Ports group. It leases waterside land to shipping, port and industrial companies and issues commercial and industrial licences. It publishes no licence fee, no package and no visa price, so every RAK Maritime City setup is priced on request.
Who RAK Maritime City is for
This is a port free zone, not an office zone. The offer is land: plots on the water at Saqr Port with a quay wall, an entrance draft of 6.5 metres and about 4 million square metres available, according to RAK Ports. That fits companies that load, store, process or build next to the sea: bulk cargo handlers, tank storage, ship repair, fabrication yards and heavy industry.
If you run a consultancy or an online shop, it is the wrong fit. RAKEZ in the same emirate sells desk packages and visas at published prices.
RAK Maritime City is also not on the federal u.ae list of free zones for Ras Al Khaimah. That list names RAKEZ and Innovation City. The zone is named as a RAK Ports group entity in the RAK Ports tariff, and its forms and checklists are published by RAK Ports.
How much does a RAK Maritime City license cost?
RAK Maritime City does not publish:
- a licence fee or registration fee
- any package with or without a visa
- visa fees or a visa quota
- a minimum share capital
- a setup time
We looked in the places a fee would normally appear. The RAK Ports tariff, issued in , prices port operating permits for shipping agents, ship chandlers and similar trades. Those are port service permits, not RAK Maritime City licence or registration fees, so do not read them as the cost of a licence here. The RMC guidelines for new company registration list a "payment of fees" step but no amounts.
A few estimates do circulate online, from one advisory firm and two comparison directories. They disagree with each other by a wide margin, none cites a RAK Maritime City fee schedule, and none is an official source. We do not print them as a price. If someone quotes you a figure from such a page, ask which RMC document it comes from.
The quote you get will turn on a few things:
- the size and position of the plot (waterside or not)
- the length of the Musataha land contract
- whether you need a commercial or an industrial licence
- how many employees you need visas for
- the approvals your activity needs, such as environmental and Civil Defence
Use the form on this page to request a quote for your project.
Land, offices and facilities
Most companies here sign a Musataha contract. That is a long-term land right that lets you build on the plot and use it for the term of the contract. Waterside access is the reason companies choose the zone.
The RAK Ports tariff includes an annual office lease priced per square metre. It is not clear from the tariff whether that applies inside RAK Maritime City, so ask when you request a quote.
Which licence types and company forms does RAK Maritime City offer?
RAK Maritime City issues two licence types:
- Commercial, for trading and services linked to the port
- Industrial, for manufacturing, processing and yard work
You can register one of three entity types:
- Free Zone Company
- Free Zone Establishment
- Branch of a company, local or foreign
How do you set up a company in RAK Maritime City?
The RAK Ports guidelines for new company registration set out this order:
- Send the application form, business plan and documents for review.
- RAK Maritime City gives immigration approval.
- Pay the fees in the quote.
- Sign the Musataha contract, the memorandum of association and the sponsorship agreement.
- Receive the licence.
- Get the environmental NOC from the EPDA and the Civil Defence certificate for your site.
No processing time is published. Industrial sites wait on the EPDA and Civil Defence steps, so leave time for them in your plan.
What documents does RAK Maritime City ask for?
The registration guidelines list:
- Completed application form
- Business plan
- Passport, visa and Emirates ID of the manager
- NOC for the manager, if their visa is with another sponsor
- Shareholder documents; corporate documents legalised up to the UAE embassy
- Ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) declaration
- Sanctions declaration and source of wealth declaration
How do visas work in RAK Maritime City?
Immigration approval comes from RAK Maritime City itself during registration, and a sponsorship agreement is part of the signing. The zone does not publish how many visas a plot or licence allows, or what a visa costs. Ask for both in the same quote as the land.
How does RAK Maritime City license renewal work?
The RAK Ports renewal checklist asks for more than a payment. Before renewing you provide:
- current insurance policies
- the Civil Defence certificate
- the EPDA certificate
- audited financial statements
- UBO details
RAK Maritime City fees and an immigration file renewal fee apply. Their amounts are not published. Our free zone licence renewal guide covers the general process.
Pros and cons of RAK Maritime City
Pros:
- Waterside land with a quay wall at a working port
- Commercial and industrial licences under one authority
- Branches of foreign companies allowed
- Part of the RAK Ports group, so port services sit next door
Cons:
- No published fees, packages or visa prices, and no reliable agency range
- No desk or coworking option for small service firms
- Not on the federal u.ae free zone list
- Environmental and Civil Defence approvals add steps for industrial work
Comparing port and industrial zones? Look at Dubai Maritime City, Hamriyah Free Zone in Sharjah and KEZAD in Abu Dhabi. All zones in this emirate are on the Ras Al Khaimah free zones page.
Request a quote
Tell us about the plot size, activity and staff numbers in the form here. UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is a directory with no link to RAK Ports or the free zone authority. We send your request on to RAK Maritime City or a licensed setup partner, who prices it.
Setup consultants and RAK Maritime City
Few of the setup consultants we list name RAK Maritime City 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.rakports.ae/ports/saqr-port-and-free-zone/: Saqr Port free zone, also known as RAK Maritime City
- https://www.rakports.ae/services/free-zone-and-land-lease/: land, quay wall, draft and area
- RAK Ports Tariff (PDF on rakports.ae): RAK Maritime City FZA as a RAK Ports entity, office lease line, port permits only (no licence fee)
- Guidelines for New Company Registration (PDF on rakports.ae): licence types, entity types, documents, process
- Checklist for Licence Renewal (PDF on rakports.ae): renewal documents and fees
- https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/business/Doing-business/doing-business-in-free-zones/starting-a-business-in-a-free-zone: federal list of Ras Al Khaimah free zones
