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SAIF Zone Sharjah, the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, does not publish a price list. Setup agents fill the gap: three of them quote AED 10,800 a year for a flexi desk with a 3 visa quota, visa fees extra. What SAIF does publish is the rule that sets most of your cost: the facility you lease decides your visas. A SAIF Office gives 3 visas, a SAIF Executive Office 5 and a SAIF Suite 8. An FZE or FZC also needs AED 150,000 share capital. It suits traders, re-exporters and light manufacturers who want an airport location.
How much does a SAIF Zone license cost?
SAIF Zone has no current package or fee table on its website. The only package page on saif-zone.com is a promotion that ran from to , and it shows no price that still applies. Registration, licence, renewal, visa and establishment card fees are not listed on any page we read.
So the price comes from three things:
| Cost driver | What SAIF publishes |
|---|---|
| Facility | SAIF Office, SAIF Executive Office (unfurnished), SAIF Suite (furnished), warehouses, land |
| Visa quota | 3, 5 or 8 visas depending on the office |
| Share capital | AED 150,000 for an FZE or FZC, none for a branch |
| Licence type | Trade, Service or Industrial |
Source: SAIF Zone business set up page and FAQ, checked .
What setup agencies quote for SAIF Zone
Five agencies publish SAIF Zone starting prices of AED 10,800 to AED 15,000 a year (published prices of 5 setup agencies, checked ). These are their figures, not a SAIF Zone tariff.
- The low end, AED 10,800 a year: Emirabiz, Noble Core and Bestaxca all give this for a flexi desk with a 3 visa quota. Visa fees are extra.
- The middle: BCL gives a starting licence figure a little higher, without saying what it includes.
- The top, AED 15,000: Nexture's licence only range ends here, before any desk or visa costs.
Three agencies giving the same AED 10,800 is less solid than it looks. Their breakdowns differ, but the shared headline suggests one origin, most likely a SAIF quote passed around. Noble Core's own page also says SAIF has no flexi desk tier, while SAIF's smallest listed unit is the SAIF Office with 3 visas. So ask any quote to name the facility.
Agencies also disagree on the establishment card fee, and each figure rests on a single page, so we print none. Older blog posts with much higher prices still rank in search, but they date back years and we leave them out.
Ask every quote to say which facility it uses, how many visas it covers and whether the share capital is part of it.
How do visas work in SAIF Zone?
In SAIF Zone your visa quota is tied to your office:
- SAIF Office: 3 visas
- SAIF Executive Office: 5 visas, unfurnished
- SAIF Suite: 8 visas, furnished
Investor residence visas are valid for 3 years, employee visas for 2 years, according to the SAIF Zone FAQ. For an owner, that means one residency renewal every 3 years.
Visa fees, the establishment card fee and medical costs are not on the SAIF pages we read. For a general idea of what each step costs, see free zone visa cost and our page on the establishment card.
Warehouses, land and other facilities
This is where SAIF Zone differs from desk based zones in Sharjah such as SPC Free Zone. It leases physical space:
- Pre-built warehouses of 125, 250, 400 and 600 sqm
- Land plots from 2,500 sqm, for building your own unit
- The Jewellery Park
- Container parking
- Labour accommodation
If you hold stock, move containers or assemble goods, the airport location and warehouse sizes matter more than the licence fee. For a sea port option nearby, look at Hamriyah Free Zone.
Which licence types and company forms does SAIF Zone offer?
SAIF Zone issues three licences:
- Trade: import, export, distribution and storage, for up to 3 similar product lines
- Service: services listed in the licence
- Industrial: manufacturing, which needs clearance from SAIF Health and Environment
You can register an FZE (one shareholder), an FZC (more than one), a branch of a UAE company or a branch of a foreign company. A branch needs no share capital, so an existing company avoids the capital rule by opening one. SAIF does not publish an activity count.
Does SAIF Zone require share capital?
The SAIF Zone FAQ sets share capital at AED 150,000, or US$ 41,000, for an FZE or FZC. SAIF does not say on those pages how the capital must be shown, so ask before you apply. Zones like Shams ask for no proof up to a lower default amount, which is one reason people compare them.
How does SAIF Zone license renewal work?
SAIF Zone does not publish renewal fees. Renewal covers the licence and your facility lease, and visas renew on their own 3 year or 2 year cycle. Ask for the year two cost in writing when you get your first quote. Our licence renewal guide explains what usually renews each year.
How do you set up a company in SAIF Zone?
- Choose your licence type and company type.
- Pick a facility: SAIF Office, Executive Office, SAIF Suite, warehouse or land.
- Receive SAIF's offer for that facility and licence.
- Submit your documents.
- Pay, and collect the licence. SAIF says its single window issues licences and permits within 1 hour.
- Apply for visas up to your office quota.
The site shows this as a three step online flow: offer, documents, payment. SAIF does not say whether you can finish the whole process without visiting.
What documents does SAIF Zone ask for?
The SAIF pages we read do not list the documents. Expect passport copies and photos of shareholders and managers, and for a branch, the parent company's registration papers. An industrial licence also needs the Health and Environment clearance. Your quote should give the full list.
How do SAIF Zone companies open a bank account?
SAIF Zone's FAQ notes that Sharjah has more than 40 banks, but it does not describe any help with opening an account. See our notes on a corporate bank account.
One more point: the SAIF FAQ still says no corporate tax applies. That text is older than the UAE corporate tax law. Do not rely on it.
How do I log in to the SAIF Zone portal or contact SAIF Zone?
Existing SAIF Zone companies sign in through the SAIF Zone e-services page. It is the zone's own online channel for company requests after setup.
The e-services page is where companies track requests and upload documents.
For a question only the zone can answer, such as the status of a file, use the official SAIF Zone contact page. The contact page lists +971 6 557 1111, open 7:30 to 15:30 Monday to Thursday and 7:30 to 12:00 on Friday. We are a directory, not the zone, so we cannot see your portal account.
Pros and cons of SAIF Zone
Pros:
- Next to Sharjah International Airport
- Warehouses from 125 sqm and land from 2,500 sqm
- Investor visas valid for 3 years
- Licences issued within 1 hour, by SAIF's own claim
- Branches need no share capital
Cons:
- No official prices at all, only agency quotes
- AED 150,000 share capital for an FZE or FZC
- Visa quota capped by office size
- Agency quotes disagree on what the entry price includes
- Outdated tax text on the FAQ
The Sharjah free zones hub sets SAIF next to the other zones in the emirate. Traders comparing ports and airports should also read best free zone for trading and the JAFZA page.
Ask for a SAIF Zone quote
Since SAIF prints no prices, a written quote is the only way to know your cost. Send the facility, activity and visa count through the form on this page. UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is not the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority or its agent. We forward your request to SAIF Zone or a licensed setup partner, who prices it for you.
Setup consultants that work with SAIF Zone
Setup consultants that list SAIF Zone among their zones include ADS Management Tax Consultancy LLC, Flyingcolour Business Setup Services LLC and Crosslink International Business Setup in Dubai UAE, the three highest ranked by weighted Google score. ADS Management Tax Consultancy LLC is based in Downtown Dubai. Ask each for a quote with government fees and service fees on separate lines, then compare it with the price above. More firms are in the directory of Dubai setup consultants.
Sources
- https://www.saif-zone.com/en/business-set-up/ : authority, location, licence and company types, facilities, visa quota by office, setup time
- https://www.saif-zone.com/en/faq : share capital, visa validity, banks, outdated tax text
- https://www.saif-zone.com/en/about-us/ : founded , company count
- https://www.saif-zone.com/en/landing-page/saif-business-support-packages/ : expired promotion, no current prices
- https://investinsharjah.ae/sharjah-freezones/ : company count from the emirate's investment office
- Agency prices: Emirabiz, Noble Core Ventures, Bestaxca, BCL and Nexture
- https://www.saif-zone.com/en/landing-page/e-services/: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
- https://www.saif-zone.com/en/contact/: portal, activity list or contact page, checked
