List of free zones in UAE

The UAE government portal says there are about 40 free zones. Its own list names 37. Here are all 48 zones we compare, by emirate, with the lists that name it and its VAT status.

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Every UAE free zone, 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
Creative CityCreative City Fujairah (Media Free Zone)FujairahAED 3,999 a year: Media Package, flexi desk, 0 visas (Creative City offer page; ask if it still applies)Smart package has 1 free visa; Business packages carry quotas of 5 or 15; visas last 2 yearsFlexi desk, Virtual office, Coworking, Private office
SRTIPSRTIP (Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park)SharjahAED 3,999 a year: SPARK Starter licence, co-working, 0 visas (limited time)SPARK packages come with 0, 1 or 2 visas; the SME Office allows up to 8Maktabi co-working, First Step Hi-Tech Office, Start-Up Office, SME Office, Ecosystem Office, Innovation Office, Innovation Plot
ANCFZAjman NuVentures Centre Free Zone (ANCFZ)AjmanFrom AED 4,888: Zero Visa licence, up to 10 activities, lease, 0 visasAll inclusive packages: 1 visa AED 10,800, 2 AED 16,200, 3 AED 20,700, 5 AED 29,700, 10 AED 52,200Flexi desk, Shared office, Private office, Executive office, Retail
AMCAjman Media City Free Zone (AMC)AjmanAED 4,999 a year: Business Club licence, co-working, 0 visasPublished tiers give 1, 2 or 3 visas; packages go up to 10 visas on requestCo-working space, Flexi desk, Shared workspace, Executive office, Creative studio
SPCSPC Free Zone (Sharjah Publishing City)SharjahAED 4,999 a year: E-Publishing licence, online publishing only, 0 visasNo cap on flexi desk, paid per visa; licence with 1 visa from AED 13,165Flexi desk, Furnished office, Unfurnished office, Retail, Storage, Warehouse
UAQ FTZUmm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ)Umm Al QuwainAED 5,500 a year: UAQ LYTE licence, co-working, 0 visasUAQ START includes 1 investor visa; executive offices offer 6+ visasCo-working, Serviced office, Executive office, Warehouse, Land, Staff accommodation
AFZAjman Free Zone (AFZ)AjmanAED 5,555 to AED 5,565: no visa licence, shared desk (published by setup agents)One residence visa on the Freelancer and Pioneers packages; no company visa quota published. Setup agents publish AED 3,400 to AED 5,000 per employee visaBusiness centre (co-working), Office, Executive office, Warehouse, Land
ShamsShams (Sharjah Media City Free Zone)SharjahAED 5,760 a year: Media Package, flexi desk, 0 visas, VAT inclusiveUp to 50 visas with a business plan and financial proof; AED 1,600 allocation per visaFlexi desk, Shared desk, Dedicated desk, Shared office, Dedicated office
RAKEZRAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone)Ras Al KhaimahAED 6,000 a year: licence, coworking access, 0 visasInstant Licence Lite includes 1 visa; All Inclusive has 1 plus up to 3 extraCoworking, Serviced office, Standard office, Executive office, Warehouse, Land
Innovation CityInnovation City (formerly RAK DAO)Ras Al KhaimahAED 6,600 a year: licence, shared desk, 0 visasIdea 0, Seed 1, Startup and Growth 1 included up to 4; extra visa AED 4,400Shared desk, Dedicated desk, Premium office
Masdar CityMasdar City Free ZoneAbu DhabiAED 7,000 a year plus VAT: licence, up to 2 activities, no officeInnovation 2 visas, Business One 1, Enterprise 3; employment visa package AED 3,050 plus AED 2,500 refundable depositFlexi desk lite, Flexi desk, Flexi desk plus, Smart desk
KEZADKEZAD (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi)Abu DhabiAED 9,450 a year incl. VAT: licence, shared workstation, 1 visaStart-up packages come with 1 to 4 visas, from AED 9,450 to AED 14,550 for one yearShared workstation, Dedicated office, Warehouse, Light industrial unit, Land plot
SAIF ZoneSAIF Zone (Sharjah Airport International Free Zone)SharjahAED 10,800 a year: flexi desk, 3 visa quota (published by setup agents)3 visas with a SAIF Office, 5 with an Executive Office, 8 with a SAIF SuiteSAIF Office, Executive Office, SAIF Suite, Warehouse, Land
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
ADAFZADAFZ (Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone)Abu DhabiAED 11,500 to AED 14,590 first year, flexi desk, 0 visas (published by setup agents)Agents list a 2 visa quota on a flexi desk; visa fees are not published by ADAFZNot published
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
ADGMADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market)Abu DhabiUSD 5,800 at registration: non-financial licence, 0 visas, office extraTech start-up licence gives 3 visas per dedicated desk; a new 2 year visa from outside the UAE is AED 3,237.39Registered office in ADGM, Dedicated desk, Office
COMTECHCOMTECH (Sharjah Communication Technologies Free Zone)SharjahNo price: no official website and no sign it issues licences yetNot publishedNot published
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
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
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
ICADIndustrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD)Abu DhabiLand from KEZAD: serviced industrial plots AED 32 to AED 38 per sq m a year; licence by quoteNot published; ask KEZAD Group for the quota on your plotNot published
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
RAK ICCRAK ICC (RAK International Corporate Centre)Ras Al KhaimahAED 3,250 to set up, AED 3,950 a year to renew: registry fees (published by setup agents)No residence visas: offshore registry, not a free zoneRegistered office through registered agent
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
SHCCSharjah Healthcare CitySharjahPriced by quote: no fee published by SHCC or by setup agentsNot publishedLand, Offices and business centres, Warehouse, Clinical space
twofour54twofour54 (Creative Media Authority)Abu DhabiLicence and registration waived for 2 years; office and visas extraCo-Lab office gives 1 visa and Co-Create 2; setup agents put each visa at about AED 3,500 to AED 7,000Co-Lab, Co-Create, Co-Quip, Co-Customize

Last updated

There is no single official list of free zones in UAE. The u.ae portal says the country has about 40 and names 37. This page lists 48. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism, the Dubai Free Zones Council, Abu Dhabi's economic department and Invest in Sharjah each keep a list of their own, and none of them match. Below is every free zone in UAE, emirate by emirate, with the list that names it.

How many free zones are there in the UAE?

Three counts come from official sources.

  • About 40. This is the round figure on u.ae, the government portal.
  • 37. We counted the authorities on the u.ae list of free zone regulators: Abu Dhabi 5, Dubai 22, Sharjah 3, Ajman 2, Umm Al Quwain 1, Ras Al Khaimah 2 and Fujairah 2.
  • 27 in Dubai alone. The Dubai Free Zones Council counts 27 free zones under 11 authorities.

Agency blogs quote 43, 45, 46 or 47. None of those comes from a government page, so we do not use them. The gap between 37 and 40 or more is mostly zones that one list names and another leaves out, such as Expo City Dubai, the DWTC Free Zone and the Sharjah Publishing City free zone.

Which free zones are in Dubai?

Dubai holds more than half the zones on u.ae. Most of them belong to a few authorities.

u.ae also names National Industries Park. The economy ministry adds Dubai Wholesale City and Dubai Textile City, but neither has a current official site that we could confirm. For prices and visas in each one, see the Dubai free zones hub.

Which free zones are in Abu Dhabi?

Abu Dhabi's Department of Economic Development lists six: ADGM, KEZAD, Masdar City Free Zone, twofour54, Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone and the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. u.ae names the first five. ICAD appears only on the emirate's own list. Its land is now leased by KEZAD Group as KEZAD Musaffah and KEZAD Rahayel, and its licence fees are given by quote. ADGM is a financial free zone with its own courts and English common law. The Abu Dhabi free zones page compares all six.

Which free zones are in Sharjah?

Invest in Sharjah counts six: SAIF Zone at the airport, Hamriyah Free Zone, Shams (Sharjah Media City), SPC Free Zone, SRTIP and Sharjah Healthcare City. u.ae lists only SAIF, Hamriyah and Shams. A seventh, COMTECH Sharjah in Kalba, was created by Emiri Decree on , but none of the official lists name it yet and we found no working website. More on the Sharjah free zones page.

Which free zones are in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah?

Which free zones are designated zones for VAT?

The words "designated zone" have a narrow meaning. It is a VAT term set by Cabinet Decision No. 59 of and its amendments. A designated zone is treated as outside the UAE for VAT on goods, if it meets the FTA's conditions. Services supplied inside it are taxed like services anywhere else in the country.

The FTA list of designated zones, dated , has 27 entries. Three have ended, so 24 are designated today. The FTA's tax guide of still points to that decision, and we found no newer list.

  • Abu Dhabi: Free Trade Zone of Khalifa Port, Khalifa Industrial Zone, Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone, Al Ain International Airport Free Zone and Al Butain International Airport Free Zone.
  • Dubai: Jebel Ali Free Zone (North-South), DUCAMZ, DAFZA Industrial Park in Al Qusais, Dubai Aviation City, Dubai Airport Free Zone, International Humanitarian City in Jebel Ali and Dubai CommerCity.
  • Sharjah: Hamriyah Free Zone and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone.
  • Ajman: Ajman Free Zone.
  • Umm Al Quwain: two UAQ FTZ areas, at Ahmed Bin Rashid Port and on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.
  • Ras Al Khaimah: RAK Port Free Zone, RAK Maritime City and the Al Hamra, Al Ghail and Al Hulaila industrial zones.
  • Fujairah: Fujairah Free Zone and the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.

DMCC, Meydan, IFZA, DIFC, DSO, the Dubai Development Authority parks, ADGM, Masdar, Shams, SPC and most service zones are not designated zones. That is normal for zones that deal mainly in services. Corporate tax works separately: the FTA publishes no list of corporate tax free zones and tells companies to confirm their status with their free zone authority. A Qualifying Free Zone Person that meets the conditions pays 0% on qualifying income.

Which well-known names are not free zones?

Some names turn up on older lists or agency pages but do not license companies as free zones today.

  • Dubai Industrial City says on its own FAQ that it is not a free zone. Dubai's economy department licenses companies there as mainland firms.
  • RAK ICC is an offshore company registry. It issues no residence visas. See RAK ICC offshore.
  • Hub71 is a programme inside ADGM, not a zone. Its companies hold the ADGM Tech Start-up licence.
  • Dubai Flower Centre is on no official list, and its old domain is parked.
  • Former VAT zones: Dubai Textile City ended on , the Al Quoz free zone area on and RAK Airport Free Zone on .
  • Dubai Aviation City is a VAT zone name. The FTA does not say which parts of Dubai South it covers.
  • KEZAD's domestic economic zones are mainland land under Abu Dhabi rules, even though KEZAD also runs free zone areas.

Getting from a list to a choice

A long list is only the start. Most founders end up comparing three or four zones on price, visas and activity. The table on this page sorts every zone by its published starting price. The cheapest free zone in UAE page groups the low-cost packages by visa count, and free zone vs mainland covers what happens if your clients are in the UAE.

If you would rather not shortlist alone, use the form on this page. You tell us the activity, the visas and the office you need. We send that to the zones that fit, or to a licensed setup partner. UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is an independent directory, not a government list or an agent of any zone, and partners may pay us for referrals.

Download the full list

Want every zone in one table? The UAE free zones compared 2026 sheet lists all 48 free zones with their cheapest first-year package, office type, visa quota and what each zone suits. It is a free Google Sheet you can open, filter and share. How we collected the data is set out in our research report on Zenodo (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23732358).

Sources

Get free quotes from several free zones

Tell us about which UAE free zone to choose: 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.

UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is an independent directory, not a free zone or a government office. You pay nothing for using this form.

We use your details only to answer this enquiry and share them only with the free zone or setup partner that replies. See the privacy policy.

Good to know

Questions people ask

What is the full list of free zones in UAE?

The u.ae portal names 37 free zones: 5 in Abu Dhabi, 22 in Dubai, 3 in Sharjah, 2 in Ajman, 1 in Umm Al Quwain, 2 in Ras Al Khaimah and 2 in Fujairah. Emirate bodies add more, such as Expo City Dubai, SPC Free Zone, SRTIP and the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi.

Which free zones in UAE are designated zones for VAT?

The FTA list has 27 entries, and 24 are still designated. They include JAFZA, DAFZ, Dubai CommerCity, the Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone areas, SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, Ajman Free Zone, UAQ FTZ, RAK Maritime City and Fujairah Free Zone. DMCC, Meydan, IFZA and DIFC are not on it.

Why do the official lists of UAE free zones not match?

Each body counts for its own purpose. u.ae lists authorities, the economy ministry lists company registrars, the FTA lists areas for VAT on goods, and each emirate keeps its own list. Some authorities also run several zones under one name.

Is IFZA on the official list of UAE free zones?

IFZA is not named on the u.ae, economy ministry or Dubai Free Zones Council lists we read. Its own site gives its base as Dubai Silicon Oasis. Ask IFZA which authority issues its licences before you sign.

Which emirate has the most free zones?

Dubai. The Dubai Free Zones Council counts 27 free zones under 11 authorities, and u.ae names 22 Dubai zones. Abu Dhabi and Sharjah each have six on their own emirate lists.

Is a VAT designated zone the same as a free zone?

No. A designated zone is a fenced area treated as outside the UAE for VAT on goods, if it meets the conditions. Services there are taxed like services anywhere else in the UAE. Many free zones are not designated zones at all.

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