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The Umm Al Quwain free zone is a single authority: Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ), the only zone the u.ae portal lists for the emirate. Its lowest published price is UAQ LYTE at AED 5,500 a year, a licence with a co-working desk, no visa and remote formation. UAQ START adds one investor visa for AED 12,500. The table above holds the zone's full figures, and our UAQ Free Trade Zone page covers its fees line by line.
What is the UAQ Free Trade Zone?
UAQ Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ) is the free zone authority of the Umm Al Quwain government and the only free zone the u.ae portal lists for the emirate. It began in 1987 as Ahmed Bin Rashid Port and Free Zone. It is a designated free zone under Cabinet Decision No. 54 of 2023.
You can register an FZE, an FZC with 2 to 50 shareholders, or a branch. The zone lists more than 1,500 activities. Its offices are on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), about 45 km from Dubai. People search for it as the UAQ free zone, the UAQ free trade zone or the Umm Al Quwain free trade zone. All three mean this same zone.
One zone, two kinds of buyer
Most emirates split their free zones by sector. Umm Al Quwain cannot, so UAQ FTZ tries to serve both ends from one authority.
Small companies on a desk. Freelancers, consultants and online traders take LYTE or START. Both include a shared workstation, and START bundles the investor visa, Emirates ID, medical test and basic medical insurance. Formation can be done without a visit, though the medical test and biometrics need you in the UAE.
Companies that need space. The zone has serviced and executive offices from 9 sq m, warehouses, staff accommodation and land. Executive offices are marketed with "6+ visas available", but there is no published rule on visas per square metre.
If you want an Umm Al Quwain business license from the free zone, the menu covers Commercial, General Trading, Service (Consultancy), Freelance Permit and Industrial licences, with more than 1,500 activities. Company forms are the FZE, the FZC with 2 to 50 shareholders, and a branch.
Where is the Umm Al Quwain free zone?
The offices sit on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), about 45 km from Dubai. That road link is why many UAQ companies are run from Dubai or Sharjah day to day.
The zone's second area is the old port. UAQ FTZ started in 1987 as Ahmed Bin Rashid Port and Free Zone, and Hutchison Ports now runs the port, with four berths and an 845 m quay. UAQ FTZ's own pages disagree on whether that contract began in or . It does not change anything for a new company.
Land plots start at 2,500 sq m on leases of up to 25 years, from AED 18 per sq m a year. For a light industrial project that is a long commitment, so ask for the service charges in the same quote.
Names and lists you may see
- Ahmed Bin Rashid Free Zone. The zone's old name, not a second zone.
- Two VAT areas. The FTA designated zone list names UAQ FTZ at Ahmed Bin Rashid Port and UAQ FTZ on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. UAQ FTZ also says it is a designated free zone under Cabinet Decision No. 54 of . That matters for VAT on goods, not for services.
- Agency prices. Four setup agencies publish UAQ FTZ packages at AED 5,500 to AED 32,400 (checked ). The low end matches LYTE. The top is one agency's estimate for a general trading licence with a visa.
Nearby zones to compare
Umm Al Quwain sits between Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, and both are close enough to compare on price alone.
- Ajman free zones: Ajman NuVentures starts from AED 4,888 and Ajman Media City at AED 4,999, both with no visa.
- Ras Al Khaimah free zones: RAKEZ Biz Starter is AED 6,000 with coworking access and no visa.
UAQ FTZ's point of difference is renewal: it says LYTE renews at the same AED 5,500 and START at its first year price. The cheapest free zone in the UAE page lines up every published entry price.
Should you choose an Umm Al Quwain free zone or the mainland?
A UAQ FTZ licence covers business inside the zone and outside the UAE. To sell goods into the UAE market, the zone says you go through an agent or distributor. If most of your customers are in the UAE, read free zone or mainland before you choose.
Ask through the form
The form on this page goes to UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com, an independent directory with no tie to the UAQ Free Trade Zone Authority. Give us your activity, visa count and the space you want. We forward it to UAQ FTZ, a nearby zone that fits, or a licensed setup partner, and you get a written price. We may receive a referral fee from partners.
Sources
- u.ae, starting a business in a free zone: UAQ FTZ as the emirate's listed zone
- UAQ FTZ, the free trade zone: history, port operator and location
- UAQ FTZ licences and entities: licence types, company forms and selling into the UAE
- FTA list of designated zones: the two UAQ VAT areas
