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Directory

UAE free zones: the full picture, zone by zone

The short answer

There are dozens of free zones across the seven emirates, each with its own permitted-activity list, workspace formats, visa allocation model, and renewal obligations. The zone should be chosen after the activity, the customer geography, and the visa requirement are known — never before. Fees, allocations, and processing times are quoted by the authority and change, so we verify them at the point of application rather than publishing a price list.

Most comparison tables online rank zones by headline package price. That is the least useful way to choose, because a cheap package that excludes your activity, caps your visas, or complicates banking costs far more over three years than the difference in the licence fee.

This directory sets out what each major zone is genuinely known for, which activities tend to fit, and where the compliance load sits. Use it to build a shortlist, then let an adviser confirm the activity against the authority's live list.

Downtown Dubai skyline with the Burj Khalifa at golden hour

Scope of this page

Velarozone provides setup and operational-readiness coordination. This page is general information, not legal, tax, immigration, or banking advice.

This is for you if

  • You want to understand the landscape before speaking to a single zone's sales team.
  • Your activity is unusual and you need to know which authorities can licence it.
  • You are weighing a Dubai address against a lower-cost northern-emirate base.
  • You want the compliance and renewal load compared, not just the entry price.

This may not be the right route if

  • You want a published price list — fees are quoted by the authority, not by us.
  • You have already signed with a zone and only need documents processed.
  • Your business depends on selling directly into the mainland market.
  • You need a regulated financial-services licence and have not yet spoken to a regulator.

By emirate

The zones worth knowing about

Grouped by emirate, with what each authority is genuinely built for. Zones marked with a profile have a dedicated page; the rest are covered in the shortlist conversation.

Dubai

Dubai Silicon Oasis

Overview

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DIEZ)

A technology park within Dubai Integrated Economic Zones, focused on tech and innovation businesses.

Activity fit
Software, hardware, technology services, and R&D.
Workspace
Offices and business-centre space within the park.

Dubai CommerCity

Overview

Dubai CommerCity

A free zone built specifically around e-commerce operations and fulfilment.

Activity fit
Online retail, digital commerce platforms, and logistics-supported e-commerce.
Workspace
Offices and logistics units within the district.

Dubai Internet & Media City

Overview

Dubai Internet City / Dubai Media City (TECOM)

Established clusters for technology, media, advertising, and knowledge businesses.

Activity fit
Technology companies, agencies, broadcasters, publishers, and education providers.
Workspace
Offices and co-working within the relevant cluster.

Dubai Healthcare City

Overview

Dubai Healthcare City

Clinical, medical, and healthcare-related activity under its own health regulator.

Activity fit
Clinics, medical practitioners, healthcare services, and related support businesses.
Workspace
Clinical and office premises within the district.

Abu Dhabi

KEZAD

Overview

KEZAD Group (Abu Dhabi)

Abu Dhabi's industrial and logistics zones, including the areas formerly branded KIZAD.

Activity fit
Manufacturing, industrial operations, warehousing, and port-linked logistics.
Workspace
Warehouses, industrial plots, and staff accommodation options.

twofour54

Overview

twofour54 (Abu Dhabi)

Abu Dhabi's media and creative-industries hub.

Activity fit
Film and TV production, gaming, digital content, and creative services.
Workspace
Studios, offices, and desk arrangements.

Masdar City

Overview

Masdar City Free Zone

Clean technology, sustainability, and energy-transition businesses.

Activity fit
Renewables, sustainability consulting, cleantech R&D, and related services.
Workspace
Offices and lab or R&D space within the city.

Sharjah

SAIF Zone

Overview

Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone)

Air-freight-linked trading, distribution, and light industrial activity.

Activity fit
Trading, distribution, warehousing, and light manufacturing.
Workspace
Offices, warehouses, and land.

Hamriyah

Overview

Hamriyah Free Zone

Industrial and maritime activity around Hamriyah Port.

Activity fit
Heavy and light industry, oil and gas services, maritime and marine support.
Workspace
Industrial plots, warehouses, and offices.

Fujairah

Fujairah Creative City

Overview

Fujairah Creative City

Media, consultancy, and service licences, often used by individual professionals.

Activity fit
Media, marketing, consultancy, IT, and education services.
Workspace
Desk-based packages with a defined visa allocation.

Umm Al Quwain

UAQ FTZ

Overview

Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone

A smaller, cost-conscious zone for micro-businesses, trading, and services.

Activity fit
Consultancy, small trading, freelancing, and light industrial.
Workspace
Flexi-desk, offices, and warehouses.

Decision factors

What actually decides your route

An adviser works through these factors with you before any structure is recommended. Each one can change the licence, the emirate or free zone, the visa allocation, and the banking conversation.

How zones differ from one another in practice.

  • Activity list

    Range across zones
    Narrow specialist lists to very broad general lists
    What it means for you
    An unlisted activity cannot simply be added later

  • Workspace

    Range across zones
    Desk-only packages through to warehouses and land
    What it means for you
    Workspace drives visa allocation and substance

  • Visa allocation

    Range across zones
    Set per package and premises by each authority
    What it means for you
    Headcount plans must be checked before you commit

  • Regulator

    Range across zones
    Zone authority only, or a separate financial regulator
    What it means for you
    DIFC and ADGM add an authorisation process

  • Audit

    Range across zones
    Some zones require audited accounts at renewal
    What it means for you
    Affects ongoing accounting cost

  • Customs

    Range across zones
    Port- and airport-linked zones vs office-only zones
    What it means for you
    Matters if you move physical goods

Possible directions

Structure categories an adviser will assess

Zones are grouped here by what they are built for. A zone can appear in more than one group, and the right shortlist usually contains two or three zones from different groups.

Broad general-purpose zones

Wide activity lists suited to consultants, service firms, and small traders. IFZA, Meydan, RAKEZ, SPC, Ajman.

Trade and logistics zones

Port- or airport-linked, built for physical goods. JAFZA, DAFZA, Dubai South, SAIF Zone, KEZAD, Hamriyah.

Financial centres

Common-law jurisdictions with their own regulators and courts. DIFC and ADGM.

Media and creative zones

Content, production, and agency activity. Shams, twofour54, Dubai Media City, Fujairah Creative City.

Technology and specialist clusters

Sector-focused districts. Dubai Internet City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Masdar City, Dubai Healthcare City.

E-commerce-oriented zones

Built around online retail and fulfilment. Dubai CommerCity, Meydan, and several general zones with e-commerce activities.

What this service includes

  • Activity mapping against the permitted lists of candidate zones.
  • A shortlist of two or three zones with the trade-offs written down.
  • Confirmation of current fees and visa allocations direct from the authority.
  • Workspace and premises options matched to your headcount plan.
  • Submission, follow-up, and establishment-card coordination.
  • A renewal and compliance calendar for the chosen zone.

What it does not include

  • A published price list or a guaranteed package cost.
  • Any promise of visa numbers, approval, or processing time.
  • Regulatory authorisation for financial-services activity.
  • Tax opinions on free-zone treatment.
Downtown Dubai skyline with the Burj Khalifa at golden hour

Every route is planned against how the business will actually operate in the UAE.

Process

Stages, not promised calendar days

Timelines depend on activity approvals, document legalisation, authority processing, and bank review. We report progress by stage.

  1. 01

    Activity definition

    What you actually do, described in the language the authority uses.

  2. 02

    Candidate zones

    Zones whose permitted lists cover the activity are identified.

  3. 03

    Shortlist

    Two or three zones compared on visas, workspace, compliance, and banking view.

  4. 04

    Verification

    Current fees, allocations, and conditions confirmed with the authority.

  5. 05

    Application

    Reservation, approval, documents, and licence issuance.

  6. 06

    Operational setup

    Visas, banking, tax registration, and renewal calendar.

Questions

Frequently asked

How many free zones are there in the UAE?
Dozens, spread across all seven emirates, including specialist financial, media, healthcare, and industrial zones. This directory covers the ones most commonly relevant to incoming businesses.
Which free zone is the cheapest?
We do not answer that question with a number, because packages change and the cheapest licence is frequently not the cheapest three-year outcome. We compare total cost including visas, workspace, renewals, and audit.
Can I change free zone later?
Moving usually means a new registration in the new zone and a proper closure in the old one, not a transfer. Getting the activity and headcount right at the start avoids that cost.
Does the free zone affect my bank application?
Banks assess the business, the ownership, the activity, and expected flows. Some zone-and-activity combinations attract more questions than others, which is why we plan the banking conversation before the licence is issued.
Do all free zones allow the same activities?
No. Each authority publishes its own permitted-activity list, and an activity that is routine in one zone may be unavailable in another.

Sources

Regulations, fees, and eligibility can change. Every regulatory statement is re-checked before publication and dated above.

Next decision

Related reading

Free-zone company setup

Free zone vs mainland

Cost of company formation

Get a shortlist built around your activity

Tell us what you do, where your customers are, and how many visas you need. We reply with the zones worth comparing and why the others were excluded.

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Start with a structure assessment, not a package

In an initial consultation you receive a plain-language decision summary, a document-preparation list, and the next actions for your situation. It is not an approval, a fixed price, or a tax opinion.

Not sure what you need? Get in touch on WhatsApp now →

This page is general information about UAE business setup, not legal, tax, immigration, or banking advice. Rules, fees, permitted activities, and bank policies can change. Final eligibility depends on your facts and the applicable rules at the time of application.

UAE corporate tax, VAT, and free-zone treatment depend on your specific facts. Home-country obligations may also apply. We coordinate with your tax adviser and do not provide a tax opinion.

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