Fourteen authorities in six emirates. We apply directly.
We are an appointed channel partner of every authority on this page. We apply to them ourselves, not through a middleman. And we will tell you if the zone you picked is wrong for your business.
Why it matters that we work with so many zones
Most company setup firms in the UAE are appointed by only one or two free zones. That is normal. But you should know what it means before you take anyone’s advice, including ours.
A firm that works with only one zone will recommend that zone to everyone, because it cannot offer anything else. You are told the zone is perfect for you. But you cannot know if anyone looked at the other options.
We are appointed by fourteen authorities in six emirates: Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain. So when we recommend a zone, we have compared it with the others. RAKEZ is held by our sister company, Bareq Almas Businessmen Services, not by Almas Financial Services. The team is the same, but we want you to know. If we send you to a cheaper zone in Sharjah instead of Dubai, we earn less. If we tell you that you need an airport zone licence, remember that we could have sold you the cheap option instead.
It also helps after you sign. Because we apply directly, the authority sends its questions straight to us, and we can answer them. There is no middleman adding extra fees and delays.
A page for each of the fourteen authorities
Each page says what the zone is good for and, just as important, who it is not right for.
IFZA
Dubai
International Free Zone Authority
The International Free Zone Authority is where most people set up their first Dubai company. It is also the zone most often sold to the wrong people. Here is what it is, what it is good for, and when it is the wrong choice.
Starts at our listed price
DAFZA
Dubai
Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority
Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority is mainly a zone for moving goods, and it also gives company licences. If your business moves goods through Dubai, its location next to the airport is the main reason to choose it.
Priced for your case, in writing
DWTC
Dubai
Dubai World Trade Centre Free Zone
The Dubai World Trade Centre free zone gives licences that most other zones do not: events, family offices and virtual assets. Its address is on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Priced for your case, in writing
Meydan
Dubai
Meydan Free Zone
Meydan is the zone for a company that wants a central Dubai licence, many business activities to choose from, and very few office visits.
Starts at our listed price
Dubai South
Dubai
Dubai South Free Zone
Dubai South is a city built around an airport and a port. Its free zone is the right place if your business needs lots of space to move goods.
Priced for your case, in writing
DMCC
Dubai
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre is the zone banks know best, and it also asks the most from you. If you trade real goods like gold or metals, it is worth it. If you are a consultant with a laptop, it usually is not.
Priced for your case, in writing
SHAMS
Sharjah
Sharjah Media City
Sharjah Media City was made for creative businesses and has grown into much more. It is the zone to look at when a Dubai address does not help your business.
Starts at our listed price
SPC
Sharjah
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone
Sharjah Publishing City was the world's first free zone made only for printing and publishing. Today it licenses much more than books. It also offers something unusual: one licence that covers both the free zone and the mainland.
Starts at our listed price
ANC
Ajman
Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone
Ajman NuVentures Centre is one of the newer UAE free zones and one of the most digital. It is a good option for a small company, but it is also easy to be sold more than you need.
Starts at our listed price
AFZ
Ajman
Ajman Free Zone
Ajman Free Zone is the emirate's own authority. It is next to Ajman Port and has warehouses, industrial land and trading licences. It is very different from the small online zones people mix it up with.
Starts at our listed price
Masdar
Abu Dhabi
Masdar City Free Zone
Masdar City is Abu Dhabi's centre for clean energy businesses. It is the only zone on this list where your industry really matters, not just a detail.
Priced for your case, in writing
RAKEZ
Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone is the first place to look if your business needs industrial space, a warehouse or land. It can also give you a licence either inside or outside the free zone.
Starts at our listed price
Innovation City
Ras Al Khaimah
Innovation City, Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah's technology free zone, previously called RAK Digital Assets Oasis. It is built for a small group of businesses. For most companies it is the wrong choice, even when someone tells them it is right.
Priced for your case, in writing
UAQ FTZ
Umm Al Quwain
Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone
Umm Al Quwain's free trade zone is on the E311 road, about half an hour north of Dubai. This location decides almost everything about who it is right for.
Starts at our listed price
All fourteen, side by side
We do not show one price for all of them. Six of these are priced case by case, so a single number would often be wrong.
| Authority | Emirate | Good for | How it is priced |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFZA | Dubai | Many business activities, no office space needed | Starts at our listed price |
| DAFZA | Dubai | Air cargo, pharma, electronics and high-value goods | Priced for your case, in writing |
| DWTC | Dubai | Events, family offices and regulated virtual assets | Priced for your case, in writing |
| Meydan | Dubai | Many business activities, online licensing, central address | Starts at our listed price |
| Dubai South | Dubai | Logistics, aviation and e-commerce fulfilment | Priced for your case, in writing |
| DMCC | Dubai | Commodities, precious metals, diamonds and trading | Priced for your case, in writing |
| SHAMS | Sharjah | Started with media, now many business activities | Starts at our listed price |
| SPC | Sharjah | Started with publishing and print; dual licence option | Starts at our listed price |
| ANC | Ajman | Online registration, many business activities | Starts at our listed price |
| AFZ | Ajman | Warehousing, industrial land and trading licences | Starts at our listed price |
| Masdar | Abu Dhabi | Clean energy, sustainability and R&D | Priced for your case, in writing |
| RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | Industrial land and warehouses, free zone and non-free-zone licences | Starts at our listed price |
| Innovation City | Ras Al Khaimah | AI, Web3, gaming, robotics and health tech licences | Priced for your case, in writing |
| UAQ FTZ | Umm Al Quwain | Warehouses, long-lease industrial land, low costs | Starts at our listed price |
What it costs
from AED 4,888
Free zone company setup
Visa, Emirates ID and medical not included
This is our starting price for free zone setup. It is not the licence fee of any one authority on this page, and it does not cover the premium zones. Each zone’s page tells you if this price applies.
“As an appointed partner, we apply to the authority ourselves.”
Tell us what you need and we will tell you how to get it
We reply on WhatsApp. If something is not right for you, we will tell you honestly, even when the cheaper option is the better one.