DubaiMost facts confirmed on official sources. Checked 2026-10-24
DMCC
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)
AED 31,000
Lowest package, year 1
- Licence from
- AED 20,285
- Min. office
- Flexi-desk
- Setup
- 10 days
General trading · 3-visa package
Independent43 free zones✓ Updated October 2026
Compare UAE free zones side by side
Published package prices, visa quotas, office rules and licence types for 43 free zones, each linked to the zone's own source and dated. No sign-up.
Meydan Free Zone vs RAKEZ vs SHAMS
Live data| Criterion | Meydan Free Zone | RAKEZ | SHAMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo, no visa (year 1) | AED 12,500 | AED 6,000 | AED 5,760 |
| Founder + 1 visa (year 1) | AED 14,350 | AED 12,000 | Not published |
| Team, 3 visas (year 1) | AED 18,050 | Not published | Not published |
| Lowest licence fee | AED 12,500 | AED 6,000 | AED 5,385 |
| Minimum office | Flexi-desk | Flexi-desk | Flexi-desk |
| Incorporation time (stated by the zone) | 1 day | 1 day | 1 day |
Verified on 2026-10-24 from meydanfz.ae, rakez.com, shamsfz.ae.
Every figure is dated
Each fact links to the zone's own source and shows when it was checked. If a zone doesn't publish something, we say so.
Order comes from the data
Rankings, filters and the shortlist are calculated from published figures, the same way for every zone.
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Featured free zones
DubaiMany facts confirmed on official sources; some not published. Checked 2026-10-24
Meydan Free Zone
AED 12,500
Lowest package, year 1
- Licence from
- AED 12,500
- Min. office
- Flexi-desk
- Setup
- 1 day
General trading · 3-visa package
Ras Al KhaimahMost facts confirmed on official sources. Checked 2026-10-24
RAKEZ
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
AED 6,000
Lowest package, year 1
- Licence from
- AED 6,000
- Min. office
- Flexi-desk
- Setup
- 1 day
VAT Designated Zone · General trading
SharjahMany facts confirmed on official sources; some not published. Checked 2026-10-24
SHAMS
Sharjah Media City Free Zone (Shams)
AED 5,760
Lowest package, year 1
- Licence from
- AED 5,385
- Min. office
- Flexi-desk
- Setup
- 1 day
General trading
Umm Al QuwainMany facts confirmed on official sources; some not published. Checked 2026-10-24
UAQ FTZ
Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone
AED 12,500
Lowest package, year 1
- Licence from
- AED 5,500
- Min. office
- Flexi-desk
- Setup
- 1 day
VAT Designated Zone · General trading
DubaiMany facts confirmed on official sources; some not published. Checked 2026-10-24
Dubai South Free Zone
AED 11,375
Lowest package, year 1
- Licence from
- Not published
- Min. office
- Not published
- Setup
- Not published
VAT Designated Zone
Head to head
Popular free zone comparisons
Entry prices
Lowest published packages
The lowest package a zone publishes starts at AED 3,999. Packages include different things: check visas, renewal and the minimum office before you decide.
Cheapest for your set-up:
Read: how to compare first-year costs →| Free zone | Emirate | Lowest package (yr 1) | Licence fee from | Max visa quota | Min. office | Incorporation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park Free Zone | Sharjah | AED 3,999 | AED 3,999 | 2 | Not published | 7 days |
| Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone | Ajman | AED 4,888 | AED 4,888 | 0 | Flexi-desk | 1 day |
| Ajman Media City Free Zone | Ajman | AED 4,999 | AED 4,999 | 3 | Flexi-desk | Not published |
| Sharjah Media City Free Zone (Shams) | Sharjah | AED 5,760 | AED 5,385 | Not published | Flexi-desk | 1 day |
| Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone | Abu Dhabi | AED 6,000 | AED 6,000 | 2 | Not published | 4 days |
| Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone | Ras Al Khaimah | AED 6,000 | AED 6,000 | 1 | Flexi-desk | 1 day |
| Innovation City | Ras Al Khaimah | AED 6,600 | AED 6,600 | 4 | Flexi-desk | 5 days |
| Masdar City Free Zone | Abu Dhabi | AED 7,000 | AED 7,000 | 3 | Virtual office | Not published |
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Questions worth asking
Which UAE free zone publishes the lowest package?
The table on this page sorts zones by the lowest package each zone publishes on its own website. Packages include different things (visas, office, fees), so compare what is included, not just the headline price.
Which free zone is best for my business?
Start with your activity: not every zone licenses every activity. Then filter by visas needed, office requirement and budget. Our 'Find my zone' tool does this in a few quick questions and explains why each zone matched.
Is FreezoneGuide independent?
Yes. FreezoneGuide is not run by any free zone. Rankings, filters and the shortlist are calculated from each zone's published information only, the same way for every zone.
Where does the data come from?
Only from each free zone's own website and documents, and from UAE government sources. Every fact links to its source and shows the date it was checked. Where a zone does not publish something, we say so rather than estimate it.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No. The site is general information, collected from free zones and UAE government sources on the dates shown. It is not legal, tax, immigration or financial advice. Rules change and depend on your circumstances, so confirm with the zone or the relevant authority, or a professional licensed in the UAE, before you act.
Can AI assistants use this data?
Yes. Every page has a plain Markdown version (add .md to the address), and llms.txt lists them all, so assistants like Claude can read and cite the comparison.