Mainland
Dubai mainland
Trade directly across the UAE market, with premises and a visa allocation sized to your headcount.
Read moreUAE jurisdictions, compared on what actually differs
Mainland in every emirate, every free zone a client can realistically license into, and the offshore registries: 55 jurisdictions, each with its licensing authority, who it suits and who it does not. We work in a few of them most and will say so when a different one fits you better.
Where we work most
The four we recommend most often
Most of our clients end up in one of these. The rest of the list exists because the right answer is sometimes somewhere else, and you should be able to see why.
Free zone
DMCC
An established Dubai free zone with a broad activity list and a strong international profile.
Read moreFree zone
IFZA
A widely used Dubai free zone with package-based licensing and a straightforward process.
Read moreFree zone
Meydan Free Zone
A Dubai free zone commonly chosen for its process speed and package structure.
Read moreEvery jurisdiction, by emirate
Mainland, free zones and offshore, emirate by emirate
Mainland licences let you sell directly anywhere in the UAE. Free zone companies offer 100% ownership and predictable packages and reach the local market through a distributor, a branch or a permit. Offshore companies hold assets and do not trade in the UAE at all.
Dubai 28 jurisdictions
Mainland
Dubai mainland
Trade directly across the UAE market, with premises and a visa allocation sized to your headcount.
Read moreFree zone
DMCC
An established Dubai free zone with a broad activity list and a strong international profile.
Read moreFree zone
IFZA
A widely used Dubai free zone with package-based licensing and a straightforward process.
Read moreFree zone
Meydan Free Zone
A Dubai free zone commonly chosen for its process speed and package structure.
Read moreFree zone
JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone)
The port-side free zone at Jebel Ali: warehouses, plots and offices for trading, logistics and manufacturing at scale.
Read moreFinancial free zone
DIFC
Dubai's financial free zone, with its own common-law courts and regulator, for financial firms and the professional and holding companies around them.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ)
At Dubai International Airport, part of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ): air-cargo trading, electronics and services with fast access to the terminals.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO)
A technology park and free zone within DIEZ, with offices, industrial space and residential districts in one community.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai CommerCity
A DIEZ free zone built for e-commerce: fulfilment, logistics and the offices that run online brands.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Internet City
The technology cluster under the Dubai Development Authority: software, IT services and regional offices of global tech firms.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Media City
The media cluster under the Dubai Development Authority: advertising, PR, broadcasting, publishing and freelancers.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Knowledge Park
The human-resources and training cluster: recruitment, professional training and education services.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai International Academic City
The higher-education cluster: university campuses and the education businesses that support them.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Science Park
The science cluster, which absorbed DuBiotech and EnPark: pharmaceuticals, life sciences, energy and environment.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Production City
Formerly International Media Production Zone: printing, packaging, publishing and media production with industrial space.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Studio City
Sound stages, studios and offices for film, television, music and production companies.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Design District (d3)
The design, fashion and art district: studios and showrooms for creative brands and the agencies around them.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Outsource City
Built for business-process outsourcing: contact centres, back-office and shared-service operations.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Industrial City
A manufacturing and logistics zone near Al Maktoum airport, with land, warehouses and factory units.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC)
The healthcare free zone: clinics, hospitals, laboratories and the medical companies licensed around them.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai South
The city around Al Maktoum International Airport, with business, logistics and aviation districts under one free zone.
Read moreFree zone
DWTC Free Zone
The free zone run by Dubai World Trade Centre, in the One Central district by the exhibition halls.
Read moreFree zone
Expo City Dubai Free Zone
The free zone on the former Expo 2020 site, positioned around sustainability, innovation and events.
Read moreFree zone
Dubai Maritime City
The maritime cluster between Port Rashid and Dubai Drydocks: ship repair, marine services and yacht businesses.
Read moreFree zone
DUCAMZ (Dubai Cars and Automotive Zone)
The used-car and automotive re-export zone in Ras Al Khor, run under JAFZA.
Read moreFree zone
Gold and Diamond Park
A jewellery manufacturing and retail park on Sheikh Zayed Road, licensed under JAFZA.
Read moreFree zone
DUQE Free Zone
A newer free zone headquartered on the Queen Elizabeth 2 at Port Rashid, aimed at entrepreneurs and small companies.
Read moreOffshore
JAFZA Offshore
Dubai's offshore company registry: a holding or asset-owning vehicle with no UAE trade, no office and no visas.
Read moreAbu Dhabi 6 jurisdictions
Mainland
Abu Dhabi mainland
A licence from the capital's economic department: direct access to Abu Dhabi's government, energy and industrial buyers.
Read moreFinancial free zone
ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market)
Abu Dhabi's financial free zone on Al Maryah and Al Reem islands: common law, its own courts, and a wide range of non-financial licences too.
Read moreFree zone
KEZAD (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi)
Abu Dhabi Ports' industrial and logistics zones around Khalifa Port, which absorbed KIZAD and ZonesCorp.
Read moreFree zone
Masdar City Free Zone
The free zone in Abu Dhabi's sustainability district, with a broad activity list and cost-conscious packages.
Read moreFree zone
twofour54
Abu Dhabi's media free zone on Yas Island, licensed through the Creative Media Authority (CMA), for production, gaming, publishing and digital content.
Read moreFree zone
Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone (ADAFZ)
The free zone at Zayed International Airport and the Al Ain and Al Bateen airports: aviation, cargo and logistics.
Read moreSharjah 7 jurisdictions
Mainland
Sharjah mainland
A licence from Sharjah's economic department: direct trade across the UAE at lower premises costs than Dubai.
Read moreFree zone
SAIF Zone (Sharjah Airport International Free Zone)
The free zone beside Sharjah International Airport: trading, light industry and logistics with cargo access.
Read moreFree zone
Hamriyah Free Zone
Sharjah's port-side industrial free zone: heavy industry, oil and gas services, steel and manufacturing.
Read moreFree zone
Shams (Sharjah Media City)
A low-cost Sharjah free zone popular with freelancers, consultants and online businesses, with packages that need no physical office.
Read moreFree zone
SRTIP (Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park)
The free zone attached to the University of Sharjah: research-led technology, clean energy and innovation companies.
Read moreFree zone
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone
The world's first publishing free zone, with a broad activity list beyond publishing and quick licensing.
Read moreFree zone
Sharjah Healthcare City
Sharjah's healthcare free zone: hospitals, clinics, laboratories and medical suppliers.
Read moreAjman 4 jurisdictions
Mainland
Ajman mainland
A licence from Ajman's economic department: direct UAE trade with some of the lowest premises costs in the country.
Read moreFree zone
Ajman Free Zone
An established, cost-conscious free zone next to Ajman Port, with packages from a single desk to warehouses.
Read moreFree zone
Ajman Media City Free Zone
A low-cost Ajman free zone with a wide activity list, used by consultants and online businesses as much as by media companies.
Read moreOffshore
Ajman Offshore
The offshore registry run by Ajman Free Zone: a holding or investment vehicle with no UAE trade, no office and no visas.
Read moreRas Al Khaimah 5 jurisdictions
Mainland
Ras Al Khaimah mainland
A licence from Ras Al Khaimah's economic department: direct UAE trade, industrial land and a growing tourism market.
Read moreFree zone
RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone)
The consolidated RAK free zone, which replaced RAK FTZ and RAKIA: wide activity list, industrial parks and cost-conscious packages.
Read moreOffshore
RAK ICC (RAK International Corporate Centre)
A major offshore company registry: holding, investment and international business companies with no UAE trade.
Read moreFree zone
RAK Digital Assets Oasis (RAK DAO)
A free zone created for digital-asset and Web3 companies, with its own regulatory framework for non-regulated virtual-asset activities.
Read moreFree zone
RAK Maritime City
A port-side free zone in Ras Al Khaimah for maritime, industrial and bulk-cargo businesses.
Read moreFujairah 3 jurisdictions
Mainland
Fujairah mainland
A licence from Fujairah's licensing authority: direct UAE trade on the east coast, close to the port and the Indian Ocean.
Read moreFree zone
Fujairah Free Zone
The free zone beside the Port of Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz: trading, shipping and industry.
Read moreFree zone
Fujairah Creative City
A low-cost media and services free zone used widely by freelancers, consultants and online businesses.
Read moreUmm Al Quwain 2 jurisdictions
Mainland
Umm Al Quwain mainland
A licence from Umm Al Quwain's economic department: direct UAE trade at the lowest premises costs in the country.
Read moreFree zone
UAQ Free Trade Zone
A budget free zone popular with consultants, start-ups and e-commerce, with flexi-desk packages and warehouses.
Read morePackage contents, visa quotas, activity lists and audit requirements are set by each authority and change. We confirm them against the authority’s current terms at the time we advise you, and every fee we show links to the authority’s own page.