UAE Free Zones — Compare the 8 Best Options

Choose the right Free Zone for your activity, budget and visa needs. We work with DMCC, IFZA, Meydan, RAKEZ, SPC, JAFZA, ADGM and DIFC — and we’ll match you to the best one in under 24 hours. 500+ companies launched since 2013.

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The 8 Free Zones We Recommend

The UAE has 40+ Free Zones — but only a handful consistently deliver good banking access, the right activity codes, sensible visa quotas and fair renewal costs. These are ours.

IFZA

One of Dubai’s most established Free Zones, Starting from 14,900 AED license-only. Great for consulting, e-commerce and bootstrapped founders. 2,500+ activities available.

Meydan

Premium Dubai address (Nad Al Sheba) with no office requirement. Ideal for consulting, marketing and holding structures. Starting from 12,500 AED — the most affordable Dubai option.

DMCC

World’s #1 Free Zone (FDi Magazine, multiple years). JLT location, 18,000+ companies, best banking access. Trading, commodities, crypto, fintech.

RAKEZ

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone — Starting from 6,000 AED without a visa and 12,000 AED with one, visa fees included. Strong for industrial, e-commerce, manufacturing and warehousing.

JAFZA

Jebel Ali Free Zone — UAE’s largest, adjacent to Jebel Ali Port. Logistics, manufacturing, trading at scale. Starting from 25,000 AED.

ADGM

Abu Dhabi Global Market — English Common Law jurisdiction. Financial services, fintech, family offices, SPVs and funds.

DIFC

Dubai International Financial Centre — English Common Law + DIFC Courts. Banking, asset management, fintech, family offices. Premium tier.

SPC

Sharjah Publishing City — the UAE’s lowest-cost licence, starting from 5,000 AED zero-visa and 25,000 AED with a visa, visa fees included. Publishing, consulting, e-commerce and trading.

Need help choosing?

Tell us your activity, expected turnover and visa headcount. We’ll shortlist 1-2 zones in 24h with all-in costs. Get a comparison.

Free Zones Comparison Table

A quick side-by-side. Pricing shifts every year — these are realistic 2026 ranges. Banking access reflects what we see in practice with our partner banks.

Free Zone	Activity Fit	Cost Tier	Visa Quotas	Banking Access	Best For
SPC	Publishing, consulting, e-commerce, trading	Starting from 5,000 AED	0-3 visas	Fair	Lowest all-in cost, visa fees included
RAKEZ	Industrial, e-commerce, manufacturing	Starting from 6,000 AED	0-6 visas	Fair	Manufacturing, warehousing
Meydan	Consulting, marketing, holding	Starting from 12,500 AED	0-6 visas	Good	Solo founders, no office
IFZA	Consulting, e-commerce, services	Starting from 14,900 AED	0-3 visas	Good (digital banks)	Bootstrapped founders
JAFZA	Logistics, manufacturing, trading	Starting from 25,000 AED	3-50+ visas	Excellent	Logistics & large trading
ADGM	Financial services, fintech, SPVs	Starting from 30,000 AED	Per substance	Excellent	Financial & family offices
DIFC	Banking, asset mgmt, fintech	Starting from 30,000 AED	Per substance	Excellent	Premium financial firms
DMCC	Trading, commodities, crypto, tech	Starting from 34,900 AED	2-6 visas	Excellent	Trading & mid-cap SMEs

Why a UAE Free Zone?

Free Zones offer 100% foreign ownership, 0% personal income tax, full profit repatriation and a fast-track license process. Most founders choose Free Zone unless they specifically need to sell directly to the UAE local market (in which case Mainland is better).

Each Free Zone has its own authority, activity list, and visa quota system. You can pick almost any zone in the UAE — your visa and bank account are not zone-locked. What matters is matching the zone to your business activity, banking needs and budget.

Free Zones FAQ

Which Free Zone is cheapest?

SPC (Sharjah Publishing City), at 5,000 AED per year, is the cheapest license-only package — just ahead of RAKEZ at 6,000 AED, and well below Meydan at 12,500 AED and IFZA at 14,900 AED in Dubai. Adding a residence visa brings RAKEZ to 12,000 AED all-in and SPC to 25,000 AED all-in, with visa fees included in both.

Which has the best banking access?

DMCC, DIFC and ADGM are the easiest with tier-1 UAE banks. JAFZA is also strong. Smaller zones still get banking, but usually via Mashreq NEOBiz or WIO rather than Emirates NBD on day one.

Can I switch Free Zones later?

Yes. You deregister in the current zone and re-incorporate in the new one. Visas stay valid during the transition if managed correctly. Plan 4-6 weeks for the full migration.

Do Free Zones still benefit from 0% Corporate Tax?

Qualifying Free Zone Persons (QFZPs) keep 0% on qualifying income if they meet substance, activity and audit requirements. Non-qualifying income is taxed at 9%. Our accounting team handles the QFZP assessment.