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List of Free Zones in the United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi
- Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone
- Abu Dhabi Global Markets
- Khalifa Industrial Zone
- Masdar City
- TwoFour54
Dubai
- Dubai Airport Free Zone
- Dubai Auto Zone
- Dubai Biotechnology & Research Park
- Dubai Car and Automotive City
- Dubai Design District
- Dubai Flower Center
- Dubai Gold and Diamond Park
- Dubai Healthcare City
- Dubai Industrial City
- Dubai International Academic City
- Dubai International Financial Centre
- Dubai Internet City
- Dubai Knowledge Village
- Dubai Logistics City
- Dubai Media City
- Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
- Dubai Outsource City
- Dubai Production City
- Dubai Silicon Oasis
- Dubai Science Park
- Dubai South (formerly Dubai World Central)
- Dubai Techno Park
- Dubai Textile Village
- Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone
- International Media Production Zone
- International Humanitarian City
- International Free Zone
- Jebel Ali Free Zone
- Jumeirah Lakes Towers Free Zone
- Meydan Free Zone
Sharjah
- Hamriyah Free Zone
- Sharjah Airport International Free Zone
- Sharjah Publishing City
- Sharjah Media City
- Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park
Ajman
- Ajman Free Zone
- Ajman Media City
Ras Al Khaimah
- Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
- RAK Maritime City
- Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone
- Ras Al Khaimah Media Free Zone and Film City
Fujairah
- Fujairah Free Zone
- Fujairah Creative City
Umm Al Quwain
- Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone
Which Free Zone Should I Choose?
There are several advantages to choosing a free zone in Dubai. With Dubai being home to 30 free zones, there is a dedicated free zone for just about every business activity. Dubai is also home to 3.4 million residents and thousands of businesses, so there is a lot of opportunity for those in the B2C segment as well as the B2B space.
Sharjah is only 20 minutes from Dubai, while Ajman is located a 40 minute drive away from Dubai. Ras Al Khaimah lies further north, but it is still only an hour from Dubai. So your options are not limited to free zones in Dubai alone. Free zones in Sharjah offer comparatively lower initial startup costs than free zones in Dubai. For some business activities, you may find free zones in Ajman to be the cheapest, while free zones in Ras Al Khaimah offer a host of advantages.
There is no best free zone, but there can be a right free zone for you, depending on the business activity you have in mind. It makes sense to get in touch with someone experienced in matters of business setup in Dubai freezone and other free zones.
Advantages of Free Zone Company Formation
- 100% foreign ownership permitted in free zones
- 100% exemption from import and export duties
- 100% exemption from corporate taxes for 15 years
- 100% repatriation of capital and profits allowed
- 0% tax on personal income derived from business
- Easy to scale business up or down according to operational needs
One of the advantages of setting up your company in Dubai free zone or other free zones is that you can scale up and down easily, without changing your address. If your business is doing well and you need to hire more staff to support your operations, you can move into a larger office. There are always plenty of fully furnished and semi-furnished office options in a free zone.
If you need to move into a bigger warehouse as part of your expansion plans, you will find that you get one with ease. If your business is not doing too well, and you need to lay off staff, you can move into a smaller office / warehouse to save on rental costs. Your company’s address is a PO Box at the free zone, so the physical location of your office does not make a difference.
Another advantage is that companies located in free zones may be needed to audit their accounts only every three or five years, depending on the free zone. Considering that an audit exercise can cost anything from AED 1,000 for a single-person, single-owner company to AED 25,000 for a small to medium-sized company, there is a lot of savings to be had.
In a free zone, you are free from labor restrictions. Companies on the mainland have to recruit a percentage of their workforce from the local population, but free zone companies do not have to comply with this requirement. You can hire whoever you think would be an asset to your team. You only have to add 100 square feet of office / commercial space for
every employee you hire.
Companies located in free zones do not have to pay 5% Value Added Tax when doing business with companies located in the same free zone or other free zones. There is also no short-term capital gains tax or long-term capital gains tax applicable for companies located in free zones in the United Arab Emirates.
The biggest advantage with choosing a free zone in Dubai is that there is a dedicated free
zone for every type of business activity.
For example, if you were a jeweller, you should look at leasing space in the Dubai Gold and Diamond Park. This is a free zone that is spread over more than 500,000 square feet and has 800 basement parking spaces. It is also located next to a metro station, and some of the world’s finest jewellery and gemstones are sold here. There are only 76 retail stores, so you don’t have to worry about competition. This is where the whole of Dubai comes to shop for jewellery and precious stones, so you would be in a prime location.
Need Help With Free Zone Company Formation in UAE?
We have years of experience with Dubai freezone company formation. Our team of experts has been handpicked for their expertise in Business Consulting, Tax Advisory, Legal, and Corporate Finance. We have been of assistance to clients from 100 countries around the world and have an excellent client satisfaction rate to speak of so far. For more information, call +971 56 408 6728
