Dubai's Free Zones
Dubai's free zones are testimony to Dubai's forward looking government, its sound policy making and its commitment to promoting balanced growth and economic diversification and encouraging foreign direct investment. Within the free zones, multinational companies find the state-of-the-art infrastructure and liberal regulatory framework that are conducive to quickly and efficiently establishing operations in the region.
Jebel Ali Freezone (JAFZ)
Jebel Ali Freezone (JAFZ): Jebel Ali Free zone is the ideal warehousing & distribution and industrial hub that provides access to some 2 billion plus demanding and affluent consumer market in the region.
Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA)
Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA): The purpose of the Dubai Airport free zone is to provide foreign investors the facilities and services required to operate their business in Dubai.
Dubai Internet City
Dubai Internet City: Dubai Internet City provides a Knowledge Economy Ecosystem that is designed to support the business development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies. It is the Middle East's biggest IT infrastructure, built inside a free trade zone.
Dubai Media City
Dubai Media City: Strategically located in Dubai at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Dubai Media City is rapidly emerging as a global media free zone.
Knowledge village
Knowledge village: Knowledge Village is a Dubai free zone to a broad-range of education and training operations, ranging from major institutions with large, on-campus facilities, to independent, freelance trainers operating out of the Business Center.
Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre (DMCC) FZE
Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre (DMCC) Free Zones: The Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre (DMCC) is a strategic initiative of the Dubai government created to establish a commodity market place in Dubai.
Dubai Health Care City
Dubai Health Care City Free Zone: The Government of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is developing Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) with the goal of creating a regional center of excellence for medical services, medical education, and life science research and development in the Middle East.
Dubai Maritime City FZE
Dubai Maritime City FZE: Dubai Maritime City (DMC) to be the World's Largest Maritime Development.
Mohammed Bin Rashid Technology Park
Mohammed Bin Rashid Technology Park: Mohammed Bin Rashid Technology Park promises to reinforce Dubai's role as the premier regional technology and science free zone and hub.
Dubai Cars and Automotive Zone
Dubai Cars and Automotive Zone: DUCAMZ was established with the objective of re-exporting used cars to the Asian and African Region where the demand exists and continues to grow.
Dubai Gold & Diamond Park
Dubai Gold & Diamond Park: Dubai Gold & Diamond Park is located in Dubai - U.A.E.
Dubai Silicon Oasis FZE
Dubai Silicon Oasis FZE: Dubai Silicon Oasis is a world-class technology park focused on attracting microelectronics- and optoelectronics-related enterprises.
Dubai Aid City FZE
Dubai Aid City Free Zone: Dubai Aid City will be the world’s first dedicated, integrated base for the multi-billion dollar aid sector. The fully integrated aid distribution and storage facility designed and dedicated for use by the international aid community, will be located in the southern area of the Jebel Ali Free Zone.
Dubai Flower Center Free Zone
Dubai Flower Center Free Zone. Built at an estimated cost of US $300 million, the DUBAI FLOWER CENTRE will be the only state-of-the-art facility that will exclusively cater to cut flowers in transit through the Middle East.
Incentives for establishing your business in Dubai free zones vary by free zone but typically include:
- 100% foreign ownership
- Exemption from corporate and income taxes
- Exemptions from customs duties
- The freedom to repatriate both capital and profits
- Absence of currency restrictions
- Abundant inexpensive energy supply
- Efficient transport and distribution facilities
- A high level of administrative and recruitment support via free-zone authorities' comprehensive and efficient One Stop Shop facilities.
From the JAFZA to DMC, Dubai has created robust economic clusters around its free zones and spared no cost in ensuring that these free zones are at the cutting edge in terms of infrastructure and strategic positioning. These knowledge clusters provide significant efficiencies and competitive advantages to companies and have been key in transforming Dubai to a knowledge economy. Dubai's meteoric rise to a position of leadership as an international trade and commerce hub can be largely traced to the policies that created the free zones and continue to pave the way forward with similar incentives and investments at the Government level.
Application procedures for the free zones are simple and streamlined with maximum support provided by the individual zones to speed the process for individual companies. When a company is approved for a Free Trade Zone, it is given one of the following licenses by the Free Zone Authority.
Trade License
Companies which are legally incorporated outside the UAE in imports and exports are permitted a Trade license. Ownership can remain 100% foreign and no license is required from the Economic Department
Industrial License
Companies that are legally incorporated in industrial production outside the UAE and are within the Free Trade Zone can be given an Industrial license. Ownership can be 100% foreign and no Economic Department License is required.
Service License
Companies holding a valid license from the respective government body in the UAE can offer banking, contracting services etc. but have to abide by any requirements of the governing body.
National Industrial License
Industrial manufacturers granted this license are accorded the same status as a local or GCC company in the UAE. Share capital must be at least 51% AGCC and 40% of the sale value of the product must be value-added.
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