A UAE free-zone company is registered with the selected zone authority under its legal forms, activity list and facility rules. Kinzaad compares the activity, ownership, customers, workspace, visas and current authority fees before preparing the application.
Free zone company formation, in brief. Select a free zone that licenses the intended activity, choose an available legal form, reserve the trade name, arrange the required workspace, submit shareholder documents and pay the authority's current registration and licence fees. Visa and mainland-market requirements are checked separately.
The UAE Ministry of Economy explains the general free-zone business setup steps and legal forms; the selected zone's current rules still control the application.
A free zone is a designated economic area with its own registration authority, legal forms, licensed activities and facility requirements. Examples include IFZA, Meydan, DMCC, RAKEZ, SHAMS and Dubai South, but they are not interchangeable packages.
Free zones can permit full foreign ownership under their rules. The practical comparison is whether the zone licenses the exact activity, supports the required workspace and visas, and provides a lawful route for the company's intended customers and transactions.
A free zone company suits you if you plan to:
Check the onshore route. If the company will operate a physical outlet, serve regulated local activities or enter contracts requiring a mainland licence, compare mainland company formation. A free-zone company's permitted mainland activity depends on the zone, activity and applicable licence, branch, permit or distribution arrangement.
One provider for the whole thing, so you're not chasing the zone, a PRO and a bank separately:
We confirm the activity, customer market, workspace, visa needs and budget, then compare relevant free-zone authorities.
The proposal separates quoted free-zone fees, Kinzaad service fees and known recurring components for the selected route.
We prepare the name, activity, legal-form and supporting documents required by the selected free-zone authority.
After licence issuance, we support establishment-card and visa stages where applicable and help organise the corporate bank account application. The authority and bank make their own decisions.
Shortlist only zones that license the activity and meet the required location, facility, visa and customer-market needs. Confirm all fees directly for the current package.
| Free zone | Profiles commonly considered | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| SHAMS (Sharjah) | Media, creative and service activities | Exact activity, legal form, facility and visa package |
| Ajman Free Zone | Trading, services and industrial activities | Licence scope, facility, customs and visa requirements |
| RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah) | Commercial, service and industrial profiles | Facility type, activity approvals and immigration allocation |
| Dubai South | Logistics, aviation and commercial activities | Location, facility, activity and package inclusions |
| Meydan Free Zone | Commercial and professional activities | Activity list, workspace, visa allocation and renewal |
| IFZA | Consulting, service and trading activities | Legal form, activities, facility and immigration fees |
| DMCC | Commodities and other approved activities | Activity-specific approvals, premises and current tariffs |
This is a comparison shortlist, not a claim of affiliation. Each authority controls its own eligibility, documents, timing and fees.
The honest short version — the full breakdown is in our comparison guide.
| Free Zone | Mainland | |
|---|---|---|
| Trade in the local UAE market | B2B | Directly, anywhere |
| 100% foreign ownership | Yes | Yes (most activities) |
| Cost basis | Zone, legal form, package, workspace and visas | Activity, legal form, approvals, premises and visas |
| Office requirement | Flexi-desk often enough | Tenancy (Ejari) needed |
| Visa allocation | Capped by package | Scalable |
| Contract eligibility | Check the tender and zone rules | Check the tender's licence and local-presence rules |
Book a free consultation and we will compare zones that support the activity, workspace, visa and customer requirements, then prepare an itemised quote.