Entrepreneurs can easily set up the cheapest free zone company without any hassle in Dubai. The city offers significant business benefits and opportunities for investors. Dubai is one of the safest cities to live. Also, the cheapest Free Zones in UAE attract global investors to set up their low-cost companies. The investors can easily relocate with their families and experience a luxurious living at 1/3rd the cost of a European city.
This article focuses on the cheapest free zones in the UAE and the several business benefits the UAE Free Zones have to offer to entrepreneurs. There are various aspects that determine the selection of a Free Zone.
Table of contents – Cheapest freezone in UAE
Several factors make the Free Zones of UAE a favorite choice for entrepreneurs. A Free Zone in UAE becomes the entrepreneur’s choice depending on the infrastructure facilities. Also, due to the cheapest business license packages and other business benefits.
The Free Zones in UAE are most in demand due to the cheap trade license and the facilities they offer the entrepreneurs for setting up a company.
Which is the Cheapest Free Zone in UAE?
The Sharjah Media City is a popular Free Zone in the Emirate of Sharjah. Yet SHAMS offers one of the cheapest Trade License in the UAE. The cost of a Trade License in SHAMS starts at AED 5,800. Similarly, the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) also offers cheapest Trade License in the UAE.
The Free Zones (SHAMS and SRTIP) offer Trade License at a cost between AED 5000 to AED 6000. Another Free Zone in Sharjah that offers cheapest Trade license package is Sharjah Publishing City. The Cost of the cheapest Trade License starts at AED 6,876 for a Zero Visa quota Package.
The popularity of SHAMS Free Zone among investors makes it the first choice for setting up a company for startups in Sharjah Emirates. Also, the cheapest Trade License will enable entrepreneurs to keep their business setup costs low.
Startups and first-time entrepreneurs while choosing a Free Zone in UAE for setting up a company mostly look for cheapest Trade License cost.
List of Top Cheapest Free Zones in UAE – 2024
The cheapest Free zones in UAE offer a wide variety of business licenses, activities, and support services. There are various factors when it comes to choosing the right business package for your company. It mainly includes the location of the Free Zone, Office facilities, visa quota, and more.
The top cheapest Free Zones in UAE based on popularity among investors and offering low-cost business license packages in 2024 are the following:
- International Free Zone Authority – IFZA
- Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone – RAKEZ
- Meydan Free Zone, Dubai
- Ajman Free Zone
- Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park – SRTIP
- Sharjah Media City
- Sharjah Publishing City
The Free Zones in UAE are very competitive when it comes to Business License Packages and support services. Also, the investors are always looking for ways to keep the company setup cost low.
To add value to the investors and at the same time keep their overall business setup cost low, the Free Zones offer a host of Business facilities. Let’s have a look at the relatively cheap free zones in UAE that offer low-cost free zone licenses:
List of Cheapest Free Zones in UAE based on the Trade license cost
The trade license costs of the cheapest free zone packages are ranging from AED 5,500 to AED 12,500 based on visa quota and facilities. The below table consists of package details of some of the cheapest free zones from various emirates in the UAE.
| Sl No. | Free Zones | Emirates | Trade License Cost | Visa Quota & Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IFZA | Dubai | AED 12,900 | Zero Visa Quota |
| 2 | SHAMS Free Zone | Sharjah | AED 5,800 | Zero Visa Quota, Coworking Space |
| 3 | SRTIP Free Zone | Sharjah | AED 5,500 | Zero Visa Quota, Services Business License |
| 4 | SPC Free Zone | Sharjah | AED 6,876 | Zero Visa Quota, Coworking Space |
| 5 | RAKEZ | Ras Al-Khaimah | AED 11,440 | Zero Visa Quota, Flexi Desk type, Services Business license |
| 6 | Meydan Free Zone | Dubai | AED 12,500 | Zero Visa Quota, Shared Offices |
| 7 | Ajman Free Zone | Ajman | AED 5,555 | Zero Visa Quota with Smart Desk |
The Cheapest Free Zone in Dubai is IFZA with a business license cost starting from AED 12,900. The IFZA Free Zone, Dubai offers investors ample facilities to easily scale up their business in UAE. The Free Zone being in Dubai has multiple advantages for the investors in terms of business operations.
Cheapest Free Zones in Dubai
Free Trade Zones in Dubai offer a wide range of business setup packages for global investors. The cheapest Business license in Dubai is starting from AED 12,900. So, it is a perfect choice to start a business venture in Dubai at lower initial setup costs.
The Cheapest Free Zones in Dubai for 2024 are Dubai Meydan and IFZA. Both of these Free Zones offer competitive packages for investors to set up their companies in Dubai.
The Freezones in Dubai offers a host of benefits for its investors. When it comes to the business setup cost, Free Zones in Dubai are surely at a premium. However, Cost-effective Free zones in Dubai offer unmatched business setup solutions and cheap trade licenses to set up your dream company.
Following low-cost Free Trade Zones in Dubai will provide all required business infrastructure for new investors.
1. International Free Zone Authority (IFZA)
The cheapest Free Zone in Dubai is IFZA (International Free Zone Authority). IFZA offers a low-cost company license in Dubai without visas at a cost of AED 12,900. This is the cheap and best Dubai free zone license offer in 2024.
IFZA Free Zone offers the cheapest Free Zone License in Dubai for company owners. Also, they have office spaces of various sizes at the Digital Park Building in Dubai Silicon Oasis. Holding Company in IFZA is a popular business type among foreign investors.
The Free Zone offers a host of cheap startup packages across a wide range of business activities. There are services, trading, and manufacturing licenses available for investors to easily establish their startups in Dubai.
General Trading License – (1 Visa Package) – 17,500 AED Yearly (The package amount might slightly vary in actuals)
To know more about the IFZA business setup packages, click here: IFZA
2. Dubai Meydan Free Zone
Meydan Free Zone is one of the prime locations and a perfect choice for low-cost office space in Dubai. The Free Zone also provides a No Objection Certificate to open an office space anywhere in Dubai.
The Free Zone offers a host of amenities and support services for the businesses. The NOC benefits the company owners to keep their office rent low by taking small office space in the mainland UAE.
For certain businesses having a Dubai address is beneficial for their business growth. Meydan Free Zone is the perfect choice for them as it is located in the Meydan Hotel and is adjacent to Meydan Racecourse..
3. Dubai South Free Trade Zone
Dubai South is one of the dynamic Free Zones in Dubai. It is located near the Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport and the Jebel Ali Port. Much of Dubai’s progress is centred in the South of Dubai.
Many attractive projects are coming up there such as the Jebel Ali Palm, Logistics Village expansion projects, and Dubai Industrial Park expansion projects. Dubai South offers a low-cost company setup package starting from AED 12,890 for 1 visa quota.
Dubai South provides investors with a host of Value Added Services for smoothly operating their businesses. They offer Accounting, VAT Registration, Bank Account Opening, Business Center Access, Health Insurance, and more.
Again, being one of the Free Zones that offer the cheapest company setup in Dubai, it is an investor’s preferred choice.
Cheapest Free Zones in Northern Emirates – Sharjah, RAK, Ajman
The Sharjah Research Technology & Innovation Park offers the cheapest Trade License. Also, the Sharjah Media City and Sharjah Publishing City are the most cost-effective Free Zones in UAE. Additionally, Free Zones in Sharjah offers the right infrastructure for star entrepreneurs to set up their companies with ease and minimal documentation.
Presently in 2024, SRTI Free Zone offers one of the cheapest business licenses for various activities such as consulting, media, and e-commerce. The Free zone also offers the cheapest general trading license in UAE for selling multiple items.
The Free Trade Zones in Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman & Umm Al Quwain are cost-effective Free Zones considering company setup costs and other various reasons. The total cost of setting up a business includes the trade license cost, office rent expenses, administrative expenses, and visa costs.
The Free Zones in the Northern Emirates such as the SRTIP, SPC, SHAMS, RAKEZ, etc., offer the cheapest trade licenses to investors in UAE. The SPC Free Zone offers cheap business licenses for various activities such as consulting, media, e-commerce, etc. SPC Free Zone also offers the cheapest general trading license in UAE for selling multiple items.
Additionally, the cost of a business license will be relatively lower than Free Trade Zones in Dubai. However, there are free zones such as IFZA and Meydan that offer the cheapest Free Zone license in Dubai.
Cheapest Free Zone License in Sharjah
The Free Zones in Sharjah offer investors a range of business license packages. The cheapest Free Zone License in Sharjah starts from AED 5,500 for a Zero Visa quota package. Sharjah Free Zones offer best-in-class infrastructure to investors at a relatively lower cost compared to free zones in Dubai.
1. Sharjah Publishing City
Sharjah Publishing City is a dynamic Free Trade Zone in the Emirates of Sharjah. It offers a host of low-cost office packages and low-cost visas for investors.
This Free Zone is also a perfect choice for start-ups and entrepreneurs to set up a company at the lowest cost. SPC Free Zone is the best option for starting a new general trading company at the cheapest trade license cost in UAE.
2. Sharjah Media City
The cheapest free zone in UAE is the Sharjah Media City Free Zone, known as SHAMS which is located at the Emirates of Sharjah. SHAMS Free Zone offers media license for AED 5,800 and a standard trade license for AED 8,050. The investors can choose up to 3 related business activities and use the Flexi-Desk facility for a nominal fee on a monthly basis.
Sharjah Media City is one of the fastest-growing Free Trade Zone in Sharjah. Low-cost company licenses and visas are the highlights of this Free Zone. As a result, Sharjah Media City is the cheapest freezone in UAE.
The low-cost license package is an add-on for new investors to easily start their company in the Free Zone. It also provides the cheapest general trading license in UAE.
3. Sharjah Research Technology & Innovation Park
The Sharjah Research Technology & Innovation Park (SRTIP) is one of the latest Free Trade Zones in Sharjah. It offers Low-Cost Trade licenses to entrepreneurs. SRTIP aims at providing a perfect solution for young business enthusiasts to easily scale up their business initiatives.
The Free Zone provides Startup Accelerator and Business Incubator programs for funding startups in their initial stages of operations. The incentives at SRTIP enable entrepreneurs to easily test and launch their startups.
For startups, the SRTIP Free Zone is an ideal choice as it offers one of the cheapest Free Zone Licenses in UAE starting at AED 5,500. The investor gets a Zero Visa company for business activities such as consulting, accounting, media, etc.
Cheapest Free Zones in Abu Dhabi
There are a few Cheapest Free Zones in Abu Dhabi that will help investors to set up their companies at a lower cost. Abu Dhabi is a growing business and economic hub of the UAE with immense potential for companies to invest and operate their business.
Following are a few Free Zones that offer the cheapest business license in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
1. Kezad Free Trade Zone
The Kezad Free Zone in Abu Dhabi offers the cheapest trade license at AED 9,450 to investors. The Free Zone offers entrepreneurs a host of business incentives and benefits in setting up their company in Kezad.
2. Masdar City Free Zone
Masdar City Free Zone is one the most energy-friendly and sustainable Free Zones in the region. The Free Zone has associated with many energy management companies to create a perfect ecosystem for startup and research projects.
Investors can opt for an all-inclusive startup package with up to 5 business activities, a trade license fee, and shared desk space for AED 19,000.
3. Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone
Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone offers a host of business benefits for investors aiming to set up their company in the Middle East. They offer a one-stop shop environment for entrepreneurs and offer one of the cheapest business licenses in the UAE.
The ADAFZ has a wide range of business infrastructure ranging from office spaces, warehousing units, commercial offices, fully furnished offices, and more. The proximity to the Abu Dhabi International Airport makes the Free Zone one of the best choices for foreign investors to set up their companies.
Other Cheapest Free Zone License in UAE
Free zones in other emirates such as Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman are also offering some cheapest license packages. Some of such free zones are:
1. Ras Al Khaimah Economic Freezone (RAKEZ)
RAKEZ is a cost-effective business hub with customized solutions for business establishments to set up your dream company. RAKEZ offers affordable business set-up packages, modern facilities, and first-class services. It has the state of the art infrastructure and hi-tech facilities for industrial growth and development.
Commercial Licence – Allowed to conduct 5 similar activities from the chosen category – 14,800 AED Yearly. (The package amount might slightly vary in actual).
Check out the Company Registration cost for RAKEZ here.
2. Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ)
The Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone is the best free zone in UAE for start-ups and SMEs. Its proximity to Dubai, access to international ports, and top-class infrastructure are making it an investor’s favourite.
The Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone has been operating as an autonomous Freezone since its inception in 2014. Due to its low-cost business setup packages, UAQ Free Zone is expected to have rapid adoption in the coming years.
Commercial License (2 Visa Packages) – 20,500 AED Yearly [The package amount will vary in actual]
Read more on the Umm Al Quwain Free Zone here.
3. Ajman Media City Free Zone
Ajman Media City is one of the most affordable free zones in the UAE. This free zone also offers investors a range of business activities and business license types at the lowest cost.
The Ajman Media City has various office types such as shared, customized, Flexi-desk, etc., with world-class infrastructure. Ranging from trading licenses to special license categories such as media and creative activities, it has all for the entrepreneurs.
It is considered a top-notch hub for media and entertainment companies to set up the office. Also, Ajman Media City offers the cheapest trade license in UAE to media agencies and creative people who are looking for a profitable business establishment.
Commercial License (1 Visa Package) – 11,952 AED Yearly [The package amount will vary in actuals]
Click here to know more about Ajman Media City Freezone.
The most important components in the business setup are deciding your business activity, business license types, and the perfect location. Hence, UAE is the perfect place to establish your business and gain global access easily.
For all your queries on low-cost business setup in UAE & cheapest trade license in UAE contact us right away!
