WHICH FREE ZONE FOR WHICH PURPOSE?

Selecting an appropriate free zone depends on a number of criteria, chief among which:
•• Availability of suitable license
•• Location – one may favor being close to its main customers or supply chain.
The location should also be considered in relation to employees’ projected domicile;
•• Price – the costs of the constitution and maintenance of an entity will vary from zone to zone.

An important factor to take into consideration is the cost of the premises. As a rule
of thumb, the farther the zone from an urban area – i.e. Dubai or Abu Dhabi City – the
cheaper the premises. Some zones offer cost-effective versatile options in the form of

Flexi-offices/smart-offices/shared offices.
•• Administrative/logistic facilities – the quality of support offered by the zone – i.e for
license processing, visa processing, etc. – may vary.

There are now over 30 free zones in the country spread across all seven emirates, each
having different reasons for and against why one should consider them. How to navigate
all this offering?
By popular demand, the Owners Solutions team has compiled a comparison of UAE’s major free zones,

their core focus, key features. This guide will help you and/or your
clients determine which free zone is most suitable for every specific business concept.
Need more help still? Please do contact us
M. +971 52 772 0777   T.  +971 4 276 56 45