There are several uae free zones across dubai, abu dhabi, sharjah, fujairah, ajman, ras al khaimah rak and umm al quwain. List of freetrade zones in the united arab emirates. There are more than 30 free zones operating in dubai. Doing business in the united arab emirates baker mckenzie. Pdf in their efforts to achieve economic diversification, the uaes federal government and the. Each free zone in the uae cater to a specific type of business category. Ftzs in dubai and the uae are governed pursuant to a special framework of rules and regulations. In 1986, the free zone became independent of dubai municipal laws in 1992, establishments fzes limited to one shareholder could be incorporated to allow for independent business inside free zone uae commercial companies law amended in 1998 to carve out the free zones, allowing establishment of free zone companies. Due to its strategic position with the uaes only access to the indian ocean, fujairah has a bustling, important multipurpose port. Uae free zones business setup consultants were the experienced business setup consultancy for dubai and uae free zones company registration.
Free zones are part of the countrys territories but considered to be outside the customs territory and subject to customs control other than normal customs procedures. There is no minimum capital requirement at twofour54 abu dhabi. Doing business in the uae a tax and legal guide iberglobal. List of uae free zones 21 contacts 22 worldwide contact information 23 note. Some information on this website is out of date as a result of measures taken in the uae to deal with the coronavirus crisis. Free trade zones are areas in the united arab emirates that have a special tax, customs and imports regime. The united emirates is prime for overseas entrepreneurs. It was not the only dubai free zone included in an international ranking and all of the important free zones in the emirate have maintained their particularities that brought them top rankings. Some countries in the middle east were early adopters of free zones.
With the number of zones increasing, their impact on the uae economy has deepened. The 100% foreign ownership allowed within the uae free zones played the major role in the success of these zones. Offshore companies can open current accounts with certain banks in the uae, but cannot carry on active businesses and as such cannot sponsor uae residency visas. Freetrade zone in dubai, ftzs are special economic zones set up with the objective of offering tax concessions and customs duty benefits to expatriate investors. We handle the full range of business setup services.
There is easy access to overseas labour markets and the status of trade between the eastern areas and the western. Ftz rak free zone for trading, import and export activitiesftz dubai internet city for registration of large it. Free zones in the uae an overview inhouse community. The first uae free zone opened in the 1980s, setting the framework for the many that followed, and today there are almost 40 free zones across the uae. The biggest difference between an offshore company and a free zone company is anonymity. Get a free quote by filling your details in the form on the right and discover winning benefits of investing in a free zone company. The uae has a number of free zones across dubai, abu dhabi, sharjah, fujairah, ajman, ras alkhaimah and umm alquwain. Each emirate is entitled to either establish its own judiciary or merge with the federal court system. Free zones may be broadly categorized as seaport free zones, airport free zones, and mainland free zones. Setting up business in the uae free zones, uae freezone, uae free zones, uae free trade zone,company formation in uae free trade zones, jafza offshore, rak offshore and company incorporation in free zones jafza, dafz, rakftz, rakia, afz, dmc, dic, dhcc, saifz, hfz, masdar. Free zones in the uae the uae are the ideal starting point to develop business in the middle east, the asian subcontinent, east africa, the eastern part of the mediterranean, the previous soviet republics and central asia. Abu dhabi, dubai, sharjah, ras al khaimah, umm al quwain, ajman and fujairah.
Click to download our shams business activities pdf. And the value of exports from the free zones reached to 16. The united arab emirates uae is a constitutional federation formed on 2 december 1971 between. The uae free trade zone was initiated in 1980 to work with the establishment of jebel ali. The united arab emirates federal constitution, the federal laws linking to free zones as well as the authorities secured by the single emirates under the federal framework, enable each emirate to establish free zones for. Free zone rules and regulations in the uae amadlaw. Dubai free trade zones, free zones, and economic zones.
A free zone company is not allowed to trade directly with the local united arab emirate uae market. A massive multimillion dirhams development plan on over a mission square metre area is under progress at the free zone, which on completion will be able to accommodate 4000 companies. The uae is home to more than 30 free zones, with a large number of those located within dubai. Ftz dubai international financial center for financial, banking, asset management and insuranceftz umm al quwain specialized in industrial, trading and logistics. Ajman free zone with its package of unbeatable advantages is widely recognised as entrepreneurs haven today. Uae free zones has always been eager to assist investors and businessmen in making a reality of their goal of experiencing the most talked about business freedom in the uae free zones. This slide shows that htmltext can also be used as thumbnails. Drawing on our unparalleled experience in the middle east, this manual. Over 100,000 people live and work here, attracted by our vibrant community, stunning property and high quality lifestyle.
Dubai airport free zone was named the best free zone in the world in 2012 by the financial times foreign direct investment magazine. Free zones in the uae sometimes called a free economic zone, duty free zone, tax free zone, trade free zone or free trade zone allow 100% foreign ownership and free of uae corporate tax, usually guaranteed for 15 or 50 years, but there are other fees to compensate for the tax free environment. Free zones in dubai emirates chartered accountants group. This includes verification of permit requirements, identification of the nature of business of a company wishing to make a presence in the dubai free zone, comply with the legal procedures and business documentation as. In kizad, you can form an llc for which the minimum paidup capital should be aed 150,000.
There are several uae free zones across dubai, abu dhabi, sharjah, fujairah, ajman, ras al khaimah rak and umm al quwain each free zone in the uae cater to a specific type of business category. Ras al khaimah economic zone rakez commercial licences starting from aed 15,802. Free zones in the uae 9 introduction the united arab emirates uae was established on 2nd december 1971 and is a federation of seven emirates, namely. Uae free zones guide in the uae, the first free zone at jebel ali came into existence in 1985 and provided international businesses and corporations a hub, which connected the east and the west and expanded the horizons of their operations. Discover the many advantages of joining our free zone. Currently, approximately 80 percent of the uaes nonoil exports originate from the free zones. In uae 100 % ownership is only possible if the company is set up in the free zone.
In this virtuzone uae business setup guide, we take a look at some of the many benefits of setting up your company in a uae free zone. The establishment of free zones fzs in the uae has been one of the most significant and promising initiate pursued to attract foreign investments. Rak free trade zone and rak investment authority will fall under the authority of rakez to create one of the regions largest economic zones housing more than,000 companies. Free zones import and export company registration in. Differences between an offshore and a free zone company.
The uae government is fully committed to maintaining a. Dubai silicon oasis is an exciting global collaborative initiative, combining decisive forces that shaped. Uae free zones if you are interested to invest in one of the most advantageous jurisdictions and you would like to maintain your 100% ownership and repatriation of capital and profits, then uae free zone is the ideal form for your business. From free zones to special economic zones the uae case study. There are no restrictions or levies on the repatriation of capital and profits by foreign investors outside the uae.
The offshore company can open an account in a uae based bank, and also invest in uae and outside it. Since the establishment of a free trade zone more than a decade ago, commercial activity in the emirates has flourished. Uae still can develop these sectors by merging more technologies within the. Each free zone is designed around one or more commercial categories and only offers licences to companies within those categories. Pkf free zones in the uae introduction 7 introduction the united arab emirates uae was established on 2nd december 1971 and is a federation of seven emirates, namely. The united arab emirates is situated in the eastern part of the arab world. The uae has no foreign exchange controls and the currency of the uae, the dirham, is pegged to the us dollar at a rate of aed 3. Starting a business in a free zone the official portal. Setting up business in the uae free zones, uae freezone, uae free zones,uae free trade zone, rak offshore and company incorporation in free zones\n.
This is applicable to jebel ali free zone, airport free zone, airport free zone, ducamz and. Uae free zones team have the expertise you need to complete the legal requirements for company formation, the setting up of bank accounts, and the acquiring of residency visas. Uae free trade zones consultant for uae free trade zone. Free zones dubai discover 8 benefits for starting a free. There are around 40 free zones operating in the uae, with more under construction. Each emirate is entitled to either establish its own judiciary or merge with the federal.
Development of free zones in united arab emirates global. The main attractions of establishing an entity in one of the uaes free zones is that there are no foreign ownership restrictions and companies are governfored by an independent. Consequently, i believe the uae can continue its economic plans by the adoption of an exportled. This overview only covers a selection of the free zones in the uae, of which there are. Offshore establishmentinternational business companies. That an offshore companys details are kept anonymous and free zone companys information is available upon request. Media in uae free zones must abide by laws the national. In the uae, the first free zone at jebel ali came into existence in 1985 and provided. Each free zone has its own specific requirements regarding minimum office or warehouse space, and. Cosmohub offers a set of services specifically for places in the dubai free zone and other uae free zones as mentioned above. Free zones in dubai are very serious subject to investors nowadays because of its access to sea port and other benefits like ownership, tax exemptions etc. Goods exported from free zones into the local markets are subject to duties articles 15.
Companies joining impz can avail of 100 per cent ownership. As endorsed by the global free zone of the year award from the financial times fdi magazine for five years now, dmcc. Existing local and foreign companies may set up a branch of their company in free zones. Pdf development of free zones in united arab emirates. Overlap in the activities lack of a fedral coordination unit and several authorities within.
Second meeting of the working group on investment zones in. A free zone authority offers business licenses to foreignowned businesses. Today there are more than two dozen free zones only in dubai with over 40 free zones all. There are 3 free zone options available in the uae. A free zone fz entity is the uae offers many tax and business possibilities.
Cheapest freezone in uae what is a free zone in dubai. There are countless reasons why setting up in a free zone is an attractive option for business, entrepreneurs and foreign investors. Different names such as export processing zone epz, free trade zone ftz, special. With excellent air, sea and road links, it is the ideal business base for dubai, the uae and beyond.
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