JAFZA is the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, the UAE's oldest and largest free zone — established in 1985 adjacent to Jebel Ali Port, one of the world's busiest container ports.
What it does
JAFZA hosts over 9,500 companies focused on logistics, shipping, manufacturing, and trading. Free-zone benefits include 100% foreign ownership, 50-year tax holiday on most activities, and unrestricted repatriation of capital. JAFZA Offshore (a separate offshore-company regime under the same authority) is also widely used for holding-company structures.
Key facts
| Type | Free zone (logistics / trading) |
| Jurisdiction | Jebel Ali, Dubai |
| Established | 1985 |
| Operator | DP World |
| Companies | 9,500+ |
| Offshore regime | JAFZA Offshore (separate) |
| Official portal | jafza.ae |
