business setup

Dubai South — formerly Dubai World Central — is a 145 km² master-planned aerotropolis built around Al Maktoum International Airport, the airport that will eventually replace Dubai International. It groups Logistics, Aviation, Business Park, Commercial, and Residential districts alongside Expo City Dubai, and licenses aviation, logistics, e-commerce, and services businesses under standard UAE free-zone benefits.

The Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) is the UAE's largest free zone outside Dubai and Abu Dhabi by registered company count, formed in 2017 from the merger of RAK FTZ and RAKIA. It combines budget-priced licences with genuine industrial plots and warehouses — a rare combination that puts it on the shortlist for both solo founders and manufacturers.

A direct comparison of the UAE's seven most-used free zones — from DMCC's commodities cluster to ADGM's English common-law financial centre. Speciality, regulator, cost tier, and when to use each, plus how free zones now sit alongside the post-2021 mainland 100% ownership reform.

The International Free Zone Authority (IFZA) is Dubai's budget-friendly free zone, headquartered in Dubai Silicon Oasis. It is built around a broker-distributed model, issues licences in 48-72 hours, and is the cheapest entry point among the major Dubai free zones for solo founders, consultants, and freelancers.

DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) is the UAE's largest free zone by registered company count, with 25,000+ businesses operating from the 67-tower Jumeirah Lakes Towers cluster. It accepts 600+ activities, runs the influential DMCC Crypto Centre, and offers 0% corporate tax for qualifying free zone persons plus 100% foreign ownership.