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The capital's free zones span industry, media, tech and finance, from KEZAD's industrial parks to twofour54's creative cluster and ADGM's financial centre.
Abu Dhabi CornicheLicences from AED 12,000 (indicative). Every package includes 100% ownership, a lease agreement and bank account assistance.
The region's largest industrial ecosystem, warehousing and manufacturing
Media and creative free zone with major studio and production incentives
Cleantech and sustainability-focused cluster
Abu Dhabi Global Market, the capital's international financial centre
A free zone company gives you full ownership, a fast licence and a flexi desk that satisfies the office requirement, without renting square metres you do not need yet.
Foreign ownership, no local partner
Working days to licence, typical
Customs duty in zone and on re-exports
Licence packages start from
Free zones suit consultancies, trading and e-commerce businesses that sell internationally or business-to-business rather than to UAE consumers on the high street.
Abu Dhabi free zone licences start from AED 12,000 (indicative). Visas and office upgrades are the two things that move the number.
Breeo is a registered agent with the major UAE free zones, so you get the authority's real government fees with no service charge added on free zone setups. If you find a better like-for-like quote, we will beat it.
Indicative. Exact quote confirmed in writing before you commit.
Free zones win on cost and speed, but they do not let you sell directly to UAE consumers without a distributor or branch. Here is the honest comparison.
| Free zone | Mainland | Offshore | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign ownership | 100% | 100% on most activities | 100% |
| Trade inside the UAE | Through a distributor or branch | Yes, unrestricted | No |
| Corporate tax | 0% on qualifying income | 9% above AED 375,000 | 0% on foreign income |
| Visas | Tied to package, scalable | Unlimited, scales with office | None |
| Office required | Flexi desk included | Physical office (Ejari) | Registered address only |
| Typical setup time | 2 to 5 working days | 5 to 10 working days | About 1 week |
| Indicative from | AED 5,750 | AED 14,500 | AED 12,000 |
| Best for | Consultancies, trading, e-commerce | Retail, contracting, government work | Holding, asset protection |
Indicative figures. Corporate tax treatment depends on your activity and qualifying income, we confirm your position in writing before you commit.
Not directly to UAE consumers. You can sell business-to-business through a mainland distributor, or open a mainland branch later. If your customers are UAE walk-in retail, mainland is the right structure and we will tell you so.
No. Every package includes a flexi desk or lease agreement that satisfies the authority's office requirement, which is why free zone setups start so much lower than mainland.
It depends on the package. Most entry packages include zero to two visas and you can scale up. Each investor visa adds roughly AED 5,900 including medical, Emirates ID and stamping.
Qualifying free zone income is taxed at 0%, but the qualifying rules are specific and mainland sourced income can fall outside them. We will walk you through your actual position.
Tell us your activity and visa count and we will send today's exact packages side by side.
Find out how much it'll cost to start your company. Get a clear estimate based on your activity, visas and office requirements. Plan smarter with full confidence.
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