- Ecommerce licences start at about AED 5,000–6,000 a year in Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, and around AED 12,500 in Dubai zones like Meydan.
- RAKEZ is the only budget package that includes a residence visa. Elsewhere, budget roughly AED 8,000 extra for your first visa.
- Any of these licences works on Amazon.ae and noon. Your customers never see which emirate your licence comes from.
- Corporate tax is 9% on profit above AED 375,000. Online sales to UAE shoppers rarely qualify for the free zone 0% rate, so plan on the standard rules.
- Need your own warehouse? Look at Dubai CommerCity, JAFZA or Dubai South. Everyone else can use a 3PL and a flexi-desk.
The best UAE free zone for ecommerce is usually not the famous one. For most online sellers, a low-cost zone with a ready-made ecommerce licence does everything you need.
Your shoppers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will never see which emirate your licence comes from. Amazon.ae and noon accept them all.
So the real question is what you need beyond the licence: a visa, a Dubai address, or your own warehouse.
Below, I compare nine zones on price, visas, office and warehouse options, then show what year one costs and which zone fits which seller.
What makes a free zone good for ecommerce?
A free zone is a business area with its own licensing authority. Companies there can be 100% foreign-owned and are quick to set up.
The UAE has dozens of them. Only some fit an online store well.
Look for five things:
- An ecommerce activity. The licence should name ecommerce or online trading, plus the products you sell, such as general trading or cosmetics.
- A fair package price. Compare the full year-one bill, including visa, establishment card and renewal, not just the headline licence.
- Visas when you need them. One visa makes you a UAE resident and makes the bank account far easier.
- The right space. Most sellers only need a flexi-desk, a shared desk that gives you a legal address. Sellers with lots of stock need warehouse access.
- Help with the extras. Bank introductions, the TDRA permit for online activity (TDRA is the UAE's digital regulator) and marketplace onboarding.
Not sure a free zone beats a mainland licence for you? Start with free zone vs mainland for ecommerce.
UAE free zones for ecommerce at a glance
| Emirate | Ecommerce licence from | Visa in package | Office / warehouse | Licence speed | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPC Free Zone | Sharjah | AED 5,750 | Flexi-desk | From 45 minutes | Cheapest start, solo sellers | |
| Shams | Sharjah | AED 5,750 | Flexi-desk, creator studios | About 60 minutes | Creators and social sellers | |
| Ajman Free Zone | Ajman | About AED 5,000–5,600 | Flexi-desk, warehouses | Low cost with storage options | ||
| RAKEZ | Ras Al Khaimah | AED 6,000 | 1 visa | Flexi-desk to in-zone warehouses | Minutes (instant licence) | Best value with a visa |
| Meydan Free Zone | Dubai | AED 12,500 | Workspace included | 24 hours (60 min Fawri) | Dubai address, marketplace help | |
| IFZA | Dubai | About AED 12,900 | Flexi-desk | Weeks | Dubai address via agents | |
| DMCC | Dubai | About AED 20,000 | 1–2 year visas | Desk to office, storage via JAFZA | About 10 working days | Prestige, larger teams |
| Dubai CommerCity | Dubai | About AED 22,000 | 2 visas | Offices, warehouses, fulfilment | Ecommerce hub near DXB | |
| JAFZA | Dubai | About AED 28,600 | 2 visas | Bonded warehouses by the port | Big stock, GCC distribution |
The gap is big. A Dubai address roughly doubles the licence price, and a warehouse-ready zone costs four to five times more.
For a pure online store with a 3PL, the cheaper zones do the same job.
The zones, one by one
The first five are in Dubai. The last four are in the northern emirates, where prices are lower and the licences work just as well online.
Meydan Free Zone (Dubai)
Meydan is the most seller-friendly Dubai option. A digital trade licence costs from AED 12,500 and arrives within 24 hours. The Fawri licence costs AED 15,000 and takes under an hour.
Its mPlus programme registers your Amazon and noon seller accounts and connects you with warehousing and delivery partners. Meydan also sells a non-resident licence and says a DET permit lets you work from a mainland office.
IFZA (Dubai)
IFZA is based in Dubai Silicon Oasis and is popular with setup agents. It offers ecommerce and portal licences (a portal licence covers sites that connect buyers and sellers).
Setup agents quote IFZA ecommerce licences from about AED 12,900 without a visa, plus a one-time registration fee of about AED 2,200.
DMCC (Dubai)
DMCC is Dubai's premium free zone, with 26,000+ member companies in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. It has Basic, Starter and Premium ecommerce packages, with 50% off the second-year renewal.
DMCC puts its licences at about AED 20,000–50,000 a year. With a desk and a visa, year one usually lands above AED 30,000.
Dubai CommerCity (Dubai)
CommerCity is the region's first free zone built only for digital commerce, right next to DXB airport. It combines offices, warehouses, fulfilment and last-mile delivery, and works with Dubai Customs on cross-border trade.
It was 96% occupied in the first half of 2026, so ask about space early.
JAFZA and Dubai South (Dubai)
These are logistics zones first. JAFZA sits next to Jebel Ali Port and hosts 11,000+ businesses. It usually expects physical-goods companies to rent warehouse space.
Dubai South's ecommerce district counts large couriers and marketplaces among its tenants.
RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah)
RAKEZ is the best value if you want a visa. Its ecommerce package starts at AED 6,000 with one residence visa and two extra activities free.
It arranges the free TDRA permit for website or social selling in about two working days. It needs a .ae domain, offers Amazon onboarding support and has in-zone warehouses for when you grow.
SPC Free Zone (Sharjah)
Sharjah Publishing City has the cheapest published price: an ecommerce licence from AED 5,750 a year, covering up to five activities.
You can spread the fee over monthly instalments for up to a year. SPC also publishes its own guide to opening a noon seller account.
Shams (Sharjah)
Shams, the Sharjah Media City free zone, is built for media and creators, with podcast rooms and filming spaces on site. Ecommerce and social-selling licences start at AED 5,750 without a visa, issued online in about an hour.
Ajman Free Zone (Ajman)
Ajman is a budget zone with real storage options, not just desks. Agent price lists show ecommerce packages from about AED 5,000–5,600 without a visa.
3PLs also use the zone to hold duty-suspended stock.
Can a free zone company sell to customers across the UAE?
Yes, online. Free zone companies deliver online orders to shoppers all over the UAE every day.
What a free zone company can't do on its own is trade physically on the mainland. A shop, a showroom or a mainland office needs a mainland licence or a DET permit, the route Meydan describes.
Ask your zone to confirm in writing that your licence covers online sales to UAE consumers. Then show your licence details on your store, as UAE consumer law requires.
Marketplaces accept free zone licences
Amazon.ae asks for a valid UAE trade licence, mainland or free zone. noon UAE treats a free zone ecommerce licence as the usual route for foreign founders, and checks eligibility in 24–48 working hours.
Two small extras favour Dubai licences:
- DET x Amazon Accelerator. Holders of a Dubai trade licence get AED 2,000 in ad credit and six months of free support.
- Meydan mPlus. Help setting up Amazon, noon and 15+ other marketplace accounts.
See the full steps in how to sell on noon UAE and the Amazon UAE seller guide.
What does year one really cost?
Expect about AED 10,250–25,000 in year one for a free zone company with one visa, even though licences start from AED 6,000. The licence is the smallest surprise; visas and ID add up.
Worked example: a solo skincare seller, three routes
Say you sell skincare on Shopify and noon from your home in Dubai. You need one residence visa and a flexi-desk.
| Item (AED) | SPC Free Zone | RAKEZ | Meydan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce licence | 5,750 | 6,000, with one visa | 12,500 |
| Investor visa | about 4,000 | included | 4,000 |
| Establishment card | about 2,000 | about 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Medical and Emirates ID | about 2,250 | about 2,250 | 2,250 |
| Year-one total | about 14,000 | about 10,250 | 20,750 |
The visa, card and ID lines are Meydan's published fees. SPC and RAKEZ charge similar amounts, so their columns use the same figures. RAKEZ also sells an all-inclusive package for AED 14,000.
The RAKEZ route comes in about AED 10,500 below Meydan. That's a solid ad budget for your first months on noon.
Before you sign, ask for the renewal price, the bank account process and what extra fees apply for regulated products like cosmetics.
Tax: what will you pay in a free zone?
Free zone companies pay the same 5% VAT and, in most ecommerce cases, the same corporate tax as mainland ones.
Corporate tax
Corporate tax is 0% on the first AED 375,000 of profit and 9% above it. Every licensed company must register on EmaraTax, even with zero profit, and late registration costs AED 10,000.
Here's the free zone detail that matters. A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on "qualifying income", but retail sales to UAE mainland shoppers generally don't qualify.
So plan on the standard 0% / 9% rules. Small Business Relief lets companies with revenue up to AED 3 million pay nothing until the end of 2029, but companies claiming the free zone regime can't use it. A tax adviser can tell you which works better.
VAT
VAT is 5%. Registration is mandatory once taxable sales and imports pass AED 375,000 in 12 months, and voluntary from AED 187,500.
Registering early lets you reclaim the VAT on stock, ads and fees. Read UAE VAT for online sellers and our corporate tax guide.
How hard is the bank account?
The bank account is the slowest step for most sellers. Plan on 2–4 weeks after your licence arrives.
Three things help:
- Take a visa. Banks treat a resident with an Emirates ID as a lower-risk customer.
- Use your zone's bank partners. Meydan says it works with 26+ banks, and SPC advertises an account in about three working days.
- Bring proof of trade. Supplier invoices, your marketplace store and a short plan of monthly sales.
While you wait, keep selling. Marketplaces can pay out to international accounts, so your launch doesn't stall.
Which free zone should you choose?
Start with what you need beyond the licence. Then the choice almost makes itself.
- 1
Testing the market from abroad
Pick a zero-visa licence in SPC, Shams or Ajman, or skip the company and start on Amazon or noon cross-border.
- 2
Moving to the UAE to run your store
Choose RAKEZ for the cheapest package with a visa, or Meydan if you want a Dubai address and marketplace onboarding.
- 3
Creator or social seller
Shams suits Instagram and TikTok sellers, with studios and fast online setup.
- 4
Brand needing a Dubai presence
Meydan or IFZA for value, DMCC for a premium address and room for a larger team.
- 5
Holding lots of stock
Dubai CommerCity for an all-in ecommerce hub, JAFZA or Dubai South for port-side bonded warehousing.
Want help comparing quotes? Browse UAE business setup consultants or ask for matched offers on our quotes page.
Meydan Free Zone
Best for: Founders who want a fast, fully online Dubai licence with a Dubai address
- Standard digital trade licence from AED 12,500 with up to 3 activity groups and flexi-desk
- Fawri licence 'in 60 minutes' from AED 15,000, with money-back guarantee if delayed
- 2,500+ selectable activities; 26+ banking partners; multi-year licences save up to 15%
IFZA (International Free Zone Authority)
Best for: Cost-conscious Dubai setups sold through agents, including trading/ecommerce activities
- Free zone in Dubai Silicon Oasis with its own business park
- Also offers business setup in Panama
RAKEZ (Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone)
Best for: Ecommerce sellers who need low-cost licence plus affordable warehouse space in the UAE
- 'Straight to Business in 24 Hours' package from AED 6,000; all-inclusive set-up AED 14,000
- Instant online licence in under five minutes (company claim)
- Dedicated ecommerce package; warehouses of various sizes
DMCC
Best for: Brands wanting a prestige Dubai address and physical office, including Chinese trading companies
- 26,000+ registered companies from 180+ countries
- Setup takes 'around 10 working days'
- 1,000+ licensed activities; 0% corporate tax on qualifying income
Dubai CommerCity
Best for: Pure-play ecommerce businesses wanting licence, office and fulfilment in one Dubai zone
- Says it is the first free zone dedicated exclusively to digital commerce in MEASA
- Joint venture of DIEZ and Wasl Properties
- Warehousing and fulfilment inside the zone
Shams (Sharjah Media City)
Best for: Solo founders, creators and small online sellers wanting a low-cost UAE licence
- Established 2017 by Emiri decree; 2 million sq m site
- Podcast room and filming locations for content creators
Notes for warehouse-heavy sellers
- A 3PL in a Dubai free zone stores and ships your stock without you renting a warehouse. Compare UAE 3PL and fulfilment providers.
- Renting your own space in JAFZA or Dubai South runs about AED 25–35 per square foot a year.
- noon's FBN warehouse sits in Jebel Ali Freezone and serves both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Notes for non-residents
- Meydan's non-resident licence and most zero-visa packages can be set up online, without a trip.
- Plan one visit for the bank meeting. Book it around your visa medical if you take a visa, so one trip covers both.
Notes for Chinese sellers
- DMCC and several Dubai zones have large Chinese business communities, and many agents work in Chinese.
- For the full setup path, documents and banking tips, see UAE company setup for Chinese businesses.
Notes for sellers expanding to Saudi Arabia
- A UAE free zone company can sell into Saudi Arabia through Amazon, noon Global Store or a cross-border 3PL.
- Stock shipped from a UAE free zone pays Saudi duty and 15% VAT on arrival. See shipping from Dubai to Saudi Arabia.
- Once Saudi orders grow, a Saudi entity unlocks local payments and BNPL.
For the full UAE launch plan, from licence to first order, read how to sell online in the UAE or go back to the UAE ecommerce guide.
Frequently asked questions
Ajman and the two Sharjah zones, SPC and Shams, start around AED 5,000–5,800 a year without a visa. RAKEZ starts at AED 6,000 with one visa included, which makes it the cheapest route if you want UAE residency. Always ask for the year-two renewal price too.
Sources & further reading
- E-commerce licence packages — RAK Economic Zone (RAKEZ)
- E-commerce licence in Dubai, UAE: guide — Meydan Free Zone
- E-commerce licence in the UAE: 2026 costs — SPC Free Zone
- E-commerce ecosystem — DMCC
- Sharjah free zone licence: types and costs — Shams
- DMCC business activities and licences — DMCC
- Dubai CommerCity — Dubai CommerCity
- Corporate Tax — UAE Ministry of Finance
This guide is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change — always confirm with the official source or a licensed advisor.
Maya is MiddleEastEcom's lead guide and editor. She researches GCC marketplaces, payments and regulations and turns them into practical playbooks for sellers.
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