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Dubai Airport Freezone

Ranked number one freezone in Dubai for its strategy and excellent customer service, this is one of the most popular gateways into the Middle East, designed to be a hub of commercial business, and it certainly lives up to this expectation.

Its close location to the boundaries of the Dubai City Airport and attractive incentive packages has made it many investors first choice when starting a business in Dubai.

Some of the incentives are as follows:

Exemption from the usual import and export duties
Companies are allowed to operate 24 hours a day
Easy recruitment procedures and an inexpensive workforce
100% company ownership by foreign investors allowed
Exemption from personal and corporate tax
100% repatriation of capital and profit
On site customer inspections
Inexpensive energy sources

Some of the licenses available within this freezone:

A service license
An industrial license
A trading license

This freezone, although popular and expensive, is ideal for businesses that deal with high value cargo and want a direct link and fast access into the market. It is the original choice for any business, and those that choose to operate from the Dubai Airport freezone are of the most successful in the world. It is important to remember that as with any business operating in the freezones, they will be subject to strict auditing, unlike a business operating within UAE territory.

Dubai Internet City

Dubai Internet City is the obvious choice for any ICT related business, providing the best possible environment, infrastructure and support for communications and technology.

This freezone is home to some of the biggest ICT giants such as Google, Sony Ericson, Microsoft, HP, Dell and Cisco Systems as well as other medium sized companies.

It offers a host of incentives that make it a cost-effective choice, as well as an advantageous one.

Some of the incentives are as follows:

High speed and digital voice data services at competitive rates
100% exemption from personal income tax for 50 years
100% exemption from corporate taxes for 50 years
100% foreign ownership
100% repatriation of profits
World’s largest IP telephony network
Infrastructure based on ‘next generation’ technologies
Opportunities for market development, interaction and networking
Varied community

Some of the licenses available within this freezone:

A service license
A trading license

Dubai Internet City is ideal for entrepreneurs wishing to target the emerging Indian and Asian markets. Although having a minimum capital requirement of just over £8,500 this freezone is still a popular choice for businesses of all sizes.

Jebel Ali Freezone

Jebel Ali is one of the most customer service driven freezones in Dubai, with an award winning track record for growth and commitment to excellence, making it the world’s first ISO accredited freezone and a home to over 6,000 companies from over 100 countries.

The diversity of the Jebel Ali community, its close location to the Dubai City Airport and extensive highway network make it an ideal choice for companies seeking entry into the South and West Asia market.

Some of the incentives are as follows:

No restriction on hiring foreign employees
Personal income tax exemption with no currency restrictions
Corporate tax exemption for 50 years which is renewable
Cost effective production operations due to the cheap energy prices
The transfer of any amount of capital with no export or import duties
100% foreign ownership
A company established in the freezone with premises built by said company may mortgage its premises to any bank or finance company for debt repayment or other obligations

Some of the licenses available within this freezone:

A general trading license: allowing the holder to import, distribute, and store all items as per Jafza rules and regulations
A trading license: allows the holder to import, export, distribute and store items the license specifies
An industrial license: allows the holder to import raw materials and carry out the production of specified products, exporting them when finished, to other countries
A service license: allows the holder to carry out the services specified by the license within the freezone
A national industrial license: is for companies with an ownership or shareholding of at least 51% Arabian Gulf corporation council. The value added to the product in the freezone must amount to a minimum of 40%. It gives the holder the same status as a local inside the UAE

A variety of licenses are available from the Jebel Ali freezone as it forms a part of the state owned Economic Zones World, which is one of the biggest developers of economic zones and industrial parks.

Dubai Maritime City

Dubai Maritime city is an impressive maritime complex set on a man-made peninsula and surrounded by the picturesque waters of the Arabian Gulf.

It is the world's most comprehensive maritime complex, and is still currently being developed into what will one day form a global powerhouse in the maritime sector.

Some of the incentives are as follows:

Exemption from all import and export duties
Exemption from corporate, personal and income tax
Companies can operate 24hrs a day
On site customer inspections
Easy recruitment procedures and an inexpensive workforce
Full repatriation of capital and profits
‘One stop shop’ administration services
Inexpensive energy resources
100% foreign ownership

Some of the licenses available within this freezone:

Maritime services
Maritime industrial
Maritime management
Maritime and educational research
Yacht manufacture and repair

Dubai Maritime City is an excellent choice for any emerging business and with its onsite educational facilities and four-star hotels; this freezone combines industry, academia and lifestyle for the perfect environment that will encourage networking and business growth.

Dubai Media City

A thriving business community home to global and regional media companies, Dubai Media City is strategically set in the heart of 'new Dubai' and has a variety of media companies operating within collectively such as CNN, CNBC and Reuters already part of the community.

Media City is an ideal place to build a network of contacts and has a business centre designed to encourage freelancers and entrepreneurs to gain visibility within the industry.

Of course, Dubai Media City also has a variety of incentives making it an attractive choice for investors.

Some of the incentives are as follows:

Cosmopolitan environment
Thriving tourist destination
Knowledge industry development
Strong foreign trade environment
Easy access to regional markets
Safe and stable for business with a consistently strong economic outlook
The regions most connected location
Regulatory environment
ICT Industry hub
Pro-business attitude and the location of choice
Economic policy

Some of the licenses available within this freezone:

Media & Marketing license
Business and Information services
New Media & Media Support Services
Event & Leisure and services
Consultancy & Retail services

This is a supportive freezone with a strong customer satisfaction focused environment, and is perfect for placing a productive media business that wants to thrive in developing markets with plenty of untapped opportunities.

Dubai Healthcare City

Dubai Healthcare city is targeted at pharmaceutical and healthcare companies and is practically a city within a city home to private hospitals, clinics and offices as well as educational facilities, research and rehabilitation centres.

This freezone also includes hotels, residential villas and apartments, encouraging medical tourism, 1.8 billion dollars has been invested in the development of this freezone within the heart of the city, and its access to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain make it the only choice for a variety of companies.

Some of the incentives are as follows:

No corporate or income tax and no customs duty
No restrictions on capital, no trade barriers or quotas
100% foreign ownership
Clinic lease and purchase options
Low operating costs and state of the art facilities and medical equipment
Flexible real estate designed to suit the industry
Access to a network of regional healthcare professionals
Networking environment
Lots of complementary facilities such as recreation, conference ect
Access to practice, education and research network

Some of the licenses available within this freezone:

A service license
An industrial license
A trading license

Dubai Healthcare City optimises patient care and has created an integrated healthcare community providing medical treatment and prevention to regional patients, as well as providing business opportunities to both local and international investors.

DIFC

DIFC serves the vast region between Western Europe and East Asia, aspiring to develop the same importance as New York, Hong Kong and London within the financial community, and as the world’s fastest growing financial centre its well on its way to achieving this goal.

The DIFC focuses on several sectors of financial activity providing various services such as banking services, capital markets, asset management and fund registration, insurance and Islamic finance providers.

Of course, the DIFC offers a host of incentives to investors that make it an attractive and lucrative choice of freezone for any financially orientated business.

Some of the incentives are as follows:

Quality of operational support and business continuity facilities
Data protection and security
State of the art technology and modern office accommodation
100% foreign ownership
No restriction on foreign exchange or capital/profit repatriation
Sophisticated and supportive infrastructure
Supervision and strict enforcement of money laundering laws
No tax rate on income and profits
Dollar denominated environment
Environment of high standards, rules and regulations
A vast network of double taxation treaties available to UAE incorporated entities

Some of the licenses available within this freezone:

Banking services
Capital markets
Asset management and fund registration
Reinsurance & captive insurance
Islamic finance
Ancillary services
Business processing operations

DIFC has attracted high calibre global firms from around the world and continues to do so after its world class stock exchange, the Dubai International Financial Exchange opened September 2005.

Silicon Oasis

Silicon Oasis is owned by the government of Dubai and is the only technology park in the region that offers both a fully integrated working and living community.

Offering attractive incentives for both investor and employee alike, the Silicon Oasis enjoys one of the most developed infrastructures within the region, and has had large capital injections by the authority, making it one of the most diverse freezones in Dubai with many kinds of operating licenses available.

Some of the incentives are as follows:

Fast employee Visa processing
Streamline customs clearance
Strict IP laws and support
100% foreign ownership
No corporate or personal taxation
Fast track business set up
Investment incentive of 100% repatriation of capital
Supportive facilities for business such as conference rooms, business lounge, banking, customs authority, cleaning and maintenance
Urban community with a mixture of residential and business areas

Some of the licenses available within this freezone:

General activities
Information technology
Telecommunications equipment, Electronic, Computer hardware
Software development & solutions
Consultancy & business development
Electrical appliances & equipment
Engineering related to technology
Logistics
IT security
Talent development and recruitment
Pharmaceutical
Microelectronics
IC design
EDA tools
IP protection
IT services

Silicon Oasis would suit a number of businesses wishing to relocate to Dubai due to its close location to the Dubai City Airport and Seaport, the freezone is also close to Dubai’s major highways and is already home to a number of well-known companies such as Phillips, Fujitsu, and Schneider Electric.