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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.

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