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Tier 2 · Dubai

Dubai Internet City

Al Sufouh 2, Sheikh Zayed Road (opposite Dubai Marina) · Est. 1999 · Dubai Development Authority (DDA) - registration & licensing; district operated by TECOM Group PJSC

AED 18,520 – AED 38,370/ yr
high confidenceVerified 18 Jul 2026official ↗
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Best for

Established tech companies, SaaS/AI/software ventures and regional HQs wanting MENA's premier tech address with credible banking and 0% qualifying corporate tax; startups that can enter via in5 Tech subsidised packages.

Not ideal for

Budget-first founders (DSO, IFZA, RAKEZ are far cheaper), non-tech businesses, goods traders needing a VAT designated zone, and anyone who needs published fixed tariffs before engaging a sales team.

01Capability profile

Six independent dimensions, scored from official zone data.

?
Banking14/15
?
Visa scale15/15
?
Cost (lower=better)14/20
?
Activity breadth4/25
?
Workspace options9/15
?
Location9/10
02Where DIC sits

Tick marks for every zone, DIC highlighted. The shape of the field, not just the rank.

Year 1 cost← lower is better

DIC: 17th percentile (AED 18,520) · Licence + registration, AED.

Setup time← lower is better

DIC: 19th percentile (15 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.

Visa caphigher is better →

DIC: 62th percentile (100 visas) · Absolute maximum visa allocation. Values above 500 clipped to the right edge so the bulk of the distribution stays readable.

Banking ease← better
Easy
4
Moderate
73
Difficult
15
Very difficult
1

DIC: Easy · Corporate bank account opening difficulty. Each cell is one zone.

03Costs

Year-one license, renewals, and 5-year totals in AED.

18,520
– 38,370
Year 1 range · AED
AED 10,785 less than DMCC
mid tier
Show in
Base licence
AED 15,020
Registration
AED 3,500
Renewal (year 2+)
AED 15,020
3-year total
AED 48,560
2-year visa cost
AED 3,180
Hidden & one-off costs
Establishment card
AED 2,000
Minimum share capital
AED 10,000
Cancellation fee
AED 1,500
Visa renewal
AED 3,180
Visa cancellation
AED 500
Emirates ID (per visa)
AED 390
Dependent / spouse visa
AED 3,500
Year-on-year fee tracking begins 2026 — changes appear here as they accrue.
Indicative, from published ratesOfficial fee schedule ↗Verified 2026-07high confidence

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04Visas & workspace

Visa caps, workspace options, and family-sponsorship rules.

Visa allocation
Maximum visas
100
Flexi-desk cap
1
Office cap
1
Family sponsorship
Available
Freelancer permit
Available
Golden visa
Available
Green visa
Available
Medical required
Yes
Processing time
~10 days
Workspace options
Virtual office
Yes
Flexi-desk
Yes
Coworking
Yes
Dedicated office
Yes
Executive office
Yes
Warehouse
No
Industrial unit
No
Land plot
No
Ejari issued
Yes
Parking
Yes
Dedicated office cost
AED 35,000/yr
05Banking & setup

Banking difficulty, partner banks, and setup timeline.

Banking
Difficulty
Easy
Time to account
~14 days
Minimum deposit
AED 50,000
Corp tax rate
0%
Audit cost (est)
AED 5,000
UBO filing
Required
AML / KYC
standard
Partner banks
Emirates NBDADCBMashreqFAB
Neo-bank options
WioMashreq NeoBiz
Setup timeline
  1. Registration mode
    Fully online — no in-person visit required
  2. Documents & application
    Passport, visa, business plan — ~3–5 days
  3. Licence issued
    ~10 business days after submission
  4. Bank account active
    Additional ~14 days · Easy banking
  5. Operational
    Typically ~15 days, up to ~40 days
06Package pricing

2 packages from official fee schedules.

All figures in AED, from official fee schedules. Visa and health-insurance costs are additional.

PackageVisasYear 1Renewal
Hot Desk – Tech – 2 VisasBest value2AED 35,000AED 28,000
Dedicated Office – 6 Visas6AED 75,000AED 62,000
07Permitted activities

Activity categories, restrictions, and approval flags.

Not specified activitiesMainland selling: No

20 R&D and innovation centres on campus; AI value-chain cluster (cloud

hardware

applied AI); in5 Tech startup incubation

Categories
TechnologyInnovationBusiness Services
Matched industry clusters
tech
Restricted
Activities outside the scope of ICTtechnologymediaand innovation are generally not permitted. Heavy industrialmanufacturingand general trading activities are restricted.
Require approval
Regulated activities need external NOCs per DDA Licensing Categories Decision Art. 8 (e.g. telecom/TDRAfintech/CBUAE)
08Jurisdiction & ecosystem

Legal framework, tax status, audit requirements, and zone focus — every value sourced.

Common lawNo
VAT designated zoneNo
QFZP eligible (0% tax)Yes
Inferred · 2026-07-18
Mainland permitYes
Inferred · 2026-07-18
Audit requiredNo
Inferred · 2026-07-18
Economic substancestandard
Inferred · 2026-07-18

This zone offers physical-office options sufficient for a standard QFZP substance posture, though the bar still applies at the entity level (CTGFZP1).

Focus: Technology, Internet, Software

4000 (official 2025 boilerplate: 'more than 4,000 customers, including multinational corporations, start-ups, and Fortune 500s') companieslarge (31,000+ professionals on campus, per 2025 official boilerplate) communityNetworking events: YesIncubator: Yes
Notable companies

Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, Meta, Oracle, Amazon (AWS), IBM, Cisco, SAP, LinkedIn, Salesforce, MasterCard; startups: Careem, Souq (exits), Tabby, Derq (in5)

QFZP, audit, mainland-permit and substance values are sourced where the zone authority or FTA publishes them, and inferred from published zone characteristics otherwise. How we determine these values.

09Strengths & limitations

5 strengths · 4 caveats.

Strengths
  • MENA's largest and most credible tech cluster - regional HQs of Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, Meta and Oracle on one campus
  • Straightforward banking: premium TECOM district with physical leases and DDA compliance records banks know well
  • Full startup ladder: GoFreelance permit (AED 7,500) -> in5 Tech incubation (AED 1,000 license) -> FZ-LLC
  • QFZP 0% corporate tax on qualifying income; 100% foreign ownership
  • Fast, fully digital licensing via DDA/AXS (license in ~48h once approved)
Caveats
  • Premium pricing: ~AED 15,020/yr license + Dubai-top-quartile office rents (AED 175-190/sq ft) put Year 1 at AED 45k-90k
  • Tech-only activity scope - generic consulting, trading and manufacturing are rejected or steered elsewhere
  • Not a VAT designated zone (goods get no VAT suspension) and visa quotas are tied to office size
  • DDA publishes no public tariff - fees must be confirmed per activity/quote

Not ideal for: Budget-first founders (DSO, IFZA, RAKEZ are far cheaper), non-tech businesses, goods traders needing a VAT designated zone, and anyone who needs published fixed tariffs before engaging a sales team.

10Tax considerations

4 tax questions relevant to this zone.

Questions to raise with your tax advisor

  1. Does your planned revenue qualify under the QFZP qualifying-income rules?

    QFZP 0% only applies to qualifying income. Mainland trading or revenue from non-free-zone clients is generally non-qualifying and taxed at 9%.

  2. Will you need audited accounts even if this zone doesn't require them?

    FTA corporate-tax filing typically expects audited accounts for revenue above AED 50M, and banks often request them at much lower thresholds.

  3. How much of your revenue will come from mainland UAE customers, and how does that affect QFZP and 5% VAT obligations?

    Mainland revenue beyond ad-hoc levels can disqualify QFZP and triggers full 9% corporate tax plus standard VAT on supplies.

  4. Do any of your customers, suppliers, or shareholders meet the FTA's related-party definition?

    Related-party transactions need transfer-pricing documentation and may push otherwise-qualifying income into the 9% bracket.

These prompts are due-diligence questions, not tax advice. Confirm every answer with a UAE-licensed tax advisor before incorporating.

11Frequently asked

2 common questions specific to DIC.

12Similar zones in Dubai

3 comparable zones in the same emirate.

13About this data

Last verified 2026-07-18 · high confidence.

DIC data is sourced from official zone authority publications, government fee schedules, and where available, verified against direct communications with the zone. All figures in AED.

Location
Al Sufouh 2, Sheikh Zayed Road (opposite Dubai Marina)
Established
1999
Authority
Dubai Development Authority (DDA) - registration & licensing; district operated by TECOM Group PJSC
Last verified
2026-07-18
Confidence
high
Methodology
How we score →
Cited source
Fee data sourced from the official fee schedule, fetched 2026-07-18. View source ↗
Per-field citations
How we verify every zone →
14Founder reviews

What founders who've registered here say.

4.3★4,500 reviewsGoogle

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15Take the next step

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