Skip to main content
Sub-zone · Dubai South · Dubai

Dubai Aviation City

Dubai Aviation City

AED 15,000 – AED 40,600/ yr
high confidenceVerified 27 Jun 2026official ↗
Find zones like this →
Best for

Aviation, aerospace, and MRO companies needing specialized infrastructure and direct airport proximity.

Not ideal for

Businesses outside aviation or aerospace sectors seeking diverse industry presence or high visa quotas.

01Capability profile

Six independent dimensions, scored from official zone data.

?
Banking10/15
?
Visa scale15/15
?
Cost (lower=better)15/20
?
Activity breadth24/25
?
Workspace options12/15
?
Location9/10
02Where Dubai Aviation City sits

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

Year 1 cost← lower is better

Dubai Aviation City: 38th percentile (AED 15,000) · Licence + registration, AED.

Setup time← lower is better

Dubai Aviation City: 65th percentile (7 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.

Visa caphigher is better →

Dubai Aviation City: 83th percentile (200 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

Dubai Aviation City: Moderate · Corporate bank account opening difficulty. Each cell is one zone.

03Costs

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

15,000
– 40,600
Year 1 range · AED
AED 14,305 less than DMCC
mid tier
Show in
Base licence
AED 10,000
Registration
AED 5,000
Renewal (year 2+)
AED 10,000
3-year total
AED 35,000
2-year visa cost
AED 3,200
Flexi-desk per year
AED 16,000
Year-on-year fee tracking begins 2026 — changes appear here as they accrue.
Indicative, from published ratesOfficial fee schedule ↗Verified 2026-06high confidence

Notify me if fees change — get an email if Dubai Aviation City updates its licence or setup costs.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Only emails you when costs change.

04Visas & workspace

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

Visa allocation
Maximum visas
200
Flexi-desk cap
2
Office cap
1
Family sponsorship
Available
Freelancer permit
Available
Workspace options
Virtual office
Yes
Flexi-desk
Yes
Dedicated office
Yes
Warehouse
Yes
Industrial unit
No
05Banking & setup

Banking difficulty, partner banks, and setup timeline.

Banking
Difficulty
Moderate
Time to account
~7 days
Minimum deposit
AED 15,000
Partner banks
Emirates NBDFABMashreqADCB
Setup timeline
  1. Documents & application
    Passport, visa, business plan — ~3–5 days
  2. Licence issued
    ~3 business days after submission
  3. Bank account active
    Additional ~7 days · Moderate banking
  4. Operational
    Typically ~7 days
06Package pricing

3 packages from official fee schedules.

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

PackageVisasYear 1Renewal
Flexi Desk – 1 Activity – 2 VisasBest value2AED 18,000AED 14,000
Office – Aviation/Logistics – 4 Visas4AED 32,000AED 25,000
Warehouse – Cargo/MRO – 6 Visas6AED 52,000AED 42,000
07Permitted activities

Activity categories, restrictions, and approval flags.

Aviation, Logistics, E-commerce, Light Manufacturing*
Categories
LogisticsAviationCommerceLight ManufacturingServicesE-commerceMediaTechnologyBusiness ConsultingMarketingEducationCreative Arts
Matched industry clusters
consultingtechmediaindustriallogisticseducation
Restricted
Legal services, medical clinics, direct retail sales to mainland (without distributor), real estate brokerage (mainland properties)

Some activities require additional approval from the zone authority.

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 · 2026-06-27
Mainland permitYes
Inferred · 2026-06-27
Audit requiredNo
Inferred · 2026-06-27
Economic substancestandard
Inferred · 2026-06-27

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

Focus: Aviation, Aerospace, Logistics

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
  • Specialized infrastructure for aviation, aerospace, and MRO.
  • Budget-friendly base license cost at AED 7000.
  • No minimum capital requirement for setup.
  • Qualifying Free Zone status for corporate tax benefits.
  • Online registration available, no physical presence required.
Caveats
  • Limited to 2 visas with a flexi-desk option.
  • Banking setup is medium difficulty, requiring standard documentation.
  • Not a VAT Designated Zone, impacting certain business models.
  • Setup time is not specified, implying potential delays.

Not ideal for: Businesses outside aviation or aerospace sectors seeking diverse industry presence or high visa quotas.

10Recent developments

2 policy and pricing updates on record.

  1. 2025-Q4Dubai Aviation City announced 12 new MRO companies establishing operations in the zone following the confirmation of Phase 1 of the Al Maktoum Airport expansion, bringing total active operators to over 80.
  2. 2024-Q2Dubai Aviation City launched a dedicated aerospace manufacturing cluster offering pre-built industrial units with 3-phase power and overhead crane infrastructure specifically for aircraft component manufacturers.
11Tax 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.

12Frequently asked

4 common questions specific to Dubai Aviation City.

13Similar zones in Dubai

3 comparable zones in the same emirate.

14About this data

Last verified 2026-06-27 · high confidence.

Dubai Aviation City 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.

Last verified
2026-06-27
Confidence
high
Methodology
How we score →
Cited source
Fee data sourced from the official fee schedule, fetched 2026-06-27. View source ↗
Per-field citations
How we verify every zone →
15Founder reviews

What founders who've registered here say.

Founder reviews

No founder reviews yet for Dubai Aviation City. Be the first to share your experience.

16Take the next step

Not sure if Dubai Aviation City is the right fit?

Complex situations — holding structures, regulated activities, multi-jurisdiction setups — benefit from a 20-minute call with a specialist. No commitment required.

Get the Dubai Aviation City dossier as a PDF

At-a-glance metrics, strengths, trade-offs, partner banks, and a setup checklist for Dubai Aviation City. We email a download link to your inbox.

We use your email only to send this report and a short follow-up sequence. Unsubscribe anytime.

No tracking cookies. Privacy Policy