Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ)
Me'aisem First, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) · Est. 2003 · Dubai Development Authority (DDA); owned and operated by TECOM Group PJSC
Printing presses, publishers, packaging manufacturers, signage/exhibition producers and media production SMEs that need real production infrastructure (studios, warehouses, light industrial units) inside a Dubai free zone, plus media freelancers wanting a low-cost DDA permit via in5 Media.
Businesses outside the production/printing/publishing/packaging value chain, general trading or broad e-commerce companies, goods distributors who need VAT designated-zone treatment, and consultancies looking for the cheapest possible Dubai license.
01Capability profile
02Where Dubai Production City sits
Dubai Production City: 23th percentile (AED 18,500) · Licence + registration, AED.
Dubai Production City: 65th percentile (7 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.
Dubai Production 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.
Dubai Production City: Moderate · Corporate bank account opening difficulty. Each cell is one zone.
03Costs
- Base licence
- AED 15,000
- Registration
- AED 3,500
- Renewal (year 2+)
- AED 15,000
- 3-year total
- AED 48,500
- 2-year visa cost
- AED 3,200
- Flexi-desk per year
- AED 5,000
- Establishment card
- AED 2,000
- Minimum share capital
- AED 10,000
- Cancellation fee
- AED 1,500
- Visa renewal
- AED 2,000
- Visa cancellation
- AED 500
- Emirates ID (per visa)
- AED 370
- Dependent / spouse visa
- AED 3,800
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04Visas & workspace
- Maximum visas
- 200
- Flexi-desk cap
- 1
- Office cap
- 1
- Warehouse cap
- 1
- Family sponsorship
- Available
- Freelancer permit
- Available
- Golden visa
- Available
- Medical required
- Yes
- Processing time
- ~3 days
- Virtual office
- No
- Flexi-desk
- Yes
- Coworking
- Yes
- Dedicated office
- Yes
- Executive office
- Yes
- Warehouse
- Yes
- Industrial unit
- Yes
- Land plot
- Yes
- Ejari issued
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Dedicated office cost
- AED 35,000/yr
05Banking & setup
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to account
- ~14 days
- Minimum deposit
- AED 15,000
- Corp tax rate
- 0%
- Audit cost (est)
- AED 8,000
- UBO filing
- Required
- AML / KYC
- standard
- Registration modeFully online — no in-person visit required
- Documents & applicationPassport, visa, business plan — ~3–5 days
- Licence issued~3 business days after submission
- Bank account activeAdditional ~14 days · Moderate banking
- OperationalTypically ~7 days, up to ~21 days
06Package pricing
All figures in AED, from official fee schedules. Visa and health-insurance costs are additional.
| Package | Visas | Year 1 | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Office – 1 Activity – 1 VisaBest value | 1 | AED 16,500 | AED 13,000 |
| Flexi Desk – Media/Production – 2 Visas | 2 | AED 22,000 | AED 17,000 |
| Office – Printing/Publishing – 3 Visas | 3 | AED 32,000 | AED 25,000 |
| Warehouse – Production/Packaging – 5 Visas | 5 | AED 50,000 | AED 40,000 |
07Permitted activities
Printing & Packaging Machinery
Printing Consumables
Printing Press
Signage & Exhibition
Packaging
Publishing
Publishing Support Services
Promotional Services
Marketing & Advertising
Event Management
Digital Content Creation
Cosmetics
Beauty Products and Fragrances Production*
Some activities require additional approval from the zone authority.
08Jurisdiction & ecosystem
This zone offers physical-office options sufficient for a standard QFZP substance posture, though the bar still applies at the entity level (CTGFZP1).
Focus: media, production, creative industries
Sony, Xerox, DG World*
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
- The only UAE free zone purpose-built for printing, publishing and packaging with matching facilities: sound stages, boutique studios, warehouses and Grade-A light industrial units
- Regulated by Dubai Development Authority within TECOM Group - established operator with 94% portfolio occupancy and the axs one-stop government services platform
- in5 Media incubator onsite plus freelance permits (AED 7,500) create a genuine entry path for startups and creatives
- Transparent DDA segment pricing: license AED 15,000-25,000 with low AED 10,000 minimum capital and AED 3,500 one-time registration
- Fast official setup: 7 working days for license issuance once documents are complete; dual DED license available under Law 13 for mainland access
- Cheaper than neighbouring Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City for comparable production infrastructure
- Narrow sector list: ~30 activities across 11 segments - general trading, consultancy and most e-commerce businesses are not eligible
- No published fee schedule: visa, office and amendment costs are quote-based, making total cost of ownership hard to compare upfront
- Not a VAT designated zone, so goods traders get no customs/VAT suspension benefit (unlike JAFZA or DAFZA)
- Car-dependent location on E311 with no metro link - only RTA bus F34 serves the community
Not ideal for: Businesses outside the production/printing/publishing/packaging value chain, general trading or broad e-commerce companies, goods distributors who need VAT designated-zone treatment, and consultancies looking for the cheapest possible Dubai license.
10Recent developments
- 2025-Q2Dubai Production City introduced a new Digital Content Creator licence category under TECOM's licensing framework, explicitly covering social media production, YouTube content, podcast studios, and branded content agencies.
- 2024-Q3Dubai Production City launched a Printing and Packaging Centre of Excellence with shared high-capacity digital printing equipment available for zone tenants, reducing capital expenditure for small print production businesses.
11Tax considerations
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%.
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.
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.
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
13Similar zones in Dubai
14About this data
Dubai Production 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.
- Location
- Me'aisem First, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311)
- Established
- 2003
- Authority
- Dubai Development Authority (DDA); owned and operated by TECOM Group PJSC
- Last verified
- 2026-07-18
- Confidence
- high
- Methodology
- How we score →
- QFZP eligibility (0% corporate tax)Secondary · 2026-07-18Primary source ↗
- Audit requirementSecondary · 2026-07-18Primary source ↗
- Economic substanceSecondary · 2026-07-18Primary source ↗
- Mainland trading permitSecondary · 2026-07-18Primary source ↗
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