Dubai Science Park (formed 2015 by merger of DuBiotech, est. 2005, and EnPark, est. 2007)
Al Barsha South (Al Barsha South 2, along Umm Suqeim Road / Hessa Street) · Est. 2005 · Dubai Development Authority (DDA) - registration & licensing regulator; district operated by TECOM Group PJSC
Pharma, biotech, medtech, diagnostics, CRO and environmental/energy companies that need licensed laboratories, R&D space or a regional science-hub address in Dubai; also solo science consultants via the GoFreelance permit.
General traders, e-commerce or mainstream service businesses outside the science/energy/environment scope, and importers who need VAT-designated warehousing or a metro-connected location.
01Capability profile
02Where Dubai Science Park sits
Dubai Science Park: 23th percentile (AED 18,500) · Licence + registration, AED.
Dubai Science Park: 29th percentile (12 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.
Dubai Science Park: 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 Science Park: 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 2,720
- Establishment card
- AED 1,980
- Minimum share capital
- AED 10,000
- Cancellation fee
- AED 1,500
- Visa renewal
- AED 3,000
- Visa cancellation
- AED 600
- Emirates ID (per visa)
- AED 370
- Dependent / spouse visa
- AED 2,500
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04Visas & workspace
- Maximum visas
- 200
- Flexi-desk cap
- 1
- Warehouse cap
- 1
- Family sponsorship
- Available
- Freelancer permit
- Available
- Golden visa
- Available
- Green visa
- Available
- Medical required
- Yes
- Processing time
- ~7 days
- Virtual office
- Yes
- Flexi-desk
- Yes
- Coworking
- Yes
- Dedicated office
- Yes
- Executive office
- Yes
- Warehouse
- Yes
- Industrial unit
- Yes
- Land plot
- No
- Ejari issued
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Dedicated office cost
- AED 48,000/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 ~12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flexi Desk – Life Sciences – 2 VisasBest value | 2 | AED 32,000 | AED 26,000 |
| Office – Pharma/Biotech – 4 Visas | 4 | AED 55,000 | AED 44,000 |
| Lab / R&D Office – 6 Visas | 6 | AED 80,000 | AED 64,000 |
| Warehouse – Medical Devices/Pharma – 6 Visas | 6 | AED 72,000 | AED 58,000 |
07Permitted activities
Therapeutics R&D and manufacturing
Diagnostics and analysis
Life science services
Medical and scientific devices
Renewable energy
Conformity assessment and certification agency (rare for a UAE free zone)
Recycling and solid waste
Green building
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: Life sciences, Energy, Environment, Technology
AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Boston Scientific, Thermo Fisher Scientific, DSM-Firmenich, IFF, Jotun, Clariant, ExxonMobil
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
- Only Dubai free zone purpose-built for life sciences: LEED-certified laboratory complex, 90+ labs, pharma-grade infrastructure
- Transparent official tariff (DDA LCD): AED 15,000/yr per segment + one-off AED 3,500 registration - mid-priced vs premium zones
- 500+ company science ecosystem including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, BeiGene and Thermo Fisher; DSP Leadership Network events
- Full facility range from flexi desks and D/Quarters coworking to warehouses (6,400-16,800 sqft) and light industrial units (5,000-6,000 sqft)
- 100% foreign ownership, QFZP 0% corporate tax on qualifying income, freelancer permits via GoFreelance
- Strictly sector-restricted: non-science activities are not licensable, and pharma/healthcare files need MOHAP/DHA approvals that add weeks
- Not a VAT designated zone, so no VAT suspension on imported/warehoused goods (unlike JAFZA)
- Facility and lab rents are inquiry-only (nothing published), and Al Barsha South has no metro station
Not ideal for: General traders, e-commerce or mainstream service businesses outside the science/energy/environment scope, and importers who need VAT-designated warehousing or a metro-connected location.
10Recent developments
- 2025-Q3Dubai Science Park launched the DSP Innovation Lab, a shared wet lab facility offering flexible bench rental for biotech startups and researchers, reducing the capital barrier to entry for early-stage life sciences companies.
- 2024-Q4DSP announced a partnership with King's College London (Dubai) and Manipal University to establish joint research programmes within the park, increasing academic-industry collaboration in pharma and environmental science.
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 Science Park 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 Barsha South (Al Barsha South 2, along Umm Suqeim Road / Hessa Street)
- Established
- 2005
- Authority
- Dubai Development Authority (DDA) - registration & licensing regulator; district 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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