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Tier 1 · Dubai

Dubai South

Dubai South Free Zone (Dubai World Central)

Dubai South / Al Maktoum Airport · Est. 2006 · Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC)

AED 11,000 – AED 41,000/ yr
high confidenceVerified 18 Jul 2026official ↗
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Best for

Logistics, e-commerce, aviation and trading companies that benefit from airport/port proximity, bonded warehousing and designated-zone VAT treatment; also freelancers/remote consultants wanting a low-cost government-zone license via the Business Hub.

Not ideal for

Businesses that need a prestigious central-Dubai address, walk-in retail, or published warehouse pricing before committing; also firms wanting an FZE/FZC legal form (Dubai South uses DWC-LLC).

01Zones within Dubai South

3 specialist zones operating under Dubai South.

Dubai South is an umbrella authority. Companies register through Dubai South and operate in one of its specialist zones below — each with its own infrastructure, activity focus, and workspace type.

02Capability profile

Six independent dimensions, scored from official zone data.

?
Banking10/15
?
Visa scale15/15
?
Cost (lower=better)16/20
?
Activity breadth4/25
?
Workspace options9/15
?
Location9/10
03Where Dubai South sits

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

Year 1 cost← lower is better

Dubai South: 52th percentile (AED 11,000) · Licence + registration, AED.

Setup time← lower is better

Dubai South: 83th percentile (5 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.

Visa caphigher is better →

Dubai South: 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

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

04Costs

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

11,000
– 41,000
Year 1 range · AED
AED 18,305 less than DMCC
mid tier
Show in
Base licence
AED 10,000
Registration
AED 1,000
Renewal (year 2+)
AED 10,000
3-year total
AED 31,000
2-year visa cost
AED 2,580
Flexi-desk per year
AED 7,500
Hidden & one-off costs
Establishment card
AED 2,060
Minimum share capital
AED 300,000
Cancellation fee
AED 3,500
Visa renewal
AED 1,740
Visa cancellation
AED 290
Emirates ID (per visa)
AED 370
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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05Visas & workspace

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

Visa allocation
Maximum visas
100
Flexi-desk cap
3
Office cap
8
Warehouse cap
20
Family sponsorship
Available
Freelancer permit
Available
Golden visa
Available
Green visa
Available
Medical required
Yes
Processing time
~14 days
Workspace options
Virtual office
No
Flexi-desk
Yes
Coworking
Yes
Dedicated office
Yes
Executive office
Yes
Warehouse
Yes
Industrial unit
No
Land plot
No
Ejari issued
No
Parking
Yes
Dedicated office cost
AED 30,000/yr
06Banking & setup

Banking difficulty, partner banks, and setup timeline.

Banking
Difficulty
Moderate
Time to account
~21 days
Minimum deposit
AED 25,000
Corp tax rate
0%
Audit cost (est)
AED 5,000
UBO filing
Required
AML / KYC
standard
Partner banks
Emirates NBDFABMashreqADCB
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
    ~1 business day after submission
  4. Bank account active
    Additional ~21 days · Moderate banking
  5. Operational
    Typically ~5 days, up to ~20 days
07Package pricing

2 packages from official fee schedules.

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

PackageVisasYear 1Renewal
Business Centre – Flexi – 2 VisasBest value2AED 21,000AED 17,000
Logistics Warehouse 500sqm – 10 Visas10AED 72,000AED 60,000
08Permitted activities

Activity categories, restrictions, and approval flags.

700+ activitiesMainland selling: YesDual license: No

Aerospace & MRO (MBR Aerospace Hub)

E-commerce fulfilment (EZDubai)

Air cargo & freight forwarding

Aviation training

Categories
FreezoneLogisticsAviationLifestyleAerospaceCommercial PropertyRetail
Matched industry clusters
logistics
Restricted
Banking/financial services and other regulated activities require external regulator approvals and (per DSBH) a private officeHealthcare and education require sector regulator approvals
Require approval
Regulated activities (financial services, healthcare, education) need external approvalsAdditional approvals for dangerous/restricted goods (NOC per Tariff 2025)
09Jurisdiction & 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 substancehigh
Inferred · 2026-07-18

This zone is Tier-1 with dedicated office and warehouse options under regulator supervision — substance is straightforward to demonstrate but the bar is high (regulator-grade evidence).

Focus: Logistics, Aviation, E-commerce

4200 companieslarge communityNetworking events: YesIncubator: Yes
Notable companies

DHL, UPS, Expeditors, Ford (distribution facility), dnata, GE Aerospace (MBRAH), Satys, noon, Amazon (EZDubai)

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.

10Strengths & limitations

5 strengths · 4 caveats.

Strengths
  • Direct air-port adjacency: built around Al Maktoum Intl (DWC), 30 km from Jebel Ali Port, with bonded logistics corridor
  • VAT designated zone (Dubai Aviation City, Cabinet Decision 59/2017) - goods movements can be out of VAT scope
  • Transparent official Tariff 2025: license AED 10,000/yr, 2-year visa AED 2,580, establishment card AED 2,060
  • Digital-first setup via Dubai South Business Hub: license + flexi desk from AED 12,500, same-day issuance, Tamara installments
  • Freelancer route (Sole Establishment) at AED 5,000/yr - rare for an infrastructure free zone
Caveats
  • ~50 km from central Dubai - poor fit for businesses needing a central client-facing address
  • AED 300,000 minimum share capital for a DWC-LLC (not payable to the zone, but must be declared)
  • Warehouse and office lease pricing is inquiry-only - no published rate card beyond the Business Hub bundles
  • Bank account opening still takes 3-6 weeks despite partner banks

Not ideal for: Businesses that need a prestigious central-Dubai address, walk-in retail, or published warehouse pricing before committing; also firms wanting an FZE/FZC legal form (Dubai South uses DWC-LLC).

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

1 common questions specific to Dubai South.

13Similar zones in Dubai

3 comparable zones in the same emirate.

14About this data

Last verified 2026-07-18 · high confidence.

Dubai South 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
Dubai South / Al Maktoum Airport
Established
2006
Authority
Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC)
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 →
15Founder reviews

What founders who've registered here say.

3.9★1,200 reviewsGoogle

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16Take the next step

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