Free Trade Zone of Khalifa Port
Khalifa Port · Est. 2016 · KEZAD Group (AD Ports Group)
Import/export traders, logistics operators and light-to-heavy manufacturers who want direct Khalifa Port connectivity, VAT designated-zone goods treatment and industrial-grade facilities under a government-owned operator.
Pure service/consulting firms with no goods flow (designated-zone status gives them nothing), businesses needing large flexi-desk visa quotas, and companies wanting a central-city address or walk-in client traffic.
01Capability profile
02Where Khalifa Port FTZ sits
Licence + registration, AED.
Khalifa Port FTZ: 65th percentile (7 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.
Khalifa Port FTZ: 83th percentile (200 visas) · Absolute maximum visa allocation. Values above 500 clipped to the right edge so the bulk of the distribution stays readable.
Khalifa Port FTZ: Moderate · Corporate bank account opening difficulty. Each cell is one zone.
03Costs
- Base licence
- AED 0
- Registration
- AED 0
- Renewal (year 2+)
- AED 5,000
- 2-year visa cost
- AED 4,000
- Flexi-desk per year
- AED 9,450
- Establishment card
- AED 1,000
- Minimum share capital
- AED 150,000
- Cancellation fee
- AED 2,500
- Visa cancellation
- AED 500
- Emirates ID (per visa)
- AED 425
- Dependent / spouse visa
- AED 3,000
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04Visas & workspace
- Maximum visas
- 200
- Flexi-desk cap
- 4
- Office cap
- 4
- Warehouse cap
- 2
- Family sponsorship
- Available
- Freelancer permit
- Not 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
- Yes
- Ejari issued
- No
- Parking
- Yes
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~1 business day 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flexi Desk – Trading License – 1 VisaBest value | 1 | AED 15,000 | AED 12,000 |
| Office Unit – Service License – 4 Visas | 4 | AED 28,000 | AED 22,000 |
| Warehouse Unit – Logistics – 5 Visas | 5 | AED 42,000 | AED 35,000 |
| Industrial Unit – Manufacturing – 8 Visas | 8 | AED 58,000 | AED 48,000 |
07Permitted activities
Manufacturing
Logistics
Trade
Distribution
Consulting
Management
Marketing
Import/Export
Stocking
Warehousing
Processing
Assembly
Packaging
Automotive
Food Processing
Life Science
Metals
Polymers
Speciality Chemicals*
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: Port Logistics & Related Industries, Aluminum Sheet Manufacturing, Engineering & Glass Manufacturing, Metal Casting, Metal Processing, Paper, Printing & Packaging, Metal Products, Food Products/Processing, Chemical & Plastic Industries, Engineering Industries, Construction Products, Construction & Packaging, Packaging, Pharma, Office & Support Services, Trade & Logistics Related Activities, Metals, Polymers, Automotive, Logistics, Manufacturing & Industrial, Information Technology & Communication, Research & Development, Renewable Energy & Sustainability, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, E-Commerce & Retail, Automotive & Aerospace*
['noon (252, 000 m2 build-to-suit e-commerce fulfilment centre)', 'Jindal SAW (AED 1 bn seamless pipe plant, ICAD-KEZAD Musaffah)', "Haldiram (first MENA food manufacturing hub, KEZAD Al Ma'mourah)", 'COSCO Shipping Ports (CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal, Khalifa Port)', 'CMA CGM (CMA Terminals Khalifa Port)', 'JOCIC China-UAE Industrial Capacity Cooperation Industrial Park tenants', 'Abu Dhabi Refreshment Company (2025 land lease)', 'ROX advanced AI manufacturing centre (KLP 1 Musaffah)']
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
- VAT designated zone (Cabinet Decision 59/2017): qualifying goods movements treated as outside UAE for VAT
- Direct integration with Khalifa Port container terminals and future Etihad Rail connectivity
- Cheapest credible Abu Dhabi entry point: AED 0 new licence and registration, 1-visa workstation package AED 9,450/yr all-in
- Licence fee included in warehouse lease (~AED 350/m2/yr); no security deposit on start-up packages
- QFZP 0% corporate tax potential with real, auditable substance (warehouses, plant, staff)
- Workstation packages capped at 4 visas; serious headcount requires warehouse/land commitments
- Designated-zone VAT relief covers goods only — services are taxed normally at 5%
- Bank account opening is slower (2-6 weeks) and pricing less transparent than Dubai service zones; industrial utilities are real operating costs
- Location at Al Taweelah suits cargo/industry but is far from Abu Dhabi and Dubai commercial centres
Not ideal for: Pure service/consulting firms with no goods flow (designated-zone status gives them nothing), businesses needing large flexi-desk visa quotas, and companies wanting a central-city address or walk-in client traffic.
10Recent developments
- 2025-Q1Khalifa Port FTZ expanded its cold-chain logistics cluster with new temperature-controlled warehouse units targeting pharmaceutical and food importers using the port's growing reefer cargo capacity.
- 2024-Q4AD Ports Group integrated Khalifa Port FTZ into its digital trade platform, enabling tenants to manage customs declarations, port-side logistics, and license renewals through a unified online portal.
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.
Do your goods movements actually fall inside the VAT Designated Zone treatment?
Designated Zone status applies to goods within the zone, not services. Most service businesses get no VAT benefit from being inside one.
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 Abu Dhabi
14About this data
Khalifa Port FTZ 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
- Khalifa Port
- Established
- 2016
- Authority
- KEZAD Group (AD Ports Group)
- 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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