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Sub-zone · RAKEZ · Ras Al Khaimah

RAKEZ Business Zone

RAKEZ Business Zone

Al Nakheel, Ras Al Khaimah city (RAKEZ HQ, P.O. Box 10055); Al Hamra Business Zone near Al Hamra Village · Est. 2017 · Government of Ras Al Khaimah

AED 6,000/ yr
high confidenceVerified 18 Jul 2026official ↗
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Best for

Cost-sensitive startups, freelancers, consultants and e-commerce sellers who want the cheapest credible UAE free-zone licence with optional visas, 24-hour issuance and coworking infrastructure - and who do not need a Dubai address.

Not ideal for

Goods traders relying on VAT designated-zone treatment (Business Zone parks are not designated), brands needing a Dubai address or premium zone cachet, and founders who want white-glove customer service - reviews flag slow support and costly exits.

01Capability profile

Six independent dimensions, scored from official zone data.

?
Banking10/15
?
Visa scale3/15
?
Cost (lower=better)18/20
?
Activity breadth4/25
?
Workspace options9/15
?
Location6/10
02Where RAKEZ Business Zone sits

Tick marks for every zone, RAKEZ Business Zone highlighted. The shape of the field, not just the rank.

Year 1 cost← lower is better

RAKEZ Business Zone: 81th percentile (AED 6,000) · Licence + registration, AED.

Setup time← lower is better

RAKEZ Business Zone: 87th percentile (4 days) · Total estimated days from application to operational.

Visa caphigher is better →

RAKEZ Business Zone: 1th percentile (5 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

RAKEZ Business Zone: Moderate · Corporate bank account opening difficulty. Each cell is one zone.

03Costs

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

6,000
Year 1 minimum · AED
AED 23,305 less than DMCC
mid tier
Show in
Base licence
AED 6,000
Registration
AED 0
Renewal (year 2+)
AED 6,000
3-year total
AED 18,000
2-year visa cost
AED 4,520
Flexi-desk per year
AED 6,000
Hidden & one-off costs
Establishment card
AED 2,000
Minimum share capital
AED 10,000
Cancellation fee
AED 3,000
Visa renewal
AED 3,535
Visa cancellation
AED 685
Emirates ID (per visa)
AED 370
Dependent / spouse visa
AED 2,500
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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04Visas & workspace

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

Visa allocation
Maximum visas
5
Flexi-desk cap
4
Family sponsorship
Available
Freelancer permit
Available
Golden visa
Available
Green visa
Available
Medical required
Yes
Processing time
~9 days
Workspace options
Virtual office
Yes
Flexi-desk
Yes
Coworking
Yes
Dedicated office
Yes
Executive office
Yes
Warehouse
No
Industrial unit
No
Land plot
No
Ejari issued
Yes
Parking
Yes
Dedicated office cost
AED 14,000/yr
05Banking & setup

Banking difficulty, partner banks, and setup timeline.

Banking
Difficulty
Moderate
Time to account
~7 days
Minimum deposit
AED 15,000
Corp tax rate
0%
Audit cost (est)
AED 7,000
UBO filing
Required
AML / KYC
standard (enhanced for DNFBP-classified activities: legal consultancy, real estate, auditing, precious metals, investment consultancy, company service providers)
Partner banks
RAKBankADCBEmirates NBDWio Bank
Neo-bank options
Wio BusinessMashreq NeoBizRAKBANK digital onboarding
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 ~7 days · Moderate banking
  5. Operational
    Typically ~4 days, up to ~21 days
06Package pricing

4 packages from official fee schedules.

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

PackageVisasYear 1Renewal
Freelancer Permit – 1 VisaBest value1AED 8,000AED 7,000
Business Starter – Flexi – 1 Visa1AED 11,200AED 9,500
Business Standard – Flexi – 3 Visas3AED 15,500AED 13,000
Business Premium – Office – 6 Visas6AED 24,000AED 19,500
07Permitted activities

Activity categories, restrictions, and approval flags.

3000 (3,000+ activities authority-wide per 2026 sources; RAKEZ marketed '>1,500' historically) activitiesMainland selling: YesDual license: Yes

Consulting & professional services

E-commerce (dedicated package with payment-gateway perks)

Media & freelancer permits

General trading

Categories
CommercialServicesE-commerceGeneral TradingMediaIndividual/ProfessionalFreelancerTourism
Matched industry clusters
industrial
Restricted
Banking/financial services without Central Bank approvalOil & gas explorationActivities contrary to UAE public policyEducational institutions (belong to RAKEZ Academic Zone)Industrial/manufacturing (belong to RAKEZ industrial zones)

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 · 2026-07-18
Mainland permitYes
Inferred · 2026-07-18
Audit requiredNo
Inferred · 2026-07-18
Economic substancestandard
Inferred · 2026-07-18

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

Focus: Startups & SMEs, Consulting & professional services, Trading & e-commerce, Media & freelance, (authority-wide: manufacturing & industry)

40000 companiesvery large communityNetworking events: Yes
Notable companies

Franke Group, Utico, Ahmad Al Maghribi Perfumes, Dabur, International Armored Group (IAG), Italf food

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
  • Among the cheapest legitimate UAE free-zone entries: AED 6,000 zero-visa licence issued in 24 hours
  • AED 14,000 all-inclusive 1-visa package bundles licence, shared workstation, immigration file/e-channel, medical & Emirates ID with a same-price renewal guarantee
  • Official, published visa tariff (investor AED 4,520 / employee AED 3,800 new) - rare fee transparency
  • Established government authority (40,000+ companies) with dual-licence mainland access via RAK DED
  • Compass Coworking Centre with 24/7 access, events and visa-tiered memberships (0-4 visas)
Caveats
  • Trustpilot rating of ~2.4/5 with recurring complaints about slow customer service, surprise fees and expensive company closures
  • Ras Al Khaimah address: ~1 hour from Dubai, lower brand cachet than Dubai zones, and some Dubai banks apply extra scrutiny
  • No public schedule of charges for standard licences/offices - pricing beyond headline packages is quote-based
  • Business Zone parks are NOT VAT-designated (only RAKEZ industrial zones are) and audited financials are mandatory every year

Not ideal for: Goods traders relying on VAT designated-zone treatment (Business Zone parks are not designated), brands needing a Dubai address or premium zone cachet, and founders who want white-glove customer service - reviews flag slow support and costly exits.

10Recent developments

2 policy and pricing updates on record.

  1. 2025-Q2RAKEZ Business Zone launched a new startup acceleration package offering 6-month license deferrals and mentorship access for tech and e-commerce startups.
  2. 2024-Q4RAKEZ Business Zone crossed 14,000 active business licenses, reflecting continued strong demand from budget-conscious SMEs and solo entrepreneurs across the UAE.
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 RAKEZ Business Zone.

13Similar zones in Ras Al Khaimah

3 comparable zones in the same emirate.

14About this data

Last verified 2026-07-18 · high confidence.

RAKEZ Business Zone 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 Nakheel, Ras Al Khaimah city (RAKEZ HQ, P.O. Box 10055); Al Hamra Business Zone near Al Hamra Village
Established
2017
Authority
Government of Ras Al Khaimah
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.

2.4★26 reviewsGoogle

Founder reviews

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16Take the next step

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