Meydan Free Zone
Company Setup
Company setup starts from AED 12,500, with the trade licence issued online within 24 hours — or in under 60 minutes on the Fawri instant licence, per Meydan Free Zone. Wise Cat handles the application, documentation and follow-up on your behalf, then supports visas and banking after issuance.
A Fully Digital Free Zone in the Heart of Dubai
Meydan Free Zone is a Dubai free zone in Nad Al Sheba, 10 minutes from Dubai International Airport and 15 minutes from Downtown. Every company is formed as a single LLC-FZ structure, with the entire application and licence issuance process online, 24/7. It's part of the Meydan Group — the Meydan Racecourse, Meydan Hotel and Dubai World Cup.
Read more about Meydan Free Zone →Built for Speed, Simplicity and a Central Address
Meydan trades the multi-entity flexibility of other free zones for one simple structure, a fully digital process, and some of the fastest licence issuance in the UAE.
Fully Digital, 24/7
One Licence, One Structure
Flexi-Desk Included Free
Licence in 24 Hours — or 60 Minutes
Mainland Trading via NOC
Central Dubai Address
Who Meydan Free Zone Is Built For
Every other page on this topic sells you Meydan. Here's an honest read on where it excels, and where it genuinely does not fit.
Choose Meydan if you...
- • Want a central Dubai address, a fast fully digital setup, and no local partner
- • Are one person who wants the licence today — Fawri issues in under 60 minutes
- • Have a partner, or expect to add shareholders or activities — the Regular route fits
- • Are based outside the UAE and aren't relocating — the Non-Resident route fits
Consider other zones if...
- • You need warehousing, storage, or an industrial/manufacturing facility — Meydan does not offer them — compare JAFZA
- • You want an unrestricted general trading licence — Meydan's commercial licence doesn't cover it
- • Cost is your only criterion — Meydan's fee sits above the UAE's cheapest zones — compare RAKEZ
- • You need a large team on day one — six visa allocations per licence is limiting for a 20-person year one
If any of these describe you, tell us — we work across multiple UAE jurisdictions and there is no benefit to us in placing you in the wrong one. Browse all UAE free zones we cover.
Which Meydan Licence Route Should You Choose?
All three routes form the company as an LLC-FZ and draw from the same activity catalogue — the difference is speed, breadth and who they're built for.
| Regular Licence | Fawri Instant | Non-Resident | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | AED 12,500 | AED 15,000 | AED 12,500 |
| Licence issued in | Within 24 hours | Under 60 minutes | Fully online |
| Activities available | 2,500+ | 1,800+ | Draws from the main list |
| Shareholders | Single or multiple | Solo only — same person is shareholder, manager, director and UBO | Single or multiple |
| Guarantee | — | Money-back if Meydan misses the 60-minute window | — |
| Included extra | Flexi-desk | Flexi-desk + one free licence amendment in year one | Non-resident corporate banking access |
| UAE visit required | No | No | No |
| Built for | SMEs, multi-shareholder setups, growing structures | Freelancers, solopreneurs, one-person consultancies | Remote founders, digital nomads, holding structures |
All figures per Meydan Free Zone.
Business Activities
One licence covers 2,500+ activities across 16 official categories. Three groups are included; each extra activity costs AED 1,000.
How We Help You Apply
Three online steps to a licence, then two more to be operational.
Confirm Activity & Structure
Choose your activities from Meydan's catalogue and confirm the licence route — the decision that constrains visa eligibility and bank onboarding downstream.
Reserve the Trade Name
Clear Meydan's naming rules with three proposed options — no offensive/religious language, no conflicts with existing registrations or trademarks.
Submit Application & Documents
Passport copies for all shareholders and managers, plus corporate documents if a company is a shareholder — a physical address isn't needed at this stage.
Pay & Receive the Licence
Fawri issues in under 60 minutes with a money-back guarantee if Meydan misses the window. The Regular licence issues within 24 hours, per Meydan Free Zone.
Visas & Bank Account
Licence issuance is fast; residency and banking are not. Dubai has cut average bank account opening time from 65 days to 5 (Dubai Media Office, Nov 2025) — but approval still depends on your profile.
The delay nobody warns you about: a degree attestation or board resolution from outside the UAE is done in the home country first and can add two weeks.
Read more →How Much Does Meydan Company Setup Actually Cost?
The headline number is AED 12,500 — real, not bait, but the cost of the structure, not an operating business. Here's the full picture.
Fees
| Cost Item | Amount (AED) |
|---|---|
| Regular trade licence (1 year, 0 visas) | 12,500 |
| Fawri instant licence | 15,000 |
| Each business activity beyond the 3 included groups | 1,000 |
| Flexi-desk | Included free |
| Multi-year licence discount | Up to 15% off |
| Late renewal fine | 200 / month after a 30-day grace period |
All figures per Meydan Free Zone.
Optional Add-Ons
| Service | Cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| Medical test + Emirates ID assistance | 2,250 |
| VAT registration | 1,500 |
| Corporate tax starter package | 1,200 |
| Bookkeeping | 1,000 – 1,500 / month |
| Bank account assistance | 1,500 |
| PO Box | 1,700 / year |
All figures per Meydan Free Zone.
Visa Costs (per visa)
| Item | Cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| Visa allocation (per slot) | 1,850 |
| Employment visa | 3,500 |
| Investor / partner visa | ~4,000 |
| Dependent visa | ~6,000 per person |
Each licence supports up to 6 visa allocations. All figures per Meydan Free Zone.
The one requirement almost nobody publishes: an investor or partner visa requires a minimum AED 50,000 declared share capital, per Meydan Free Zone — a declaration, not a deposit.
Wise Cat Packages
Meydan's authority fee and our service fee are always shown as separate lines — never bundled into one number.
Solo
Freelancers & one-person consultancies
- Activity & licence-route mapping
- Trade name reservation (3 options)
- Document preparation & submission
- Application follow-up with Meydan
Growth
SMEs adding their first visa
- Everything in Solo
- Visa processing support (entry permit, medical, Emirates ID)
- Corporate bank account guidance
- Share capital structured for visa eligibility
Team
Multi-visa or upgraded facility setups
- Everything in Growth
- Facility upgrade guidance (desk/office)
- Mainland NOC guidance
- Corporate tax & VAT registration support
Corporate Tax Position
No — not automatically. Free zone status makes you eligible for a corporate tax exemption; it doesn't grant one automatically.
| Tax | Rate | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax (standard) | 0% / 9% | 0% up to AED 375,000 taxable income; 9% above |
| Corporate tax (Qualifying Free Zone Person) | 0% / 9% | 0% on qualifying income, 9% on non-qualifying. No AED 375,000 band |
| QFZP de minimis limit | Pass / fail | Non-qualifying revenue under the lower of AED 5,000,000 or 5% of total revenue |
| Small Business Relief | 0% effective | Revenue at or below AED 3,000,000 treated as zero taxable income |
| VAT | 5% | Mandatory registration at AED 375,000; voluntary at AED 187,500 |
| Personal income tax | 0% | No threshold |
Rates per the UAE Federal Tax Authority.
Qualifying for the 0% rate depends on meeting substance and revenue conditions — get this wrong and you risk losing it.
Read more about QFZP compliance →Documents You'll Need
Individual Shareholders
- Passport copy for every shareholder and manager
- UAE visa copy or latest entry stamp, where applicable
- Passport-sized photograph
- Three proposed trade names
- Emirates ID, if you are a UAE resident
Corporate Shareholders & Branches
- Certificate of Incorporation of the parent company
- Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Board Resolution naming the appointed managers, directors and shareholders
- Passport copies for the appointed manager and authorised signatory
Regulated activities — healthcare, education, financial services, real estate — carry additional external approvals. We confirm the exact checklist before you submit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get a Fixed Meydan Quote in 24 Hours
Tell us about your business and we'll recommend the right licence route and structure — no obligation.
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