Looking to grow your business in Dubai? Dubai South Free Zone is the perfect place for aviation, logistics, and e-commerce companies. With 100% foreign ownership, fast setup, and world-class infrastructure near Al Maktoum Airport and Jebel Ali Port, you can launch quickly and reach global markets with ease.
Dubai South is not simply a free zone. It is the UAE government's most ambitious infrastructure project in a generation, and the companies here now are staking their claim before the rest of the world catches up.
Formerly known as Dubai World Central (DWC), this 145-square-kilometre development was designed around one idea: build an integrated city where aviation, logistics, commerce, and residential life operate together. Al Maktoum International Airport sits at its core. With an AED 128 billion expansion underway that will grow the airport's annual capacity to 260 million passengers, Dubai South is where the next chapter of Dubai's economy is being written.
The Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC) governs the free zone and regulates all licensing, visa, and business activities within it. The zone sits 37 kilometres southwest of Dubai International Airport and directly borders Jebel Ali Port, the largest man-made harbour in the world.
For most business types, the setup process is fully digital. Licence issuance takes 3 to 5 working days from complete document submission, making Dubai South one of the fastest formation processes in the emirate.
Dubai South combines designated zone tax status, direct airport access, and a future-proofed location that no other UAE free zone can replicate.
Every Dubai South Free Zone formation delivers a defined package of regulatory outputs. Nothing is left to assumption.
Your official DACC-issued trade licence covering all approved activities. Valid for one year and renewable annually. Issued electronically in most cases.
Your chosen name is reviewed against UAE naming rules by the DACC before any other registration steps proceed. Approval is confirmed in writing.
Issued alongside your licence. Serves as the official identity document for your entity in the UAE immigration and government systems.
Each shareholder receives a formal certificate confirming their ownership stake. Required for UAE residency visa applications and corporate bank account opening.
Your MOA outlines company objectives, shareholder structure, capital details, and governance rules in line with DACC regulations.
A valid Dubai South address for your entity from day one, ranging from a shared flexi-desk through to a dedicated private office or warehouse unit.
Your package includes a defined visa allocation tied to your office type. A flexi-desk typically supports 1 to 2 visas. Larger spaces unlock higher quotas.
Dubai South issues electronic licences through its digital government platform. Physical presence during setup is not required for most business categories.
Covers the import, export, distribution, and sale of physical goods. Starting from AED 8,500 per year.
For knowledge-based businesses delivering services rather than physical products. Starting from AED 8,500 per year.
Built for supply chain operators. Logistics District address required in most cases. From AED 10,000 per year.
Exclusive to the Aviation District and Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub. From AED 12,000 per year.
For manufacturing, processing, and assembly operations within the free zone. From AED 12,000 per year.
For online businesses selling into the UAE and global markets with air cargo proximity. From AED 9,000 per year.
All pricing figures are indicative and based on 2025 to 2026 market data. Exact costs depend on your business activity, office type, visa quota, and corporate structure. RIZ & MONA Consultancy provides a personalised, itemised quote for your specific situation at no obligation.
AED 20,000 to AED 35,000
Flexi-desk, 1 visa, service or commercial licence. Ideal for solo founders, consultancies, and e-commerce startups. This is the lowest cost tier for Dubai South company formation.
AED 35,000 to AED 85,000
Dedicated desk or small private office, 2 to 4 visas. Suited for small operating teams, trading companies, or logistics businesses needing a physical presence.
AED 85,000 and above
Warehouse or aviation specialist setup. First-year cost excludes warehouse fit-out. MRO and hangar facilities are quoted case-by-case.
Aviation and industrial licences carry higher base fees than service or e-commerce categories. Entry-level service and commercial licences start from AED 8,500 per year.
Flexi-desk from AED 8,000 per year. Dedicated offices from AED 30,000. Warehouse space is priced per square foot in the Logistics District.
Each investor or employee visa costs AED 3,500 to AED 5,500 including medical fitness test and Emirates ID.
Adding more than one activity group to your licence increases the annual fee. List all intended activities at setup to avoid amendment fees later.
Entities with a corporate parent require additional attested documents and often pay higher processing fees.
All figures are indicative and based on 2025 to 2026 market data. Exact costs depend on your business activity, office type, visa quota, and corporate structure. RIZ & MONA Consultancy provides a personalised, itemised quote at no obligation.
The registration runs through a fully digital government platform for most business types. Physical presence is not required at any stage for the majority of applications, making the process accessible for international founders from the very first step
Define your business activities, select your licence category and district, and confirm your legal structure. This decision determines all document requirements and fee calculations for every stage that follows.
Submit your preferred company name to the DACC for review. Names must comply with UAE naming rules: no offensive terms, no names that duplicate existing registrations, and no government body references without special approval.
Compile your required documents and submit them through the Dubai South digital portal. Individual applicants need passport copies and proof of address. Corporate shareholders require attested parent company documents in addition.
The DACC reviews your application and issues initial approval within 24 to 48 hours for standard cases. You pay your licence fee, establishment card fee, and office arrangement at this stage.
Your trade licence and Memorandum of Association are issued electronically. The establishment card is processed in parallel. Both documents are typically delivered within the same working day.
Once the licence is issued, you apply for your investor or employee visa. The process covers an entry permit, medical fitness test, Emirates ID biometrics, and visa stamping. End-to-end: 7 to 14 working days.
Use your licence, MOA, and establishment card to begin the account opening process. RIZ & MONA Consultancy introduces you to suitable banking partners matched to your business type and transaction profile.
All corporate documents originating outside the UAE must be notarised, legalised by the relevant UAE embassy or competent authority, and translated into Arabic by a UAE-certified legal translator. Confirm your specific document list with RIZ & MONA Consultancy before submission to avoid rejection delays.
Document requirements vary by activity, nationality, and corporate structure. Confirm your specific document list with RIZ & MONA Consultancy before submission to avoid rejection delays.
Your Dubai South licence gives you the legal basis to sponsor yourself and your team for UAE residency. The number of visas available to you is tied to your office type, not a fixed cap set by the authority.
A flexi-desk supports 1 to 2 visas. A dedicated desk or small private office supports up to 4 to 6 visas. Warehouse units and larger offices unlock higher quotas proportional to their size.
RIZ & MONA Consultancy manages the full visa process on your behalf and advises on current processing norms at the time of application.
Visa processing timelines are indicative. Delays can occur during high-volume periods, public holidays, or if additional documentation is requested. Visa quota depends on your office type and is subject to DACC and UAE immigration policy.
Dubai South-licensed companies have access to the full range of UAE corporate banking. The designated zone regulatory credibility and DACC oversight make the free zone well understood by the major banks. The challenge is rarely eligibility. It is presentation. Logistics and trading companies that move physical goods across borders receive additional compliance scrutiny. Aviation businesses with international counterparties face the same. The right bank introduction, paired with properly prepared documents, changes the outcome significantly.
The region's only free zone built exclusively for aviation and aerospace. MBRAH is not a district that accepts aviation companies alongside general businesses. It exists solely for airlines, MRO operators, aircraft lessors, private jet operators, training academies, and aerospace supply chain companies. It recorded 9,753 private jet movements in the first half of 2025 alone, a 15% rise year on year.
Al Maktoum International is already operational for cargo. The new expansion will grow it to 70 square kilometres across five runways with 400 aircraft gates. First phase targets 150 million passengers by around 2032. Final capacity: 260 million passengers annually. Emirates and flydubai will relocate all operations here on completion.
The Logistics District is an 18-square-kilometre zone built specifically for freight operators. Its position between Al Maktoum Airport and Jebel Ali Port creates a sea-air corridor that no other logistics free zone in the UAE can replicate. Warehouses start from 500 square metres and scale to large multi-bay facilities.
MBRAH is being developed as a global base for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Companies including Joby Aviation and Archer have announced their intention to establish a presence here. Dubai South is developing the regulatory and physical framework for urban air mobility well ahead of any competing UAE location.
Dubai South is not an industrial zone. It is a master-planned city with a target population of one million. The residential district includes freehold property developments, healthcare facilities, international schools, retail, hotels, and leisure amenities. Future transport includes a Dubai Metro extension, an Etihad Rail stop, air taxi routes, and autonomous vehicle networks.
Our Advantage
Dubai South has three commercial districts and six licence categories. We review your business model and growth plans and recommend the right district and licence combination before you spend a single dirham on fees.
FZE, FZ-LLC, or Branch — the choice affects your tax position, visa quota, and banking options. We assess all of these before recommending a structure, then prepare and submit every document cross-checked against DACC requirements.
We map your hiring plan to your office type from the start. Choosing the wrong office creates an expensive upgrade problem later. We prevent that by planning your visa quota correctly before the licence is issued.
We match your Dubai South company to the right UAE bank based on your activity, transaction volumes, and nationality profile. Our team understands MBRAH licensing and Logistics District requirements in depth — we do not treat this as a generic free zone setup.
We provide a complete itemised quote covering all DACC fees, office costs, visas, and attestation before any work begins. After launch, we track your renewal dates and file on time so your trading status never lapses.
Dubai South competes most directly with JAFZA for logistics and trading operators, and with IFZA for SMEs and professional service businesses. The table below covers the most important practical differences.
Best for logistics, aviation, air freight, and e-commerce fulfilment businesses wanting designated zone tax status and direct airport access.
Best for heavy trade, sea freight, and large multinationals wanting proximity to Jebel Ali Port and extensive warehouse infrastructure.
Best for budget-conscious SMEs, remote founders, and consultancies wanting a credible Dubai license at a competitive price.
Not sure which free zone is right?
RIZ & MONA Consultancy compares all your options and gives you a clear recommendation, at no charge.
