Free Zones Dubai and UAE

	Free Trade Zones Dubai & UAE

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UAE Free Trade Zones and Free Zones

Free zones (sometimes called a free economic zone, duty free zone, tax free zone, trade free zone or free trade zone) in the UAE allow 100% foreign ownership and have no taxes - usually guaranteed for 15 or 50 years. Each free zone has its own specific requirements regarding minimum office/warehouse space and permitted activities. Companies outside the free zones require a local sponsor and allow maximum 49% foreign ownership.

Dubai Free Zones and Free Trade Zones

Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ)

PO Box 491, tel +971-4-2995555, fax +971-4-2995500, email invest@dafza.gov.ae, web www.dafza.gov.ae (www.dafza.ae also works). Sales office tel +971-4-2027000.
Chairman - Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Director General - Dr Mohammed Al Zarouni.
Minimum capital zero for branch, 500,000 dhs for FZC (Free Zone Company), 1,000,000 dhs for FZE (FreeZone Enterprise).

Dubai Car and Automotive City Free Zone (DUCAMZ)

PO Box 17000, tel +971-4-3335000, +971-4-3335777, email mktg@jafza.co.ae, web www.ducamz.ae (www.ducamz.co.ae also good). Managed by JAFZA.

Dubai Gold and Diamond Park

Next to Dubai Police Traffic Department near Mall of the Emirates on Sheikh Zayed Rd.
PO Box 37370, +971-4-3477788, fax +971-4-3473206, email gdp@emaar.ae, web www.goldanddiamondpark.com.
Phase 1 established May 2001 as a LLC company owned by Emaar (a UAE publicly listed company). Contains about 40 retail units and 120 manufacturing units.
Phases 2 and 3 to come - more retail, manufacturing and office units.

Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC)

Sometimes called Dubai Health Care City.
Behind Wafi Center. PO Box 66566, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, tel +971-4-3245555, fax +971-4-3249000, web www.dhcc.ae.

Dubai Industrial City (DIC)

Free zone?
Subsidiary of Tatweer.
Shuaib Residential Complex for workers to be constructed with 87,000 beds and area of 14 million square feet. Cost 1.6 billion dhs. Announced November 2006.

Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC)

Opened September 2004. Regulator is DFSA, stock exchange is DIFX.
web www.difc.ae.

Dubai Internet City (DIC)

DIC building 4, PO Box 73000, tel +971-4-3911111, fax +971-4-3919000, email opportunities@dubaiinternetcity.ae, web www.dubaiinternetcity.com (www.dic.ae and www.dubaiinternetcity.ae also work).

Dubai Knowledge Village (KV or DKV)

Dubai Knowledge Village - information page on Dubai FAQs
CEO is Dr Abdullah Al Karam.

Dubai Media City (DMC)

tel +971-4-3914555, email talktous@dubaimediacity.co.ae or sales@dubaimediacity.ae, web www.dubaimediacity.ae.
Dubai Media City - information page on Dubai FAQs

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)

Established in 2002, members include DGCX - Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange,
Emirates Towers, Level 19, PO Box 48800, Dubai, UAE, tel +971-4-3903899, fax +971-4-3903897, email office@dmcc.ae, web www.dmmc.ae.

Dubai Silicon Oasis

web www.dso.ae.
Announced October 2002. Established January 2005 in Nad Al Sheba area on a 600 hectare site.
Microelectronics technology and industrial park, including R & D facilities.
Chairman - Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and CEO Dr Jürgen Knorr (was Dr Mohammed Al Zarouni?).

Dubai Techno Park (TP) - under development

One of the Economic Zones World subsidiaries, set up as the science and technology zone for EZW.
Launched in 2002 with 23 sq km of industrial, research & development, and technological businesses, focusing on the Energy, Desalination & Water Resource Management, Environmental Resource Management and Technology sectors.
Chairman is Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem
Managing Director is Hamad Al Hashemi
Phase I consists of 2.3 million sq meters with 112 plots available for the manufacturing and light industrial sector. All plots leased out.
Phase II consists of 17.7 million sq meters, development started June 2007 and is named the 'Technopolis'. The Technopolis is intended to be a world class center for technology, research, education and industry. The Technopolis will provide R&D facilities, incubators and business accelerators in environment and natural resource management, as well as house water desalination, and oil & gas industry organisations.
When completed, the Technopolis resident population will be about 60,000 people and a workforce of up to 133,000 people.
Some organisations that have already signed up with Techo Park include:
- Baker Hughes - an oilfield supply company will establish a training centre and operations facility to serve the oil and gas sector. Announced September 2006.
- Cedars International integrated medical complex - an AED 1.15 billion project on 100,000 sq m of land, completion expected in 2010.
- The Dubai LNG Storage Hub - a joint venture between Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and LNG Impel, based at Dubai Techno Park. Total storage capacity 40-65 billion cubic feet (bcf), making it the largest such facility in the world. Expected completion between 2011 and 2013 in 3 phases.
- Emirates Designer Stone - an AED 800 million quartz stone manufacturing plant. Announced August 2007.
- Mammut Group, a manufacturer of trailers, steel buildings, sandwich panels, concrete pre cast panels and porta cabins, will construct its new pre cast concrete panel factory on a 2m sq ft plot in Dubai Techno Park. Total investment about AED 500 million. Announced December 2004.
- Mattex International Group, a carpet manufacturer based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia will lease 1m sq ft of land in the Park, with an investment of AED 400 million in its facility.
- Nestle - will set up its Middle East manufacturing facility on 100,000 sq m of land. Announced Jan 2007, first phase expected to be complete by end 2007.
- Proclad Group International, an oil & gas and petrochemical company, will set up an AED 400 million industrial complex. Announced October 2005.
- Solar Technologies FZE will invest AED 50 million in a facility to develop high technology solar energy products and solutions. Announced June 2006.
Technopark address: PO Box 16777, Dubai, UAE
Tel +971-4-3328835, fax +971-4-3328853, email info@tp.ae
www.technopark.ae - TechnoPark website (domains www.tp.ae and www.dubaitechnopark.com are also valid)

Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone (TECOM)

Free zone encompassing Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Knowledge Village.
Established in 2000.

Economic Zones World (EZW)

A Dubai World subsidiary that operates the free zones Techno Park, Dubai Auto Zone, Jafza International, and Jebel Ali Free Zone.
CEO is Mrs Salma Hareb, who is also CEO of Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA).
www.ezw.ae - EZW website

Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA or JAFZ)

Jebel Ali Free Zone - more information

Free Zones in Dubai planned or under development

Dubai Aid City
Dubai Auto Parts City
Dubai Biotechnology & Research Park (Dubiotech or Dubai Biotech) - web www.dubiotech.com.
Dubai Carpet Free Zone - Deira.
Dubai Flower Center Free Zone - at Dubai International Airport.
Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC)
Dubai Maritime City
Dubai Outsource Zone (DOZ) - www.doz.ae
Dubai Studio City - Dubailand.
Dubai Textile Village - Al Awir, scheduled completion October 2005?
eHosting Data Fort
Heavy Equipment & Trucks Free Zone
International Media Production Zone - web www.impz.ae
Mohammad Bin Rashid Technology Park - Jebel Ali Area.
TechnoPark - see Dubai Techno Park

Other UAE Free Zones

Ajman Free Zone

Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) - PO Box 932 Ajman, tel +971-4-7425444, fax +971-4-7429222, web www.ajmanfreezone.gov.ae.

Fujairah Free Zones

Fujeirah / Fujairah Free Zone (FFZ)

PO Box 1133, tel +971-9-2228000, fax +971-9-2228888, email freezone@emirates.net.ae, web www.fujairahfreezone.com.
Director General - Sharif Habib Al Awadhi (sometimes spelt as Sharief Habib Al Awadhi).

Fujairah Creative City or Fujairah Media (Fujairah Media City?)

Fujairah Creative City announced 29 November 2005 as an alternative to Dubai Media City, planned opening was 2007.
March 2007 news said that work on Creativity City was expected to start shortly, which makes a 2007 completion date seem unlikely. Area of about 40,000 sq meters.
Fujairah Media (FM) will offer television, radio and publishing services.
Radio station started December 2005? On "FM" (!) 98.4 FM.
FCC website (same as FM website) - www.fujairahmedia.com - limited information (December 2007)
Contact details (December 2007):
- Fujairah Media FZ LLC, PO Box 4422, Fujariah UAE
- Tel +971-9-2244100, Fax +971-9-2244101

Ras Al Khaimah Free Zones

RAK Free Trade Zone (RAKFTZ or RAK FTZ)

Is not the same as the 'RAK Investment Authority Free Zone'
PO Box 10055, tel +971-7-2041111, fax +971-7-2280859, email inquiry@rakftz.com, web www.rakftz.com.
Offices in Dubai (Twin Towers tel +971-4-2088555 & Fairmont Hotel tel +971-4-3124300), Abu Dhabi and India. Over 1000 new companies registered in 2005 and 2006.
Set up costs from US$8700 for complete package (about 32,000 dhs).
The 'Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone Authority' (RAKFTZA) overseas the RAK FZ
Chairman of the RAK FTZA - Sheikh Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qassimi. CEO/Director General - Mr Oussama El Omari (sometimes spelt Ossama / Osama / Oussama Al Omari).
Facilities include a nursery - Kids Zone Nursery (or KidsZone Nursery), website at kidszone.rakftz.com.
Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone Business Park is in Al Nakheel Area of RAK (see location map of Emirates Business Center).
Site of the RAK FTZ Industrial Park is Khor Khowair, near Saqr Port, about 15 km north of Ras Al Khaimah city.
RAKFTZ Technology Park is south of the city on the way to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.
RAK sometimes spelt Ras Al Khaima, Ras Al Khayma, Ras Al Khaymah, or Ras Al Kahima.
Emaar RAK was established in 2005 in RAKFTZ to provide property and real estate services for developments in RAK - in particular Al Hamra Village and The Cove. Emaar RAK contact: PO Box 10055, Ras Al Khaimah, tel +971-7-2041400, fax +971-7-2041404, web www.emaarrak.com.
As of Sep 2006, 2500 companies started, 5 billion dhs invested in infrastructure, 12 billion dhs of investment coming in (but that includes 7 billion from one project announced Sep 2006).

RAK Investment Authority Free Zone (RAKIA FZ)

Different from the RAK Free Trade Zone
PO Box 31291, Ras Al Khaimah, tel +971-7-2447253, fax +971-7-2445270, email enquiry@rakinvestmentauthority.com, web www.rak-ia.com.

Ras Al Khaimah Media Free Zone (RAKMFZ) - RAK Media City

tel +971-7-2445125, email enquiries@rakmediacity.com, web www.rakmediacity.com (under construction as of Aug 2006).
Established 03 January 2006 as an alternative to Dubai Media City.
Also known as 'RAK Media Free Zone and Film City'.

Other projects in RAKFTZ under consideration or development

RAK Center for Business Excellence or RAK Training Center for Business Excellence.
RAK Education Zone.
RAK Financial Center.
RAK Industrial and Technology Park.

Sharjah Free Zones

Hamriyah Free Zone

PO Box 1377, Sharjah, UAE, tel +971-6-5263333, fax +971-6-5263555, email hfz@hamriyahfreezone.ae, web www.hamriyahfreezone.ae (also www.hamriyahfz.com).
Director General Dr Rashid Al Leem.
Established 12 November 1995.

Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF)

PO Box 8000, tel +971-6-5570000, fax +971-6-5571131, email info@saif-zone.com or saifzone@emirates.net.ae, web www.saif-zone.com.
Established September 1995.
Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani.

Umm Al Quwain Free Zone (UAQ Free Zone)

Ahmed Bin Rashid Free Zone (ABRFZ), PO Box 279, Umm Al Quwain, UAE, tel +971-6-7655882, fax +971-6-7651552, email abrpaftz@emirates.net.ae, appears to be no website (as of Aug 2006).
Also called Ahmed Bin Rashid Port and Free Zone Authority or Ahmed Bin Rashed Port and Free Zone Authority.
Established April 1998.

Free Trade Zones Dubai & UAE