Key Takeaways
- ADDED describes the Dual Licence as letting an establishment registered in an Abu Dhabi free zone carry out its activities outside the zone (October 2026).
- ADGM and ADDED agreed on 14 November 2017 that a company on Al Maryah Island can hold both an ADGM and an ADDED licence.
- ADGM's 2025 fee schedule lists USD 5,800 to set up a non-financial company and USD 5,300 to renew (version January 2025, as of October 2026).
- A zone licence alone does not cover Abu Dhabi customers; KEZAD and ADAFZ point to a Dual Licence or a distributor or local agent.
- Several blogs describe a new 2025 or 2026 dual licence regime, yet ADDED lists an existing Dual Licence and the ADGM agreement dates from 2017.
Holding a licence from an Abu Dhabi free zone does not automatically give the right to sell to mainland customers. ADDED lists six zones, and its Dual Licence is the route that lets a zone company work outside its zone. The table below shows what each zone is for.
Abu Dhabi free zones that ADDED lists and what each is for
ADDED's page on the mainland and free zones names six zones. Five have their own licensing pages and are in the table. Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), the sixth, appears without an operator, so ask ADDED who runs it before you rely on it.
| Zone | Focus | Working outside the zone |
|---|---|---|
| ADGM | Financial centre and holding structures on Al Maryah and Al Reem Islands, under English common law | Agreement with ADDED of 14 November 2017. |
| KEZAD Group | Industrial, logistics and trading; formed in September 2022 from KIZAD and ZonesCorp | States that its free zone companies can obtain a Dual Licence without extra offices. |
| Masdar City Free Zone | Clean technology, life sciences, space and AI | Markets dual licensing (blog of 11 July 2025). |
| twofour54 | Media, creative and gaming; licensed by the Creative Media Authority | Eligibility is a question for twofour54 and the Creative Media Authority. |
| Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone (ADAFZ) | Aviation, logistics and e-commerce, on three airport sites | States that LLCs are eligible for a Dual Licence without a local sponsor. |
What the ADDED Dual Licence is and what it needs
A Dual Licence allows an establishment registered in an Abu Dhabi free zone to carry out its activities outside the zone, on the mainland (ADDED licensing page, October 2026). ADDED issues it through TAMM in addition to the zone licence. Expect the application to ask for the free zone licence and a no objection certificate from your zone, and confirm the exact list on the TAMM service page.
ADDED shows no fee for it on the licensing page, and the fee is set on TAMM for your activity. Figures in blog posts vary widely, so do not budget from them.
Several blogs describe a new dual licence regime for 2025 or 2026. ADDED's list shows a Dual Licence that already exists, so treat such claims as marketing until ADDED announces a change.
ADGM and ADDED mutual recognition
ADGM and ADDED agreed on 14 November 2017 that a company on Al Maryah Island can hold both an ADGM commercial licence and an ADDED trade licence. It can serve Abu Dhabi clients without a separate mainland office (ADGM announcement). Financial services firms stay subject to their other regulatory obligations.
For tech startups, ADGM's setting-up FAQ says a mainland licence without extra office space is considered case by case after a business-plan review. An operating ADGM company keeps a physical ADGM address either way. Fees and structures are in ADGM company setup.
The Unified Economic Licence of June 2024
On 6 June 2024 ADDED and the Abu Dhabi Free Zones Council launched the Unified Economic Licence, led by KEZAD, ADAFZ, Masdar City Free Zone and the Creative Media Authority. It standardises the licence reference number and links the zone registries. Nothing in the announcement describes it as a replacement for the Dual Licence, so plan on the Dual Licence route for mainland work unless ADDED tells you otherwise.
Fees the zones publish
ADGM's Registration Authority fee schedule (version January 2025) lists USD 5,800 to set up a non-financial company, including the USD 300 data protection fee, and USD 5,300 to renew. ADGM calls the schedule a non-binding indicative guide. Both figures hold as of October 2026.
KEZAD's tariff page carries no date. It shows AED 0 for a new licence with up to five activities, AED 5,000 to renew an industrial, trading or service licence after two years and AED 15,000 for general trading (as of October 2026). Asterisks on the registration rows are not explained on the page.
A twofour54 blog of 7 March 2023 states that licence and registration fees are waived for the first two years for new investors and freelancers, while other government charges still apply; ask twofour54 whether this still holds. Masdar City and ADAFZ publish marketing packages, which are not tariffs. Ask each body for the fee in writing for your activity.
Choosing between a zone and the mainland licence
KEZAD and ADAFZ both say local-market sales go through a distributor or local agent, or through a Dual Licence. A zone suits clients abroad or a need for its legal framework. A mainland licence suits Abu Dhabi customers who contract with you directly; the types are covered in Abu Dhabi trade licence types.
Assuming that a zone licence alone can sell in Abu Dhabi is a common mistake. Any contract signed before the Dual Licence is issued, or before a distributor agreement exists, is exposed.
If you pick the distributor route, a lawyer can draft the agreement in place of a Dual Licence; request an introduction through the lawyers hub. Zones in other emirates are listed in free zones in the UAE, by emirate, and the wider picture is in Company Setup UAE.
AdvisoryHub may receive a fee when you request an introduction; it does not affect the information on this page.
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