Key Takeaways
- The official count is 21. That's the number of free zones on the Government of Dubai's list, a page last modified on 3 April 2026.
- Four operators run 14 of the 21. DMCC and JAFZA have one zone each, DIEZ has three and the Dubai Development Authority has nine.
- You won't find IFZA on the list as a zone of its own, because it's based in Dubai Silicon Oasis. Dubai Industrial City isn't listed at all.
- Since Resolution 11 of 2025, companies in these zones can work on the Dubai mainland through a branch or a permit. DIFC financial firms are the exception.
Count the free zones in Dubai on different websites and you'll get different answers. The figure that matters is the one from the Government of Dubai, which lists 21 on a page last modified 3 April 2026. In every free zone, a separate authority licenses companies under rules of its own. Each zone's operator decides which legal forms you can choose, what you pay and how visas work. That's why the table below sorts the zones by operator.
The 21 free zones in Dubai on the official list
Use the table to find out who runs a zone, what it's meant for and what kind of company you can set up there. The legal forms are mostly short codes. FZE and FZCo are free zone companies with one owner or with several, an LLC is a limited liability company and a branch is an office of a company that exists elsewhere.
| Operator | Zones on the list | Main focus | Legal forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMCC Authority | DMCC | Commodities, trading, services | Company limited by shares, branch |
| Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority | JAFZA | Trading, logistics, industrial | FZE, FZCo, PLC, branch, offshore |
| DIEZ | Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai CommerCity | Aviation and logistics, technology, e-commerce | FZCO, PLC, branch |
| Dubai Development Authority | Dubai Internet City, Media City, Studio City, Production City, Design District (d3), Knowledge Park, International Academic City, Outsource City, Science Park | Technology, media, film, design, education, outsourcing, life sciences | FZ-LLC, branch, freelancer |
| DIFC Authority | DIFC | Financial and non-financial firms, family offices | Private company, LLP, prescribed company, foundation |
| Meydan City Corporation | Meydan Free Zone | Generalist, start-ups | LLC, branch |
| Dubai World Central Corporation | Dubai South | Aviation, logistics, e-commerce | DWC-LLC, freelancer |
| Expo City Dubai Authority | Expo City Dubai | Generalist, sustainability | Company, branch |
| Dubai Healthcare City Authority | Dubai Healthcare City | Healthcare, education, wellness | FZ-LLC, branch |
| DWTC Authority | Dubai World Trade Centre | Events, e-commerce, family offices | FZE, FZCO, branch |
| Dubai Humanitarian Authority | Dubai Humanitarian | Humanitarian organisations | Branch, FZ-LLC |
Who runs which zone
Most zones belong to a handful of operators. Four of them run 14 of the 21 zones. DMCC and JAFZA have one each, DIEZ has three and the Dubai Development Authority (DDA) has nine, which gives 1 + 1 + 3 + 9. The other seven zones each have an authority of their own.
A few of these groupings come from Dubai laws. Dubai Law 16 of 2021 put Dubai Airport Freezone and Dubai Silicon Oasis under DIEZ, the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority. Dubai Law 10 of 2018 renamed the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority, which became the DDA.
You'll often see the name TECOM next to the DDA zones. TECOM develops them and acts as landlord. The DDA is the regulator.
Zone families and what each is for
The zones fall into groups by purpose. Knowing the group helps you guess which regulator you'll deal with.
- Trade and logistics: JAFZA, Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai South and Dubai CommerCity.
- Technology and media: the DDA zones and Dubai Silicon Oasis.
- Finance and holding companies: DIFC, the Dubai International Financial Centre. Financial services there are regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
- Healthcare: Dubai Healthcare City. Its authority applies its own healthcare rules and licenses healthcare professionals.
- Generalist: Meydan, Expo City Dubai and DWTC.
Names missing from the Dubai free zones list
Some well-known names don't appear on the government list.
IFZA is based in Dubai Silicon Oasis. Its own pages don't say which authority issues its licences, so ask IFZA to name the licensing authority in writing.
Dubai Industrial City and Dubai Gold and Diamond Park aren't on the list either. If you plan to set up in one of them, find out which authority would license your activity there. The operator can tell you, and so can the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai's mainland licensing office. A name that sounds like a zone, such as DUQE, isn't among the 21 either.
Other names have simply changed. International Humanitarian City is now Dubai Humanitarian, and the old Dubai Trade Centre free zone appears as Dubai World Trade Centre.
So where do the bigger numbers come from? Marketing pages that talk about 25, 30 or more zones in Dubai are counting old names, parts of larger zones, brands, or zones in other emirates.
How the mainland rules of Resolution 11 of 2025 apply
The mainland is anywhere in Dubai outside a free zone. Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025 lets companies licensed by any Dubai free zone authority work there. The one group left out is financial firms licensed in DIFC.
A company has three options, and each needs the zone's approval first. It can open a mainland branch or run a branch from its free zone office. It can also take out a permit that lasts up to six months. The branch run from the zone costs AED 10,000 a year and the permit costs AED 5,000 (Article 12), as of October 2026.
Some zones advertise their own versions of these options, so check which one your zone supports. Fees and approvals are covered on the page on the dual licence and permit. If you've seen offers of an instant licence, the page on instant licences explains why permits still come afterwards.
Choosing between the zones on the list
A list can't tell you which zone is right for you. That comes down to where your customers are, which regulator covers your activity and how your bank views that activity.
To narrow it down, the guide to Dubai free zone companies ends with a grid for comparing three zones. The free zones hub covers every emirate, and the Company Setup UAE hub links to the guides for the other emirates. There are separate profiles of DMCC and DIFC. If you'd prefer to sell on the mainland from the start, the mainland company guide is the place to begin.
A licensed adviser can run the comparison with your own figures.
AdvisoryHub may receive a fee when you request an introduction; it does not affect the information on this page.
More Company Setup Guides
← Back to Company Setup in Dubai
Related Company Setup Guides
- Dual license Dubai, mainland routes for a free zone company
- Instant license Dubai, why permits still come after
- Free zone company Dubai, choosing a zone, visas and tax
- UAE free zone list by emirate, with authorities and websites
- DMCC company registration, costs, visas and who it suits
- DIFC registration, fees by structure and where DFSA decides
- E commerce license Dubai, three routes for an online seller
- Business setup in mainland UAE, LLC rules, ownership and cost
