Company Setup in Ras Al Khaimah

RAKEZ, RAK ICC and the mainland

Company setup in Ras Al Khaimah offers three different things under similar names. RAKEZ, the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, is the operating free zone for trade, industry, business and e-commerce. RAK ICC, the RAK International Corporate Centre, is the offshore registry. The mainland is licensed by the RAK Department of Economic Development, RAK DED. The first two are easy to confuse, but they do different jobs: only RAKEZ licenses a business that leases premises, employs staff and sponsors visas.

A third zone, Innovation City, is the former RAK DAO. For the general comparison of routes, read company setup in the UAE.

RAKEZ

RAKEZ reports more than 50,000 companies and six zones: Al Ghail Industrial, Al Hamra Industrial, Academic Zone, Al Hulaila Industrial, Al Nakheel Business and Al Hamra Business. It offers commercial, general trading, industrial, service, professional, media and e-commerce licences, plus a freelancer permit. Free zone forms are the FZ-LLC and branches, and the establishment and the LLC are non-free-zone forms.

Its packages carry names, and the price belongs to the package. Each is a package, not a tariff, and the figures come from RAKEZ's own pages as of October 2026:

• Biz Starter at AED 6,000 with no visa, up to 50 shareholders and up to 10 activities, a price the instant licence's Basic package shares for one shareholder and one activity
• Lite, an instant-licence package, at AED 12,000 with one residence visa, up to five shareholders and five activities
• the all-inclusive business set-up at AED 14,000 a year, with 10 activities, one residence visa, up to 3 extra visas at AED 4,000 each and a renewal price fixed in the package

Visas also follow the space. On its serviced-office page RAKEZ states that one desk carries up to 2 visas and two desks up to 4, with a minimum of 3 m2 per desk. On flexi facilities, visas go only to owners, partners and managers named on the licence. The freelancer permit starts from AED 6,100 for a sole practitioner with no extra visas and no corporate bank account.

On 1 October 2026 RAKEZ announced a business account route with RAKBANK for eligible licence holders: no minimum balance and a reduced monthly fee of AED 49 for the first 12 months. Some offer terms ran only to 31 October 2026. The bank still applies its own due diligence, and applicants abroad must visit the bank to sign.

RAK ICC

RAK ICC registers five types of international business company: limited by shares, limited by guarantee, unlimited, restricted purpose and segregated portfolio. It also registers foundations. A registered agent is mandatory.

The RAK ICC fee schedule effective 1 January 2026 lists incorporation at AED 3,250 for one year, AED 6,700 for two years and AED 9,600 for three years. Renewal is AED 3,950, AED 7,250 and AED 10,650. A company with corporate service provider activity pays AED 6,750 for incorporation. A surcharge of AED 7,000 applies where enhanced due diligence is needed. These are government fees as of October 2026, and registered agent charges come in addition.

The limits are written into the regulations. Regulation 40 of the RAK ICC Business Companies Regulations 2018 bars financial services by way of business anywhere in the world. It also bars activity in the UAE outside the zone unless the company first holds all appropriate licences. RAK ICC and RAK DED signed a memorandum on 23 August 2021 that lets RAK ICC companies carry out commercial activities in Ras Al Khaimah through subsidiaries licensed by RAK DED. Whether a bank opens an account is the bank's decision, and the registry gives no assurance.

RAK ICC's 2021 brochure says there is no requirement to file financial accounts with the registry. That is not the same as a Corporate Tax position. According to law-firm commentary, UAE-incorporated offshore companies must register for Corporate Tax even when no tax is due.

Innovation City

RAK DAO, the Digital Assets Oasis, now operates as Innovation City, according to the zone's own news page of 27 October 2025. Many third-party sites still sell it under the old name. It targets AI, Web3, gaming and digital health. Its yearly packages are listed as Idea at AED 6,600, Seed at AED 13,200, Startup at AED 15,400 and Growth at AED 22,550, as of October 2026. Its 2023 regulations require a mainland licence for any onshore activity.

Mainland and the RAKEZ dual licence

RAKEZ markets a Dual License, which its Getting Started page describes as a free zone licence plus a free zone company branch business licence. That wording does not say the second licence is a mainland licence, so ask RAK DED and RAKEZ in writing which authority issues it and what it allows you to do in Ras Al Khaimah. Confirm the route for your activity with RAK DED before you pay.

Company setup in other emirates

Compare the options in company setup in Dubai, company setup in Ajman and company setup in Abu Dhabi.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between RAKEZ and RAK ICC?

RAKEZ licenses operating companies that lease premises and sponsor visas. RAK ICC registers offshore companies and foundations that hold assets and have no UAE trade licence of their own.

Can a RAK ICC company trade in the UAE?

Not without the appropriate UAE licences. Regulation 40 bars activity in the UAE outside the zone without them, and a memorandum with RAK DED allows commercial activity through subsidiaries licensed by RAK DED.

How much does a RAKEZ company cost?

RAKEZ advertises Biz Starter at AED 6,000 with no visa, Lite at AED 12,000 with one residence visa and the all-inclusive package at AED 14,000 a year, as of October 2026. Compare the visa count and the renewal price.

Is RAK DAO still a separate zone?

No. It was renamed Innovation City, according to the zone's news page of 27 October 2025, although some sites still sell it under the old name.

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