Digital Dubai free-zone profile
Meydan Free Zone in Dubai: licences, location and setup profile
Meydan Free Zone is a Dubai free-zone company-formation route for freelancers, startups and established businesses seeking a paperless setup, a flexi-desk and flexible activity selection. It is most relevant where the activity fits the authority's framework and the founder plans separately for visas, banking and any mainland access. Nuances and Co. (Nuances Education and Consultancy), part of NAHY Group
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
On this page
- 1. What is Meydan Free Zone and who is it for?
- 2. Which business activities and license types does Meydan Free Zone offer?
- 3. How many residence visas can a Meydan Free Zone company sponsor?
- 4. What office options does Meydan Free Zone require: flexi desk, office or warehouse?
- 5. How much does a Meydan Free Zone license cost and what is included?
- 6. How long does it take to set up a company in Meydan Free Zone?
- 7. Can a Meydan Free Zone company open a corporate bank account in the UAE?
- 8. Does a Meydan Free Zone company pay Corporate Tax and VAT?
- 9. Meydan Free Zone vs IFZA vs Sharjah Media City (Shams): which one fits your business?
- 10. How does Nuances and Co. set up your company in Meydan Free Zone?
- 11. How much does it cost to open a company in Meydan Free Zone in 2026?
- Frequently asked questions
What is Meydan Free Zone and who is it for?
Meydan Free Zone is a Dubai free-zone authority that presents company formation through a digital, paperless platform. Its official homepage describes remote processes and payments, and positions the route for freelancers, startups and established businesses that want to form a UAE company without making the licence application an office-based exercise.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
Which business activities and license types does Meydan Free Zone offer?
The official homepage presents the Meydan Free Zone Business Licence as the standard digital company-formation route. It includes a flexi-desk and can be configured with visas when the business needs them. The same official material presents Fawri as an instant business-licence route delivered through an online, paperless process. The right choice depends on the activity, documentation and timing required for the company rather than on a generic label.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
How many residence visas can a Meydan Free Zone company sponsor?
Meydan's official homepage says that visas can be added according to business needs and refers to visa allocation eligibility. It does not provide a single sponsorship quota that applies to every company configuration in the material used for this profile. The available allocation should therefore be confirmed at consultation.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
What office options does Meydan Free Zone require: flexi desk, office or warehouse?
The standard Meydan Free Zone licence is presented with a flexi-desk. This makes the route relevant to businesses that need a registered business address and a light-footprint start rather than a dedicated office at incorporation. Meydan also says that dedicated office space can be leased as a business scales, so premises can be reassessed when the operating model changes.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
How much does a Meydan Free Zone license cost and what is included?
Meydan publishes pricing and a cost-calculator route on its official website. To avoid presenting a configuration-dependent amount as a universal cost, this profile does not quote a figure. The applicable charge is an official fee published by Meydan Free Zone, confirm at consultation.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
How long does it take to set up a company in Meydan Free Zone?
Meydan states that its standard digital trade licence can be issued within a day, while its Fawri instant licence is stated to be issued in under 60 minutes. These are authority-published timing statements for the licence route, not a promise that every downstream task such as banking, visa processing or activity clearance will finish on the same timetable.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
Can a Meydan Free Zone company open a corporate bank account in the UAE?
A Meydan Free Zone licence can support a corporate-bank-account application, and Meydan describes banking support as part of its setup offering. The authority also refers to local and international banking and financial-technology partners. A licence is not, by itself, the bank's final onboarding decision; the bank will assess the company and its owners under its own requirements.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
Does a Meydan Free Zone company pay Corporate Tax and VAT?
Meydan's official homepage states that UAE Corporate Tax is 9%, while a qualifying free-zone person may obtain a 0% rate on qualifying income if the statutory conditions are met. Free-zone status is therefore not a blanket tax conclusion. A company should identify its income streams, eligibility conditions and compliance obligations before relying on a qualifying-income treatment.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
Meydan Free Zone vs IFZA vs Sharjah Media City (Shams): which one fits your business?
Meydan Free Zone is the focused option in this comparison for a founder who values a digital, paperless incorporation path, a flexi-desk-led start and the ability to select activity groups within its published framework. Its standard and Fawri routes make the set-up path central to the decision. The question is not which zone is universally better; it is whether the activity, premises and intended market fit the authority's rules.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
IFZA may be a relevant comparison for an applicant assessing a Dubai business-setup ecosystem with professional, commercial and branch routes. Sharjah Media City (Shams) may be relevant for media and creativity-oriented businesses in Sharjah. Compare the exact activity, company format, visa plan, location preference, service requirements and mainland strategy before choosing. The free-zones hub and the individual IFZA and Shams profiles provide the internal starting points for that comparison.
How does Nuances and Co. set up your company in Meydan Free Zone?
Nuances and Co. can begin by mapping the proposed activity, ownership profile, need for a residence visa, workspace requirement and intended customer market. That early review helps distinguish a straightforward digital licence request from a case that needs mainland planning, additional approvals or a different free-zone comparison. The authority's activity selection and current requirements remain the reference point for the final configuration.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
The next steps are to align the company name and activity selection, prepare the required applicant information, submit the chosen Meydan route and coordinate the subsequent visa or banking workstreams where relevant. Nuances and Co.'s service is quoted individually. Final authority fees, visa availability, document requirements and timing should be reconfirmed against the live application before payment or filing.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026
How much does it cost to open a company in Meydan Free Zone in 2026?
Meydan Free Zone publishes starting prices rather than one fixed total. The final amount depends on the selected license, duration, activities, shareholders, visa allocation, status change and additional services, and is confirmed after the authority reviews the application.
| Package | Published price | What is included | What is excluded | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard digital trade license | AED 12,500 | 100% ownership, up to 3 business activities, a flexi-desk and visa allocation eligibility. | Visas, bank-account assistance, other services and physical workspace are priced separately. | Published as “starts from”. Final pricing follows activity approval, immigration clearance and document verification. | |
| Fawri instant license | AED 15,000 | One free amendment and a money-back guarantee if issuance is delayed. | Visas, bank-account assistance and other services are priced separately; other inclusions are not specified by the source. | Published as “starts from”; the authority describes issuance in under 60 minutes, subject to its process and checks. |
With Nuances, company setup starts from AED 6,000, including the official free zone fee. The final cost depends on the free zone, the activity and the number of visas.
What other official fees may apply?
- Investor visa: AED 4,000. Published as a starting price and separate from the licence. Official source
- Employee visa: AED 3,500. Published as a starting price and separate from the licence. Official source
- Immigration establishment card: AED 2,000. Published as a one-time starting price. Official source
- Medical and Emirates ID assistance: AED 2,250. Published as an available-from amount. Official source
- Additional shareholder: AED 2,000. Charged for each shareholder beyond the six included. Official source
- Additional business activity: AED 1,000. Charged for each activity beyond the three included activity groups. Official source
- Innovation Fee: AED 10.00. Displayed in the calculator payment breakdown; universal applicability is not specified. Official source
- Knowledge Fee: AED 10.00. Displayed in the calculator payment breakdown; universal applicability is not specified. Official source
- Tamara payment charge: AED 313. Additional charge when paying with Tamara. Official source
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026; Meydan Free Zone — Cost Calculator · https://www.meydanfz.ae/cost-calculator · September 2026
What the free zone fee does not include
The authority's fee is only one part of the total. On top of it, most founders pay for residence visa processing, the Emirates ID and the medical test, the office or flexi-desk option, opening a corporate bank account, bookkeeping, Corporate Tax registration and, when it applies, VAT, and the annual renewal of the licence and visas. Founders from Brazil, Portugal and Angola also need to plan the tax side in their home country before the company starts invoicing.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Meydan Free Zone
Do I need to be in the UAE to set up a company in Meydan Free Zone?
The license can usually be issued remotely. Your presence is required for the residence visa (medical test and biometrics) and, in most cases, for opening the bank account.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026; UAE Government — Residence visa for family members · https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Types-of-visas/Residence-visa/residence-visa-for-family-members · September 2026
Can I sponsor my family with a Meydan Free Zone residence visa?
Yes. A valid residence visa lets you sponsor spouse and children, subject to the salary and housing requirements published by the UAE authorities.
Source: UAE Government — Residence visa for family members · https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Types-of-visas/Residence-visa/residence-visa-for-family-members · September 2026
Can a Meydan Free Zone company sell to customers in the UAE mainland?
Only through a mainland distributor or by obtaining the relevant mainland permit. The free zone license is designed for international and in-zone business.
Source: Invest in Dubai — Setting up a mainland company · https://www.investindubai.gov.ae/en/business-setup/mainland-companies · September 2026
How much does it cost to open a company in Meydan Free Zone?
According to Meydan Free Zone, the standard digital trade licence starts from AED 12,500 (checked September 2026). Visas, Emirates ID, office and annual renewal are charged separately.
Source: Meydan Free Zone — Official Homepage · https://www.meydanfz.ae/ · September 2026; Meydan Free Zone — Cost Calculator · https://www.meydanfz.ae/cost-calculator · September 2026
Company setup enquiry
Discuss your Meydan Free Zone setup.
Nuances and Co. services are quoted individually after the team reviews the activity, owners, visa needs and operating plan.
Talk to us on WhatsApp