JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone)
Dubai's flagship industrial and logistics zone, wired to Jebel Ali Port.
What JAFZA is actually known for
JAFZA is a port. Jebel Ali is among the busiest container ports in the world, and the free zone was built around it in 1985 to let goods land, be stored, processed and re-exported without entering the UAE customs territory. It is the zone for anything heavy, bulky or manufactured — and it accounts for a substantial share of Dubai's total foreign direct investment. It also runs JAFZA Offshore, one of the few UAE offshore structures permitted to hold Dubai freehold property.
JAFZA is Dubai's flagship industrial, logistics and trading free zone and one of the oldest and largest in the region (est. 1985). Anchored to Jebel Ali Port — one of the world's largest container ports — it's built for manufacturing, warehousing, large-scale trading and logistics, with access to land plots, warehouses and heavy infrastructure.
Key benefits
- 100% foreign ownership with no local sponsor
- 0% corporate tax on qualifying income; 0% personal income tax
- No restrictions on profit / capital repatriation
- Integrated with Jebel Ali Port and near Al Maktoum International Airport
- Access to warehouses, land plots and industrial-scale facilities
- 1,500+ approved activities and a digital licensing process
Business activities & licenses
JAFZA supports a range of license types and activities, including:
- Industrial / manufacturing
- Logistics & warehousing
- Trading & general trading
- Service & professional
- E-commerce
The clusters that exist here
Activity lists look similar across every free zone. What differs is which industries have genuinely concentrated in one — the counterparties, the suppliers and the people you end up sitting next to.
- Manufacturing and industrial
- Land plots for purpose-built factories, with power, water and access designed for industrial load rather than retrofitted.
- Logistics and re-export
- Warehousing at scale next to container terminals, with onward road access to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the rest of the GCC.
- Automotive and machinery
- Vehicle, parts and heavy-equipment distribution serving Africa, South Asia and the wider Middle East.
- Building materials and steel
- Bulk commodity handling where sea freight economics dominate.
- Food and agri-processing
- Bulk food import, processing and re-export with the storage capacity to hold seasonal inventory.
Infrastructure and institutions
The things JAFZA has that a competing zone would have to build from scratch:
- Direct integration with Jebel Ali Port, one of the world's largest container terminals
- Land plots for build-to-suit factories and facilities, plus pre-built warehousing in multiple sizes
- Corridor link to Al Maktoum International Airport for sea-air transhipment
- On-site customs, inspection and container-handling services
- JAFZA Offshore — an offshore company regime that can hold Dubai freehold property
- Labour accommodation within the zone for industrial workforces
Ownership & visas
100% foreign ownership — FZE, FZCO and branch structures available.
Visa allocation scales with facility type — from office packages to large warehouses and industrial plots supporting substantial staff quotas.
Cost & timeline
Service or single-group trading licence, annual
| Product / charge | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trading — one group, up to seven activities | AED 5,000 | |
| Trading — two groups, up to twelve activities | AED 8,500 | |
| Service licence | AED 5,000 | |
| General trading | AED 15,000 | |
| Logistics | AED 15,000 | |
| Holding | AED 30,000 | |
| Additional activity beyond stated limit | AED 500 |
Important: These are licence charges only. Formation, registration, facility lease, establishment card, immigration, visas, customs, deposits and operational premises are separate. Industrial and national-industrial licences follow separate schedules.
Typical timeline: ~2–4 weeks (longer for industrial / warehouse setups).
Is JAFZA right for you?
Manufacturers, industrial operators, large-scale traders and logistics companies that need port access, warehousing or land and are targeting import-export and regional supply chains.
Choose JAFZA if
- You import, store or manufacture physical goods at volume
- Sea freight is your primary route and port proximity cuts real cost
- You need land, a factory or large-format warehousing
- You re-export into the GCC, Africa or South Asia
Look elsewhere if
- You are a service business with no goods — the location advantage is irrelevant to you
- You need a client-facing address in central Dubai; Jebel Ali is a 40-minute drive from Downtown
- You want the lowest possible licence cost for a one-person consultancy
What people get wrong about JAFZA
The things that surprise founders after they have already signed — worth knowing before you do.
- Facility cost dominates the licence
- The published licence figures are the smallest line in a JAFZA budget. Warehouse or land lease, fit-out, utilities and staff accommodation are where the money goes. Model the facility first.
- Qualifying Free Zone Person status is not automatic
- The 0% corporate tax rate on qualifying income requires meeting substance and qualifying-activity conditions and not electing out. Distribution activity in particular has specific requirements. Take tax advice rather than assuming.
- Offshore is a different product
- A JAFZA Offshore company is a holding vehicle. It cannot obtain residence visas or lease operational premises in the zone — that's a JAFZA free zone company, which is separate.
What makes JAFZA different
- One of the oldest (1985) and largest free zones in the world, run by DP World.
- Combined sea-air logistics via Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum Airport.
Compare alternatives
How JAFZA compares
| Free zone | Emirate | License from* | Typical timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAFZA This page | Dubai | AED 5,000/yr | ~2–4 weeks (longer for industrial / warehouse setups) | Manufacturing · Warehousing |
| IFZA → | Dubai | Quote required | License in ~3–5 working days (fast-track available) | Consultants · E-commerce |
| Meydan → | Dubai | AED 12,500/yr | A few days to ~1 week (digital process) | Agencies · Consultants |
| DMCC → | Dubai | AED 20,285/yr | ~1–4 weeks depending on activity and workspace | Commodities · General trading |
* Published entry prices from each authority, verified 1 August 2026 — not quotes, and not directly comparable products. Compare all 17 zones
JAFZA — frequently asked questions
01How much does it cost to set up in JAFZA?＋
These are licence charges only. Formation, registration, facility lease, establishment card, immigration, visas, customs, deposits and operational premises are separate. Industrial and national-industrial licences follow separate schedules. Figures are the authority's own published prices as last verified — confirm current pricing before committing.
02Can I own 100% of my JAFZA company?＋
100% foreign ownership — FZE, FZCO and branch structures available.
03How many visas can I get with JAFZA?＋
Visa allocation scales with facility type — from office packages to large warehouses and industrial plots supporting substantial staff quotas.
04How long does JAFZA setup take?＋
~2–4 weeks (longer for industrial / warehouse setups). Timelines depend on document readiness, visa processing and bank onboarding.
05Who is JAFZA best for?＋
Manufacturers, industrial operators, large-scale traders and logistics companies that need port access, warehousing or land and are targeting import-export and regional supply chains.
06Can a JAFZA Offshore company own property in Dubai?＋
Yes — JAFZA Offshore is one of the few offshore regimes the Dubai Land Department accepts as a registered owner of freehold property in designated areas. It's a common structure for holding real estate. It does not, however, provide residence visas or allow you to trade.
07What is the difference between JAFZA and DMCC for trading?＋
JAFZA is for goods that physically arrive by sea and need storage or processing — it has the port, the land and the warehouses. DMCC is for commodity trading and finance, in a commercial district with vaults but no container terminal. If you move containers, JAFZA. If you trade paper and precious metal, DMCC.
08Does JAFZA suit a small trading company?＋
It can, if the goods are real. JAFZA publishes entry-level licence pricing that is competitive, and shared or small-format warehousing is available. The question is whether you need port proximity — if your stock sits with a third-party logistics provider anyway, a cheaper zone works just as well.