Meydan Free Zone

Meydan Free Zone key facts

Source: Meydan Free Zone website, home page, FAQs and guides. Checked 29 October 2026.

Three ways to open a Meydan company

The fastest route is not always the best: Fawri suits a single owner, but if you plan partners, several activity groups or a corporate shareholder, the standard route avoids changes later. We choose with you on the call.

Meydan activities: up to 3 groups on one licence

Meydan lists more than 2,500 business activities across sectors: consulting, marketing, technology, e-commerce, trading, media, events, education and more. Activities are organised in groups, and a standard licence can combine up to 3 activity groups in any combination. That is a lot of room for a small company.

• Pick what you will invoice for. Banks compare your activities with your actual business.
• Watch general trading. Meydan itself notes that some activities, such as general trading, can make bank account opening harder.
• Check approvals. Regulated activities (for example food, health, education or financial services) can need approval from another authority.

Already know your activities? Write them in our online application; we match each one to Meydan's official list and confirm the exact names with you.

Meydan visas and office space

A Meydan company can sponsor residence visas for owners and staff, usually valid for 2 years.

• Visa allocations: up to 6 per licence. You choose how many when you set up, and you can add more later.
• Investor or partner visa: Meydan gives an investor visa to a sole shareholder with share capital of AED 50,000 or more, and a partner visa when there are other shareholders.
• Flexi-desk: a flexi-desk or shared office is enough for most small companies, but it does not include a visa on its own: you need the allocations on your licence.
• When: visas are applied for after incorporation, once you have the immigration (establishment) card and your allocations.
• Family: spouse, children and eligible parents can be sponsored. See family visa.

Each visa then goes through the entry permit (or a status change if you are already in the UAE), the medical test, biometrics and the Emirates ID. We book all of it for you.

Documents you need, and what you receive

Banks usually ask for the licence, Memorandum of Association, share certificate, tenancy (lease) contract and your Emirates ID or visa application. See business bank account opening.

Working on the mainland from Meydan

A Free Zone company can always invoice mainland companies for services. Meydan goes further: it says its companies can operate on the mainland with a no-objection letter (NOC) approved by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, without a separate mainland licence. If most of your clients are UAE companies, this can be a reason to choose Meydan. If you need a shop or restaurant, you still need a mainland company.

What decides your Meydan cost

Six things change the total:

1. Number of visa allocations on the licence
2. Number of visas actually processed, each with medical test and Emirates ID
3. Activity groups and any outside approvals
4. Licence length (longer licences can cost less per year)
5. A company as shareholder and any document attestation
6. Whether you are already in the UAE (status change instead of entry permit)

Meydan also runs offers during the year. We don't publish a price that may be wrong for you: after a free 30-minute call you get your exact cost, line by line, in writing. Renewal costs about the same as the first licence.

Meydan vs IFZA vs RAKEZ

Read more: IFZA Free Zone · RAKEZ · compare all Free Zones.

Meydan pros and cons

Who Meydan suits

A good fit: founders who want a Dubai address and a fast online setup, companies with a mix of activities (for example consulting plus e-commerce), companies with several partners, and businesses whose clients are mainly UAE companies.

Not the best fit: owners who only want the lowest cost and don't need a Dubai address (look at RAKEZ), companies needing more than 6 visas on a flexi-desk, and shops or restaurants (they need mainland).

How we set up your Meydan company

1. Free 30-minute call. We check your activities, partners and visas, compare Meydan with other zones and send a written quote the same day.
2. Online application. You fill in our step-by-step form and upload passports from your phone.
3. Name and activities. We match your activities to Meydan's official list and reserve the name.
4. Licence. Meydan issues your licence and company documents online.
5. Visas. We book your medical test and biometrics; your Emirates ID is delivered to you.
6. Bank, tax and books. We help open the bank account, register for corporate tax and keep your accounts if you want.

Choose how much we do for you: Basic, Silver or Gold. With Silver and Gold you also get our guarantee: Dubai-Ready, or a full refund of our setup fee.