Free zones have laid the foundation for attracting marketing, trade and investment opportunities leading to the rapid growth and success of the country’s finance, IT, logistics, trading, and media industries, among others. Currently, the free zones define a large part of the UAE’s private sector growth. More than 60,600 companies were registered in the country’s free zones as of February 2021, accounting for eight per cent of the total number of companies registered in the UAE.

45 free zones across the UAE

With its long history of establishing free zones to attract international business in the country, the UAE is now home to 45 such destinations, the highest in the world, with 10 more under construction. Many free zones cater to specialised sectors including trade, industry, energy and renewable energy, media and communications, metals and commodities, finance, healthcare, and IT which have grown to become the prominent pillars of the country’s private sector growth.

Start-ups, entrepreneurs and freelancers are also benefiting from incentives offered by the free zones in the form of reduced registration fees, visa extensions, and capital finance. The UAE’s first free zone — Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza) — is now one of the largest in the world, catering to over 7,500 companies, generating 150,000 jobs, and accounting for a staggering 28 per cent of Dubai’s GDP.