Meydan Free Zone company setup (Dubai)

A Meydan license starts at approximately AED 12,500 per year for a zero-visa package — and that price includes the registered flexi-desk address and up to three business activity groups. Visa allocations add about AED 1,850 each to the license (roughly AED 14,370 with 1 visa, AED 16,220 with 2, AED 18,070 with 3), with per-person visa processing separate. Meydan prices move with promotions, so Stevva quotes the exact current figure for your configuration.

Realistically around AED 20,500–22,000: the 1-visa license (~AED 14,370), the establishment card (~AED 2,000) and one residence visa processed end to end (~AED 4,000–4,500 including medical and Emirates ID), plus mandatory health insurance. A non-resident zero-visa setup is simply the license at ~AED 12,500.

Among the fastest in the UAE: licenses typically issue within 1–5 business days of complete documents, with a fast-track route that can issue in as little as a day for straightforward cases. The entire process runs remotely — application, KYC and signing are digital — so many founders hold a Dubai license within the same week they decide.

No. The base Meydan package includes a registered flexi-desk address that satisfies the licensing requirement, so a physical office is optional. Dedicated desks and offices are available as paid upgrades — and become relevant if you need more than roughly three visas, since larger visa quotas require dedicated workspace.

Up to six visa allocations per license, at about AED 1,850 each on the license price. A flexi-desk setup supports roughly three visas; beyond that you'll need a dedicated workspace upgrade. Each visa costs about AED 4,500 per person all-in (permit, medical, Emirates ID, stamping), visa holders can sponsor dependents (~AED 6,000 per dependent), and the 180-day entry rule applies.

Yes — and it's one of Meydan's genuine differentiators. Up to three activity groups from a 2,500+ activity list can sit on one license, and commercial (trading) and professional (consulting) activities can be combined at no additional fee. Many zones surcharge or refuse this mix; at Meydan an e-commerce seller who also consults runs one company instead of two.

Yes — it's one of the most popular UAE zones for online sellers. The licensing covers marketplace and direct-to-consumer models, the digital setup suits remote founders, and the Dubai address helps with payment-gateway and marketplace onboarding (Amazon.ae, Noon, Shopify payment providers). The detail that matters: your license activities must match what you actually sell, because gateways check them — we align this before you apply.

At the Meydan Grandstand in Nad Al Sheba, Dubai — about 15 minutes from Downtown Dubai. Your company is Dubai-registered with a Dubai address, and residence visas issued through Meydan are Dubai visas.

No — incorporation is fully remote and documents are issued digitally. You only need to be in the UAE if you take a residence visa, for the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics, and visa holders must then enter the country at least once every 180 days to keep the visa valid.

They're the two closest competitors in Dubai's value tier, typically within a few hundred dirhams of each other (~AED 12,500 vs AED 12,900 at zero visas). Meydan's edge: the registered address is included, trading + consulting combine free, and issuance is fastest. IFZA's edge: a broader activity list and, under its current August 2026 promotion, one residence visa free for life plus fee waivers. Current promotions usually decide it — we quote both live, side by side.

Shams starts at roughly half the price (from AED 5,750 vs ~AED 12,500) — so if the address doesn't matter commercially, Shams wins on cost. Meydan wins when "Dubai" on the license matters: for banking optics, client perception, payment-gateway onboarding or your own residence plans. Many e-commerce sellers and consultants judge the ~AED 6,000–7,000 annual difference worth it; many international-only founders don't.

No. Meydan is a non-designated free zone, so normal UAE VAT rules apply to your supplies — including e-commerce sales, which follow their own place-of-supply rules. VAT registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 in a 12-month period.

Every Meydan company must register for UAE corporate tax and file annual returns. Qualifying Free Zone Persons can access the 0% rate on qualifying income if they meet substance and income conditions; otherwise 9% applies above AED 375,000 of taxable income. For lean flexi-desk businesses, whether real substance supports QFZP status deserves honest assessment — we do that as part of setup rather than assuming.

Meydan has not historically required audited financial statements to be filed with license renewal — unlike DMCC, JAFZA or DAFZA. But that isn't a books-optional regime: UAE corporate tax requires every company to maintain and file financial statements, and zone policies can change. We keep your books filing-ready either way.

A Meydan company incorporates as an LLC-FZ (free zone limited liability company) with a declared share capital of AED 100,000 — no deposit or proof of funds is required. Branches of existing companies can also register.

Yes — Meydan companies open UAE bank accounts routinely, and the Dubai registration helps. Banks assess substance regardless of zone: your activity, residency, expected flows and documentation. For lean digital businesses, a residence visa and clean activity-to-invoice alignment materially improve approval odds — Stevva prepares the bank file and supports the opening.