DAFZA Setup

About

About DAFZA

Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA) sits beside Dubai International Airport, making it a strategic base for trading, logistics, aviation, electronics and pharmaceutical companies that value speed and connectivity.

DAFZA offers premium facilities, 100% foreign ownership and a strong reputation with international businesses. SKY Corporate Services manages your DAFZA licensing, approvals and visas so you can trade from one of Dubai's best-connected locations.

Process

The Steps to Set Up a DAFZA Company

The process of setting up a company in DAFZA and obtaining your trade license is designed to be straightforward.

1. Select your license and company structureAt this stage, the SKY Corporate Services experts will assist you in choosing a business activity and an approved company structure.
2. Reserve your trade nameWe will help ensure that your company name meets compliance requirements.
3. Submit all documentsProvide copies of all documents required, including passports, business plans, and other application forms.
4. Receive initial approvalThis is usually granted and processed digitally through the free zone's portal.
5. Sign incorporation documentsFinish up with the signing and receive your license.
6. Apply for visas and open a bank accountThe SKY Corporate Services team will be happy to assist you with this. We also assist with additional services like VAT in the UAE and other accounting services.

In focus

How Businesses Flourish

In earlier times, businesses used to flourish in cities and towns situated at the cross sections of roadways, railway tracks, sea-ports or river ports. This was mainly because these cities facilitated trade by being easy points of access. Such cities were popularly called "port cities" — points for buying and selling of commodities brought from various parts of the world. Merchants chose to sell their commodities in port cities because these cities simply fell on the way and were easy to reach compared to other far-flung lands. Port cities were also used as stopping points for cargo that had to be shipped onward. In fact, small port cities used for trade have now grown into major cities of the world, such as New York and London. Even Dubai, now a state-of-the-art city, was a popular trading hub used to sell commodities from several parts of the world, or as a stopping point for onward cargo. This facilitation of trade benefitted the merchants and the cities alike.

It is hard not to think that this concept of "port cities" applies to the free zones of the UAE, especially the ones allowing the business activities of specific and general trading. Any free zone situated in a port city and right next to either an airport or a seaport is likely to benefit the companies set up in it much more when compared to free zones located in interior parts of the land. One such free zone is Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA), situated in Dubai and right next to Dubai International Airport. The heavy footfall of buyers and sellers, service providers and service consumers at DAFZA is bound to benefit any DAFZA company.

Here are a few ways in which DAFZA can turn the companies set up with it into successful businesses:

1. LocationDubai Airport Free Zone is located at Dubai International Airport, which connects two-thirds of the world by a maximum of an eight (8) hour direct flight. This means that no matter where you are you can set up and run your company at DAFZA. The central location of Dubai and DAFZA can help you do business with clients from all over the world.
2. Support and InfrastructureLocation may be beneficial, however any support to your business at a good location can act as a catalyst to your company's growth. DAFZA provides this support in the form of warehouses, offices and logistics. DAFZA offers warehouses measuring about one hundred thousand (100,000) square meters and office space measuring two hundred thousand (200,000) square meters. DAFZA also hosts various logistics service providers that can help you transport your goods and commodities. This holistic infrastructure helps you store, sell and move your goods.
3. TaxesThe UAE has one of the most competitive tax regimes in the world, with no personal income tax and a corporate tax regime that offers relief on qualifying free zone income. This means a DAFZA company can retain substantially more of what it earns when compared to many other jurisdictions.
4. VisasYou and your employees can become UAE residents by owning a DAFZA company. Companies at Dubai Airport Free Zone come with visa allocations that range between one and twenty (1 – 20). A visa allocation allows the owner of the company to apply for a UAE residency visa for themselves and/or their employees. Depending on the nature of the residency visa, they are granted for either two (2) or three (3) years and can be easily renewed. This provides an opportunity to live in any of the seven (7) emirates of the United Arab Emirates.
5. Chance to apply for a mainland licenseYou need to set up an office space to form a mainland company with Dubai Economy, which can make a mainland setup a costly affair. However, owning a company at Dubai Airport Free Zone can help you incorporate a mainland company with Dubai Economy in a much more affordable way. Any company holding a DAFZA license can incorporate a company with Dubai Economy without having to own a separate physical office space on the mainland. The credentials of the DAFZA company and office space can be used to obtain a dual license that will help your company operate both on the mainland and in the free zone.
6. Quick and easy registrationIncorporating a company at Dubai Airport Free Zone is straightforward. The steps of incorporation are simple and the shareholders do not need to visit the UAE to complete the process — the entire process can be completed remotely. DAFZA forms your company based on minimal identification documents, so the usual hassles related to the incorporation process are absent.

If you wish to set up your business at one of the most centrally located and easily accessible free zones, set up your company with Dubai Airport Free Zone. To get started, contact us or leave an enquiry. SKY Corporate Services offers to-the-point company formation solutions that will help you start a successful company.