Meydan Free Zone Company Formation
Meydan is a Dubai government free zone in Nad Al Sheba, run as a fully digital free zone for trading, services and online businesses. It is a mid-tier Dubai option, similar in cost to IFZA, and it suits owners who want a Dubai address with a setup that runs largely online. Here is who it suits, what it costs, and how it works at the bank.
Talk to us about Meydan- Meydan is a Dubai government free zone in the Nad Al Sheba district, set up in 2009.
- You can own it 100%, with no local partner or sponsor, and a fully digital setup means much of the company stage is done online.
- A flexi-desk is included in the base package, and remote, non-resident setup is supported.
- It is a mid-tier Dubai free zone, similar in cost to IFZA. A realistic all-in is around AED 26,000 in a visa year for one person, and less in a licence-only renewal year.
- A Meydan company is readily bankable in the UAE, though the account is never automatic.
- Not for everyone. Regulated finance, or physical-goods trading that needs warehousing, belong somewhere else.
What Meydan is known for — and how we handle it
Based on real client reviews of Meydan — rated 4.8 from 6,351 Google reviews.
What Meydan actually is
Meydan Free Zone is a Dubai government free zone in Nad Al Sheba, set up in 2009 and part of the Meydan Group. It is the same kind of entity as IFZA or any other free zone: a Meydan company is 100% foreign-owned, can invoice clients anywhere, and runs under free-zone rules rather than mainland company law. What it leans on in practice is that the whole company stage is digital. Meydan runs the licensing and its own checks through an online portal, which is part of why the licence is issued quickly and why banks have a clear file to look at. It carries a Dubai address, in the Nad Al Sheba district near Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City.
Who Meydan suits
Owners who want a Dubai address with a setup that runs online. The company stage is digital, so a UK, Irish or Australian owner can get the licence in place without being in Dubai for that part. You still come to the UAE for the residence visa, but the licence itself is fast and remote.
Ordinary trading, services and online businesses. Meydan offers more than 2,500 activities across one licence, with three activity groups included. Consultancies, software and e-commerce businesses, agencies and trading companies that do not need their own warehousing all fit comfortably.
Owners who value the Dubai location. Meydan sits in Nad Al Sheba rather than one of the older industrial free zones, and for some owners the Dubai address and the digital portal are the reason they choose it over a cheaper option further out.
How Meydan compares
Meydan is one of the everyday Dubai free zones. It is not a premium or a budget free zone; it sits in the middle, and the right comparison depends on what you are weighing up:
- Meydan and IFZA are both Dubai mid-tier free zones at a similar all-in cost of around AED 26,000 for a one-person setup. Both are 100% foreign-owned, both include a flexi-desk, and both are readily bankable. Meydan leans on its fully digital portal and Dubai Nad Al Sheba address; IFZA is widely used and agent-led.
- RAKEZ is the cheaper option, based in Ras Al Khaimah rather than Dubai, with a flat inclusive package at a lower price. If cost is the main driver and a Dubai address does not matter, RAKEZ is worth looking at.
- Regulated finance, funds or an English-law holding structure belong in the DIFC or ADGM, not a standard free zone like Meydan.
None of these is simply the best; they are built for different things. The full side-by-side is in Free Zones in Dubai.
Meydan, in full
Meydan publishes a licence-only price from AED 12,500. That figure covers the digital trade licence, 100% ownership, up to three activity groups and an included flexi-desk, but it does not include a residence visa or the add-ons most owners need. It is not the cost of a working company with someone living on it.
Once you add a first residence visa and the one-off costs that come with it, a realistic all-in for a one-person Meydan company is around AED 26,000 in a visa year, and less in a licence-only renewal year. That puts Meydan in the same mid-tier band as IFZA, not in the budget bracket. The licence-only headline and the real all-in are simply two different numbers, and we will cost the full picture for your exact situation rather than quote the floor price.
What the licence gives you:
- One licence, more than 2,500 activities. Up to three activity groups are included at no extra cost; further activities are added for a small fee each.
- Flexi-desk included. No separate physical office is needed for the licence or visa. You lease a dedicated office only when the business scales.
- Remote setup supported. The company stage can be done without visiting the UAE, and Meydan offers a non-resident licence for owners who do not need a visa at all.
- Two-year renewable residence visas for you and your team, with the allocation tied to the package.
How long it takes
The digital licence is the fast part. Meydan issues the standard trade licence within a few days, and offers an instant-licence option for simpler cases, most of it handled online. The residency stage is the longer one: you come to Dubai for the medical and biometrics, the residence visa and the Emirates ID, which arrives a few days later. The bank account follows and is the least predictable part. The residency steps have to be done in person and you need to stay until the visa is issued, so we plan it as one trip.
What Meydan means at the bank
A Meydan company is readily bankable in the UAE. It helps that Meydan runs its own digital checks on the activity and the ownership before it issues the licence, so the bank has a clear file to work from. But the account is never automatic. The bank still looks at the activity, the owners and the expected flows, and the decision is always theirs.
We are careful about who we take on. If a business is the kind banks will not easily take on, we say so at the start rather than taking it on and hoping. We speak to the bank directly about the company before we set it up, so the activity, the structure and the documents line up with what they have told us they need. The decision is still the bank's, and if your case looks difficult we will tell you before you commit. How UAE bank accounts actually work is covered in full on How to Open a UAE Business Bank Account.
Corporate tax
Like any UAE company, a Meydan company pays 9% corporate tax on profit above AED 375,000. A free zone company that meets the conditions can apply 0% on its qualifying income, and many younger businesses qualify instead for Small Business Relief while their revenue is under AED 3 million. Which one fits depends on the business, and we work it out case by case. The detail is on UAE Corporate Tax for foreign-owned entities.
Is Meydan right for your business?
Meydan suits a business that genuinely operates, has no regulated activity, and whose owners want a Dubai address with a setup that runs largely online. Typical examples:
- Consultancies and professional-services firms billing clients outside the UAE
- Software, SaaS and online businesses
- E-commerce businesses
- Trading companies that do not need their own warehousing or customs handling
- Agencies and media businesses
It does not suit regulated finance, which belongs in the DIFC or ADGM, or physical-goods trading that needs warehousing and customs handling, which points to a free zone built around logistics. Selling directly into the UAE market needs a mainland licence instead. If that is your situation, we will tell you, and point you to the route that actually fits.
Gareth and his team were extremely helpful and easy to work with throughout our set up. Would highly recommend!
Dean Lacey · Google review
Frequently asked questions
What is Meydan Free Zone?
A Dubai government free zone in the Nad Al Sheba district, set up in 2009 and part of the Meydan Group. It runs as a fully digital free zone, so the company stage is done online, and it suits ordinary trading, services, e-commerce and consulting businesses.
Can you set up in a free zone that is not listed here?
Yes. These are the free zones our clients use most often — not the only ones we work with. The UAE has more than forty free zones, and we can set up in any of them. If you are considering one that is not covered here, ask us and we will talk it through.
Can a foreigner own a Meydan company?
Yes. A Meydan company can be 100% foreign-owned, with no local partner or sponsor required, and profits and capital can be repatriated in full.
What does a Meydan setup cost?
Meydan publishes a licence-only price from AED 12,500, but that figure does not include a visa. A realistic all-in for a one-person company with one residence visa is around AED 26,000 in a visa year, and less in a licence-only renewal year. We will cost it for your exact numbers.
Is a Meydan company bankable in the UAE?
Usually, yes. A Meydan company is readily bankable, and the free zone runs its own digital checks before issuing the licence, which helps. The account is never automatic, though. The bank looks at the activity, the owners and the expected flows, and the decision is theirs.
Can a Meydan company trade inside the UAE market?
Not directly. Like any free zone company, a Meydan company is set up to invoice clients outside the UAE or work through the free zone. Selling directly to customers in the UAE market needs a mainland licence or a local distributor, and we can talk through the route if that is what you need.
How long does a Meydan setup take?
The digital licence is fast — the standard licence is usually issued within a few days, and Meydan offers an instant-licence option. The residency stage takes longer: you come to Dubai for the medical, biometrics, Emirates ID and visa, and the bank account follows and takes longest.
Who is Meydan Free Zone right for?
Ordinary trading, services, consulting and e-commerce businesses that invoice clients outside the UAE and want a Dubai address with a fully digital setup. It is not the right home for regulated finance, or for physical-goods trading that needs warehousing and customs handling.
Where to read next
These are the free zones we use most for our clients. If the one you are considering is not here, we can set it up too — just ask.
Not sure Meydan is the right route?
Tell us what the business does and where your customers are, and we will tell you whether Meydan fits, or whether IFZA, RAKEZ, the DIFC, ADGM or mainland is the better route.
Talk to us about your setup