100% foreign ownership
Eligible foreign founders can own their Meydan Free Zone company without bringing in a local shareholder.
Dubai Free Zone Company Setup
Meydan Free Zone Company Formation
Set up a company in Meydan Free Zone with a licensing plan built around your actual business activity, ownership structure, visa requirements, workspace needs and post-formation priorities.
Central Dubai
Meydan and Nad Al Sheba business location
Digital setup
Online licensing routes for eligible applications
2,500+ activities
Available through the Regular licence route
5.0 / 5
Google rating · 2,457 reviews
5.0 / 5
Trustpilot rating · 86 reviews
22+ years
Company formation and related experience
50,000+
Companies served across multiple jurisdictions
The Short Answer
What is Meydan Free Zone company formation?
Meydan Free Zone company formation is the process of establishing and licensing a Free Zone LLC through Meydan Free Zone in Dubai.
It is particularly relevant to founders looking for a digital-first Dubai setup, a broad choice of permitted business activities and licence options that can be planned around ownership, residency and operational requirements.
The licence should be chosen around what the company will actually do after incorporation. Activity selection, visa planning, banking readiness and compliance can all be affected by decisions made at formation stage.
- Confirm that Meydan licenses the activities your company genuinely needs.
- Choose between the Regular and Fawri routes where eligible.
- Plan shareholder and UAE residency requirements before filing.
- Consider banking, tax and post-licence administration from the outset.
Why Meydan
Why founders consider Meydan Free Zone
Meydan combines a Dubai location with a largely digital licensing process and a broad activity catalogue, making it a practical option to compare for service, trading and online businesses.
Broad activity catalogue
The Regular route currently provides access to more than 2,500 business activities across multiple categories.
Multiple activity groups
Up to three business activity groups can currently be included under one licence before additional activity charges apply.
Digital-first formation
Standard company formation can begin online, with later immigration or banking steps handled according to the applicant's requirements.
Licence Routes
Regular or Fawri: choose the route that fits the company
Meydan currently offers two main formation routes. Fawri prioritises speed for a narrower eligible founder profile, while the Regular Business Licence provides greater flexibility for partners and company structures.
Flexible formation for startups, teams and multi-owner companies
From AED 12,500
Published Meydan starting price. Authority pricing can change.
- Access to more than 2,500 business activities
- Up to three business activity groups included
- Suitable for companies requiring multiple shareholders
- Visa allocations can be planned around the selected package
- Meydan currently presents standard processing at approximately 3–5 days for straightforward cases
Fast-track licensing for eligible single-founder applications
From AED 15,000
Published Meydan starting price. Eligibility conditions apply.
- Access to more than 1,800 eligible business activities
- Designed for one individual shareholder at initial formation
- The same individual acts as shareholder, manager, director and UBO initially
- Meydan markets eligible Fawri licence issuance in approximately 60 minutes
- Nationality, activity and compliance eligibility still apply
Published processing times describe authority licensing stages for eligible, complete applications. They should not be treated as a guarantee for regulated activities, immigration, bank-account opening or the entire operational setup.
Business Activities
Build the licence around what the company will actually do
Meydan currently provides a large activity catalogue, but the number of options is less important than selecting the right ones. The licence should make sense alongside your invoices, customers, suppliers, website, payment flows and banking profile.
Some regulated activities can also require separate approvals or a different licensing route.
Online retail and permitted digital commerce activities.
Explore e-commerce licensing →Permitted commercial and trading activities based on the chosen product scope.
Explore trading licences →Marketing and related professional-service activities where approved.
Explore marketing licensing →Consultancy, technology and other service activities within the authority's schedule.
Check your activity →Meydan Free Zone Cost
What does Meydan Free Zone company formation cost?
AED 12,500
Current published starting point for the Regular licence route.
Authority packages and fees can change. Check the current Meydan Free Zone cost calculator or request a current written setup proposal before committing.
The licence headline is only one part of the total setup cost. A useful proposal should separate the authority licence from immigration, visas, additional activities and optional post-formation services.
Regular and Fawri currently have different starting prices and eligibility.
Multi-year options can change the overall authority fee structure.
Three activity groups are currently included before additional activity charges.
Ownership structure affects which licence route is appropriate and may affect fees.
Investor, employee and dependent residence requirements add separate immigration costs.
Banking preparation, tax, bookkeeping, PRO and other support should be priced separately.
Formation Process
How Meydan Free Zone company setup works
01
Define the business model
Confirm what the company will sell or provide, where customers are based and how the business expects to operate.
02
Check the activities
Match the proposed commercial model to Meydan's current approved activity list and identify any external approval requirements.
03
Choose the licence route
Compare Regular and Fawri based on shareholders, activities, visas, eligibility and required speed.
04
Prepare the company details
Gather shareholder identification, proposed names, activity choices and any case-specific KYC or corporate-shareholder records.
05
Submit and complete licensing
Submit the application, respond to authority checks and complete the applicable licence payment and incorporation steps.
06
Move into post-licence setup
Continue with immigration, Emirates ID, banking preparation, tax registration and other operational requirements where applicable.
Preparation
What you need to prepare
Standard individual-shareholder formation is comparatively light on paperwork, while corporate shareholders and regulated activities can require a wider supporting file.
Individual shareholders
- Valid passport copy for each shareholder
- Proposed company or trade names
- Selected business activities
- Basic KYC and contact information where requested
- Residence or source-of-funds information where required during compliance checks
Corporate shareholders
- Parent-company incorporation records
- Memorandum and Articles or equivalent constitutional documents
- Passport copies for relevant owners, managers or authorised persons
- Board or shareholder resolutions where required
- Attestation, legalisation or additional ownership documentation where applicable
Jurisdiction Fit
Is Meydan the right free zone for your business?
Meydan can be an excellent fit, but it should not be selected simply because the licence can be issued quickly. The commercial model still has to fit the jurisdiction after incorporation.
Meydan may be worth shortlisting if you:
- Want a Dubai free-zone entity with a predominantly digital application route.
- Operate consultancy, e-commerce, marketing, trading, technology or another approved activity.
- Want to combine several permitted activity groups under one company.
- Need a company structure that can support planned UAE residency applications.
- Are establishing from overseas and want to minimise unnecessary physical setup steps.
Another route may deserve comparison if you:
- Need an activity that Meydan does not license or that requires another specialist authority.
- Require industrial, warehouse or large-scale physical facilities from the outset.
- Have a regulated activity with substantial external-approval requirements.
- Have an operating model for which a mainland company is structurally more appropriate.
- Expect unusual ownership, premises, visa or regulatory requirements.
After Incorporation
The licence is only one part of becoming operational
Residence, banking and Corporate Tax each follow their own rules. They should be planned alongside company formation rather than assumed to be automatically completed by receiving a trade licence.
Investor and employee visas
Visa availability depends on the selected licence and immigration structure. Medical, biometrics and Emirates ID stages follow where UAE residence is required.
UAE investor visa support →Corporate bank account preparation
Receiving a Meydan licence does not guarantee a bank account. Banks conduct their own KYC, business-model, ownership, source-of-funds and transaction review.
Corporate banking support →Do not assume an automatic 0% rate
Qualifying Free Zone Persons can access 0% Corporate Tax on Qualifying Income where the legal conditions are met. Other taxable income can be subject to 9%.
Corporate Tax support →First Elite Global
One setup plan from licence selection to operations
Our role is to help connect the formation decision with the practical requirements that follow, rather than treating the trade licence as an isolated purchase.
Activity and jurisdiction review
Check whether Meydan is commercially appropriate before filing.
Licence and ownership planning
Choose the licence route and shareholder structure around the intended business.
Application coordination
Organise company details, documentation and authority-facing formation steps.
Visa and PRO support
Coordinate relevant immigration and post-licence administrative requirements.
Banking preparation
Prepare the company profile and documents for a bank's independent onboarding review.
Tax and ongoing support
Connect the company with relevant Corporate Tax, bookkeeping and administration routes.
Client Experience
What clients have said about First Elite Global
Setting up my business in the UAE was seamless with First Elite Global. Their expert team handled everything efficiently, from legal structure selection to paperwork.
Fashion Design Company CEO
They provided clear guidance and managed everything from registration to banking. Professional and timely service.
Travel Agency CEO
Frequently Asked Questions
Meydan Free Zone company formation FAQs
What is Meydan Free Zone?
Meydan Free Zone is a Dubai free-zone authority through which eligible businesses can establish and license a Free Zone LLC. It provides digital licensing routes, a broad activity catalogue and company packages that can be configured around ownership and visa requirements.
How much does Meydan Free Zone company formation cost?
Meydan currently publishes Regular Business Licence setup from AED 12,500 and Fawri from AED 15,000. The total can increase with visas, additional activities, immigration requirements and optional services. Confirm the current authority quotation before applying because packages and charges can change.
Can I set up a Meydan Free Zone company remotely?
The standard licensing process is digital and can generally be started from overseas. Later residence, medical, biometric or bank-verification requirements can still require additional steps depending on the case.
What documents do I need for Meydan Free Zone company setup?
For a straightforward individual-shareholder setup, the starting information normally includes a valid passport copy, proposed trade names, chosen business activities and basic KYC information. Corporate shareholders and regulated activities can require additional constitutional, ownership, resolution, attestation or compliance documents.
What is the difference between a Regular Meydan licence and Fawri?
The Regular route provides the broader activity and shareholder structure. Fawri is a faster route for eligible single-individual formations and currently has a narrower activity and eligibility scope. The correct choice depends on ownership, activity, visa requirements and eligibility rather than speed alone.
Does a Meydan Free Zone company automatically pay 0% Corporate Tax?
No. Free-zone incorporation by itself is not a blanket Corporate Tax exemption. A Qualifying Free Zone Person can benefit from 0% Corporate Tax on Qualifying Income when the required conditions are satisfied. Taxable income that does not qualify can be subject to the applicable 9% rate.
Can First Elite Global help with visas after company formation?
Yes. First Elite Global can coordinate relevant UAE visa, Emirates ID and PRO support after licensing. The exact route depends on the applicant, company structure, immigration eligibility and selected licence package.
Can First Elite Global guarantee a corporate bank account?
No. First Elite Global can support banking readiness, documentation and the agreed application process, but the chosen bank independently determines eligibility, KYC requirements, product terms and whether an account is approved.
Is Meydan Free Zone right for every Dubai business?
No. Meydan should be compared with other Dubai free zones and mainland formation where the activity, premises, regulatory requirements, visa needs or operating model point towards a different structure.
Start With The Right Structure
Planning a company in Meydan Free Zone?
Send us your intended activity, shareholders, visa requirements and expected business model. We can review whether Meydan fits and map the next formation steps around your requirements.
