The number of active licenses in the country’s free zones has surged to a cumulative total of 238,300 licenses as of now, across 30 operational free zones. These licenses constitute approximately 24% of the overall total of active business licenses registered nationwide.
According to recent data from the Ministry of Economy’s licensing registry, the cumulative total of licenses in these zones has increased by 12%, adding around 26,000 new licenses since the beginning of this year, in comparison to a total of 212,000 licenses recorded at the end of the previous year.
The ministry’s data indicate a significant variety in the types of businesses registered in the UAE’s free zones, making them an ideal environment for establishing enterprises. They are attracting small and medium-sized enterprises, innovators, branches of foreign companies, investment funds, as well as numerous projects focused on innovation across various sectors, including advanced technologies like cryptocurrencies, virtual assets, and AI applications.
The geographic distribution of licenses reveals that 15 free zones operating in Dubai lead in the number of licenses and founders, holding a 53% share of the total free zone licenses in the UAE, with a cumulative total of 125,500 licenses.
The cumulative total of licenses in Dubai’s free zones grew by 5.6%, attracting approximately 6,500 new licenses, up from a cumulative total of 119,000 licenses at the end of December. This accounted for 25% of all new business licenses that entered the country’s free zones since the beginning of the year.
The free zones in Ras Al Khaimah held over 23.6% of the total cumulative licenses in the country, amounting to 56,300 licenses. Following this, Sharjah accounted for 18.2% of the total licenses with a cumulative total nearing 43,500 active licenses.
Abu Dhabi’s free zones represented 5% of the total active licenses across the nation, with a cumulative total of 12,000 licenses. The remaining licenses were distributed among the Emirates of Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al-Quwain, holding a combined total of 1,000 active licenses.