DIFC or Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi
Compare DIFC and Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi on the same rows: starting packages at each visa count, licence and residency-visa timelines, renewal, facilities and remote paperwork. Every figure is read from the two guide pages.
Your situation
Answer for the default situation: one visa. Change an answer above to update it.
Ajman Free Zone fits your answers, and it is not in this comparison.
Choose Dubai Mainland if you will sell or work onshore.
No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC, so the cost side of this comparison is open. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case.
Read from the same published figures as the table. Activity eligibility, approvals and the full first year still decide the route.
Side by side
Package figures cover their stated inclusions only. Activity eligibility, the full first-year cost and renewal still need confirmation for your case.
| Metric | DIFCFree zone | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu DhabiFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | DIFC Not published: Not published | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi AED 9,450 12 months · published package |
| Lowest package price | DIFC Not published: Not published | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi AED 9,450 12 months · published package |
| Licence issued in | DIFC 3–5 business days | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi 24 hours The authority advertises free-zone company setup in 24 hours. |
| Residency visa in | DIFC Not published: Not published | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | DIFC Not published: Not published | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi AED 5,000 |
| Licence types | DIFC Non-regulated commercial, DFSA-regulated financial | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Industrial, Logistics, Trading |
| Facility options | DIFC Office, Coworking within DIFC | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Industrial plots, Warehouse, Office |
| Visa options | DIFC Not published: Not published | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | DIFC No | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi No |
| Activity guides catalogued | DIFC Not published: Not published | Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Explore DIFC | Explore Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi |
Check before choosing
Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi guideAsk an assistant about this page: ChatGPT · Claude · Perplexity
FAQ
How are the prices compared?
Only package prices at the same visa count and term are ranked against each other. A calculator output, a licence-only estimate or a product flagged as not like for like is shown in the table but never used to name a cheaper side.
Which costs less on published figures, DIFC or Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi?
No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC, so the cost side of this comparison is open. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case.
Still torn?
Explore the full guides to compare package costs, visa requirements and how you plan to trade.