DIFC or Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
Compare DIFC and Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone 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.
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone publishes the faster licence, 1–3 business days against 3–5 business days for DIFC. No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC, so the cost side of this comparison is open.
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 | Ras Al Khaimah Economic ZoneFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | DIFC Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone AED 14,000 12 months · promotion |
| Lowest package price | DIFC Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone AED 6,000 12 months · starting price |
| Licence issued in | DIFC 3–5 business days | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone 1–3 business days The current service catalogue gives a 1-3-working-day target for business setup. Fastest |
| Residency visa in | DIFC Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | DIFC Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone AED 14,000 The current all-inclusive SME promotion promises the same AED 14,000 annual renewal price. |
| Licence types | DIFC Non-regulated commercial, DFSA-regulated financial | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Commercial, Professional, Industrial, Freelance |
| Facility options | DIFC Office, Coworking within DIFC | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Flexi desk, Office, Warehouse, Industrial |
| Visa options | DIFC Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | DIFC No | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Yes |
| Activity guides catalogued | DIFC Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Explore DIFC | Explore Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone |
Check before choosing
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone 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 Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone?
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone publishes the faster licence, 1–3 business days against 3–5 business days for DIFC. No like-for-like starting price is published for DIFC, so the cost side of this comparison is open.
Still torn?
Explore the full guides to compare package costs, visa requirements and how you plan to trade.