Dubai South Free Zone or Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone
Compare Dubai South Free Zone 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.
Dubai South Free Zone publishes the faster licence, 1 business day against 1–3 business days for Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone. No like-for-like starting price is published for Dubai South Free Zone, 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 | Dubai South Free ZoneFree zone | Ras Al Khaimah Economic ZoneFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone AED 14,000 12 months · promotion |
| Lowest package price | Dubai South Free Zone AED 12,500 starting price | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone AED 6,000 12 months · starting price |
| Licence issued in | Dubai South Free Zone 1 business day The official setup page claims licence issuance in one business day. Fastest | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone 1–3 business days The current service catalogue gives a 1-3-working-day target for business setup. |
| Residency visa in | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | Dubai South Free Zone 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 | Dubai South Free Zone Aviation, Logistics, Trading, Services | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Commercial, Professional, Industrial, Freelance |
| Facility options | Dubai South Free Zone Office, Warehouse, Logistics plots | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Flexi desk, Office, Warehouse, Industrial |
| Visa options | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | Dubai South Free Zone No | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Yes |
| Activity guides catalogued | Dubai South Free Zone Not published: Not published | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Explore Dubai South Free Zone | Explore Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone |
Check before choosing
Dubai South Free Zone
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Dubai South Free Zone guideRas 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, Dubai South Free Zone or Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone?
Dubai South Free Zone publishes the faster licence, 1 business day against 1–3 business days for Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone. No like-for-like starting price is published for Dubai South Free Zone, 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.