Meydan Free Zone or Innovation City
Compare Meydan Free Zone and Innovation City 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.
Meydan Free Zone and Innovation City both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence. 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 | Meydan Free ZoneFree zone | Innovation CityFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | Meydan Free Zone AED 19,870 12 months · calculator output | Innovation City AED 13,200 12 months · starting price |
| Lowest package price | Meydan Free Zone AED 12,520 12 months · calculator output | Innovation City AED 6,600 12 months · starting price |
| Licence issued in | Meydan Free Zone 24 hours Regular: typically within 24 hours, conditional | Innovation City 5–10 business days |
| Residency visa in | Meydan Free Zone 5–7 business days Visa processing typically takes five to seven working days after company incorporation. | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | Meydan Free Zone Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Licence types | Meydan Free Zone Commercial, Professional | Innovation City Digital assets, Related tech |
| Facility options | Meydan Free Zone Flexi desk, Office | Innovation City Office, Virtual options as offered |
| Visa options | Meydan Free Zone Employment visas, priced in the official calculator for zero to two visas 1 moreShow less
| Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | Meydan Free Zone Yes | Innovation City Yes |
| Activity guides catalogued | Meydan Free Zone Not published: Not published | Innovation City Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Start with Meydan Free Zone | Explore Innovation City |
Check before choosing
Meydan Free Zone
- Warehouse, land or industrial operations that need physical premises
- Companies with several owners that want the Fawri route, which needs one person in every role
Innovation City
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Innovation City 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, Meydan Free Zone or Innovation City?
Meydan Free Zone and Innovation City both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence. 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.