Meydan Free Zone or Sharjah Publishing City
Compare Meydan Free Zone's Dubai professional and trading licences with Sharjah Publishing City's publishing-focused zone. The emirate on the licence and each package's scope are the main differences.
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.
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone publishes the faster licence, Same day against 24 hours for Meydan Free Zone. Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone publishes the faster residency visa, 5 business days against 5–7 business days for Meydan Free Zone. Meydan Free Zone and Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence.
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 | Sharjah Publishing City Free ZoneFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | Meydan Free Zone AED 19,870 12 months · calculator output | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone AED 14,345 12 months · calculator output |
| Lowest package price | Meydan Free Zone AED 12,520 12 months · calculator output | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone AED 5,760 12 months · calculator output |
| Licence issued in | Meydan Free Zone 24 hours Regular: typically within 24 hours, conditional | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Same day Fastest |
| Residency visa in | Meydan Free Zone 5–7 business days Visa processing typically takes five to seven working days after company incorporation. | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone 5 business days The authority advertises UAE residency in five working days. Fastest |
| Renewal price | Meydan Free Zone Not published: Not published | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Not published: Not published |
| Licence types | Meydan Free Zone Commercial, Professional | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Publishing, Printing, Related media |
| Facility options | Meydan Free Zone Flexi desk, Office | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Office, Publishing facilities |
| Visa options | Meydan Free Zone Employment visas, priced in the official calculator for zero to two visas 1 moreShow less
| Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | Meydan Free Zone Yes | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Yes |
| Activity guides catalogued | Meydan Free Zone Not published: Not published | Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Start with Meydan Free Zone | Explore Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone |
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
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone guideAsk an assistant about this page: ChatGPT · Claude · Perplexity
FAQ
Dubai or Sharjah on the licence?
Meydan licences carry a Dubai address; Sharjah Publishing City licences carry Sharjah. Decide whether that matters for your clients and banking before comparing packages.
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 Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone?
Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone publishes the faster licence, Same day against 24 hours for Meydan Free Zone. Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone publishes the faster residency visa, 5 business days against 5–7 business days for Meydan Free Zone. Meydan Free Zone and Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence.
Still torn?
Explore the full guides to compare package costs, visa requirements and how you plan to trade.