Innovation City or Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone
Compare Innovation City and Umm Al Quwain Free Trade 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.
Innovation City and Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone 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 | Innovation CityFree zone | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade ZoneFree zone |
|---|---|---|
| From, one visa | Innovation City AED 13,200 12 months · starting price | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone AED 12,500 12 months · published package |
| Lowest package price | Innovation City AED 6,600 12 months · starting price | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone AED 5,500 12 months · published package |
| Licence issued in | Innovation City 5–10 business days | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone 1–2 calendar days The authority states company incorporation normally takes one to two days. |
| Residency visa in | Innovation City Not published: Not published | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone Not published: Not published |
| Renewal price | Innovation City Not published: Not published | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone AED 5,500 |
| Licence types | Innovation City Digital assets, Related tech | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone Commercial, Professional, Industrial |
| Facility options | Innovation City Office, Virtual options as offered | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone Flexi desk, Office, Warehouse |
| Visa options | Innovation City Not published: Not published | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone Not published: Not published |
| Remote paperwork | Innovation City Yes | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone Yes |
| Activity guides catalogued | Innovation City Not published: Not published | Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone Not published: Not published |
| Next step | Explore Innovation City | Explore Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone |
Check before choosing
Innovation City
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Innovation City guideUmm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone
Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case.
Read the Umm Al Quwain Free Trade 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, Innovation City or Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone?
Innovation City and Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone 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.