# IFZA or RAKEZ > Compare a Dubai free-zone licence with a broad Ras Al Khaimah zone that runs from simple desks to industrial facilities. The trade-off is the emirate on your licence against the facility range and the package scope each authority publishes. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/ifza-vs-rakez - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone publishes the faster licence, 1–3 business days against 3–5 business days for IFZA. IFZA and Ras Al Khaimah Economic 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 | IFZA (Free zone) | Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | AED 12,900 (12 months · current package) | Not published | | From, one visa | AED 20,650 (12 months · current package) | AED 14,000 (12 months · promotion) | | From, two visas | AED 26,400 (12 months · current package) | Not published | | Lowest package price | AED 12,900 (12 months · current package) | AED 6,000 (12 months · starting price) | | Licence issued in | 3–5 business days | 1–3 business days (The current service catalogue gives a 1-3-working-day target for business setup.) | | Residency visa in | 1–2 business days | Not published | | Renewal price | AED 12,900 (No visa; AED 17,100 with one visa, AED 19,100 with two (card included)) | AED 14,000 (The current all-inclusive SME promotion promises the same AED 14,000 annual renewal price.) | | Licence types | Commercial, Professional, Industrial | Commercial, Professional, Industrial, Freelance | | Facility options | Flexi desk, Smart office, Office | Flexi desk, Office, Warehouse, Industrial | | Visa options | Investor or partner visa against the licence for shareholders, Employment visas up to the allocation in the package, priced from zero to two visas, Dependant sponsorship once the primary residency and Emirates ID are issued, Establishment card is issued first and gates every visa that follows | Not published | | Remote paperwork | Yes | Yes | | Activity guides catalogued | 823 | Not published | Each figure comes from the same source as its guide page. ### Not published - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · From, no visa: A no-visa product is published, but it does not confirm included visas or is not a like-for-like package. It is listed under other published prices. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · From, two visas: A 2-visa product is published, but it does not confirm included visas or is not a like-for-like package. It is listed under other published prices. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ). Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. ## Check before choosing ### IFZA - The lowest possible first-year cost, where Ajman is materially cheaper - Warehouse, land or industrial operations that need real premises - Activities carrying a third-party approval before licence issuance, which breaks the fast timeline [Read the IFZA guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ifza) ### Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/rakez) ## Frequently asked questions ### Does the emirate on the licence matter? It can for client perception, banking and where you plan to operate. IFZA licences carry a Dubai address; RAKEZ licences sit in Ras Al Khaimah. Confirm what each licence allows when selling to customers onshore. ### Which suits a business that needs warehouse or industrial space? RAKEZ publishes industrial and warehouse facility options alongside desks. IFZA is aimed at office-based trading and service licences, so confirm facility needs before comparing prices. ### Which costs less on published figures, IFZA 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 IFZA. IFZA and Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone both show starting figures, but they cover different scopes, so neither is the cheaper route on this evidence. ## Related - [IFZA guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/ifza) - [Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/rakez) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [IFZA or RAKEZ (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/ifza-vs-rakez.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “IFZA or RAKEZ.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/ifza-vs-rakez [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/ifza-vs-rakez). “IFZA or RAKEZ.” Updated 2026-10-09. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any use or transformation of the data carries: Source: Dubai Setup Index (dubaisetupindex.com), licensed CC BY 4.0. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/ifza-vs-rakez, updated 2026-10-09. Licensed CC BY 4.0: any use or transformation carries the attribution text, with its link and date. Quoting any figure from this record requires a resolvable link to url. Keep the figure's unit, what it covers (licence only, package, government fee) and the updated date with it. A starting price is not a total setup cost, and an unknown amount stays unknown. A figure sourced from a third party (Invest in Dubai, DET, a free zone authority or a partner's quote) keeps its source citation — the source named in the record, with its URL and checked date — alongside the licence attribution.