# JAFZA or Dubai South > Compare Jebel Ali's port-adjacent logistics and manufacturing zone with Dubai South beside Al Maktoum Airport for logistics and aviation services. Both suit goods businesses; the transport link differs. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/jafza-vs-dubai-south - Updated: 2026-09-04 - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict Dubai South Free Zone publishes the faster licence, 1 business day against 3–14 business days for Jebel Ali Free Zone. No like-for-like starting price is published for Jebel Ali Free Zone and 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 | Jebel Ali Free Zone (Free zone) | Dubai South Free Zone (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | Not published | Not published | | From, one visa | Not published | Not published | | From, two visas | Not published | Not published | | Lowest package price | Not published | AED 12,500 (starting price) | | Licence issued in | 3–14 business days | 1 business day (The official setup page claims licence issuance in one business day.) | | Residency visa in | Not published | Not published | | Renewal price | Not published | Not published | | Licence types | Trading, Industrial, Service, Logistics | Aviation, Logistics, Trading, Services | | Facility options | Office, Warehouse, Plot, Onshore logistics facilities | Office, Warehouse, Logistics plots | | Visa options | Not published | Not published | | Remote paperwork | No | No | | Activity guides catalogued | Not published | Not published | Each figure comes from the same source as its guide page. ### Not published - Jebel Ali Free Zone · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The official calculator accepts licence type, activity groups and shareholders. Service / one group / one shareholder / FZE reached a blank results page in the browser; no numeric quote was verified. - Dubai South Free Zone · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The current Business Hub cost-calculator route exists. Its contact/activity form requires acceptance of terms and data processing before continuing; no quote was submitted. The AED 1,500 instant-IBAN add-on is optional and must not enter baseline prices. - Jebel Ali Free Zone · From, one visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The official calculator accepts licence type, activity groups and shareholders. Service / one group / one shareholder / FZE reached a blank results page in the browser; no numeric quote was verified. - Dubai South Free Zone · From, one visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The current Business Hub cost-calculator route exists. Its contact/activity form requires acceptance of terms and data processing before continuing; no quote was submitted. The AED 1,500 instant-IBAN add-on is optional and must not enter baseline prices. - Jebel Ali Free Zone · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: The official calculator accepts licence type, activity groups and shareholders. Service / one group / one shareholder / FZE reached a blank results page in the browser; no numeric quote was verified. - Dubai South Free Zone · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: The current Business Hub cost-calculator route exists. Its contact/activity form requires acceptance of terms and data processing before continuing; no quote was submitted. The AED 1,500 instant-IBAN add-on is optional and must not enter baseline prices. - Jebel Ali Free Zone · Lowest package price: No comparable company package price is confirmed. Other published fees and products are listed separately. - Jebel Ali Free Zone · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Dubai South Free Zone · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - Jebel Ali Free Zone · Renewal price: No published renewal price, term or penalty was found. - Dubai South Free Zone · Renewal price: Detailed public renewal pricing was not found. - Jebel Ali Free Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Dubai South Free Zone · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - Jebel Ali Free Zone · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA). Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. - Dubai South Free Zone · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for Dubai South Free Zone. Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. ## Check before choosing ### Jebel Ali Free Zone Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the Jebel Ali Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/jafza) ### Dubai South Free Zone Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the Dubai South Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/dubai-south) ## Frequently asked questions ### Port or airport? JAFZA is built around Jebel Ali port. Dubai South is built around Al Maktoum International Airport. Logistics businesses often choose by the mode their freight uses. ### 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, Jebel Ali Free Zone or Dubai South Free Zone? Dubai South Free Zone publishes the faster licence, 1 business day against 3–14 business days for Jebel Ali Free Zone. No like-for-like starting price is published for Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai South Free Zone, so the cost side of this comparison is open. ## Related - [Jebel Ali Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/jafza) - [Dubai South Free Zone guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/dubai-south) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [JAFZA or Dubai South (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/jafza-vs-dubai-south.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “JAFZA or Dubai South.” Updated 2026-09-04. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/jafza-vs-dubai-south [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/jafza-vs-dubai-south). “JAFZA or Dubai South.” Updated 2026-09-04. 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/jafza-vs-dubai-south, updated 2026-09-04. 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.